You know those little symbols on your clothing tags? The ones that look like they were designed by someone who really didn't want you to understand them? They actually follow an international standard, and once you crack the code, they're surprisingly simple.
There are five categories of care symbols, and they always appear in the same order on a label. Here's every one of them, in plain English.
The Five Categories
Every care label organizes instructions into five categories, always in this order:
- Washing - how to clean it
- Bleaching - what bleach (if any) is safe
- Drying - how to dry it
- Ironing - heat settings for pressing
- Professional care - dry cleaning instructions
Staring at one specific symbol right now? Every symbol also has its own page in our laundry symbol reference — deeper detail, common questions, and what happens if you ignore it.
1. Washing Instructions
Washing symbols tell you the maximum water temperature and how aggressively you can wash the garment.
- Cold wash (30°C / 85°F) - use cold water, good for delicates and colors
- Warm wash (40°C / 105°F) - the default for most everyday clothes
- Hot wash (50-60°C / 120-140°F) - for whites, towels, and heavily soiled items
- Hand wash only - too delicate for a machine. Gently wash in a basin.
- Do not wash - professional cleaning only. Don't put this in water.
Lines underneath the symbol indicate agitation level: no line means normal cycle, one line means permanent press / gentle, two lines means delicate / hand wash cycle.
2. Bleaching
Bleaching symbols are straightforward:
- Any bleach allowed - chlorine or oxygen bleach is fine
- Non-chlorine bleach only - use oxygen-based bleach (like OxiClean), no chlorine
- Do not bleach - no bleach of any kind
3. Drying
Drying instructions cover both tumble drying and natural drying.
- Tumble dry normal - regular dryer cycle
- Tumble dry low - use low heat to prevent shrinkage
- Tumble dry no heat - air-only cycle, no heat
- Do not tumble dry - air dry only
- Line dry - hang on a clothesline
- Flat dry - lay flat to dry (common for knits and sweaters)
- Drip dry - hang dripping wet, don't wring
4. Ironing
Ironing symbols indicate the maximum temperature:
- Low heat (110°C / 230°F) - for synthetics like polyester and nylon
- Medium heat (150°C / 300°F) - for wool, silk, and blends
- High heat (200°C / 390°F) - for cotton and linen
- Do not iron - heat will damage the fabric
- No steam - iron without steam (often for silk)
5. Professional Care
These symbols are primarily for your dry cleaner:
- Dry clean - professional dry cleaning is safe
- Dry clean with specific solvents - letters indicate which solvents (P, F, W) your cleaner should use
- Do not dry clean - solvents will damage the fabric
- Wet clean - professional wet cleaning is an eco-friendly alternative
US vs International Labels
There are two main label systems worldwide:
- ISO 3758 (International/EU) - symbol-only, temperatures in Celsius, bars underneath for agitation. Used in most countries.
- ASTM D5489 (US/Canada) - symbols plus text, temperatures in Fahrenheit, dots for temperature levels.
CareLabl handles both systems automatically. Just scan and you'll get plain-language results regardless of which standard the label uses.
The Easy Way: Just Scan It
Memorizing all these symbols is one approach. The easier approach: download CareLabl, point your camera at the label, and get instant plain-language instructions plus your garment's fabric composition. Try Pro free for 3 days, no credit card needed.