Washing
Wash at up to 30°C
Look for: Washtub containing the number 30.
Use no more than 30°C. Also check for bars beneath the tub.
Read the label, then choose the cycle
Washing symbols interpreter
Describe the shapes on your care label, find their meanings and build a printable wash-day summary.
Always follow the garment maker’s complete label. This is a text-based reference, not a photo scanner. An unfamiliar or unclear mark needs confirmation from the manufacturer or a professional cleaner.
What can you see?
Search describes care labels on textiles, not controls on a washing machine.
25 descriptions available.
No descriptions match. Try a shorter word, choose all categories or ask the manufacturer about a mark you cannot identify.
Washing
Wash at up to 40°C
Look for: Washtub containing the number 40.
Use no more than 40°C. Also check for bars beneath the tub.
Washing
Wash at up to 50°C
Look for: Washtub containing the number 50.
Use no more than 50°C. Also check for bars beneath the tub.
Washing
Wash at up to 60°C
Look for: Washtub containing the number 60.
Use no more than 60°C. Also check for bars beneath the tub.
Washing
Wash at up to 70°C
Look for: Washtub containing the number 70.
Use no more than 70°C. Also check for bars beneath the tub.
Washing
Wash at up to 95°C
Look for: Washtub containing the number 95.
Use no more than 95°C. Also check for bars beneath the tub.
Washing
Hand wash
Look for: Hand inside a washtub.
Wash by hand; do not assume a machine hand-wash programme is suitable. Check the label’s temperature.
Washing
Do not wash
Look for: Cross through a washtub.
Do not wash this item. Ask the maker or a professional cleaner about suitable care.
Washing
Mild wash
Look for: One bar beneath a washtub.
Reduce mechanical action; choose the appropriate mild programme.
Washing
Very mild wash
Look for: Two bars beneath a washtub.
Use a very gentle programme. Follow the machine’s load guidance.
Bleaching
Bleach permitted
Look for: An empty triangle.
Chlorine or oxygen bleach is permitted, subject to product instructions.
Bleaching
Non-chlorine bleach only
Look for: Triangle containing two diagonal lines.
Use oxygen bleach only; avoid chlorine bleach.
Bleaching
Do not bleach
Look for: Cross through a triangle.
Avoid bleach, including bleach in detergent.
Drying
Tumble dry on low
Look for: Circle inside a square with one dot.
Use low-temperature tumble drying, up to 60°C inlet temperature.
Drying
Tumble dry normally
Look for: Circle inside a square with two dots.
Normal-temperature tumble drying is permitted, up to 80°C inlet temperature.
Drying
Do not tumble dry
Look for: Cross through a circle inside a square.
Keep this item out of the tumble dryer. Check for an air-drying instruction.
Drying
Line dry
Look for: Square containing one vertical line.
Hang to dry.
Drying
Dry flat
Look for: Square containing one horizontal line.
Lay flat to dry.
Drying
Dry in shade
Look for: Diagonal line in the top-left corner of a drying square.
Keep out of direct sunlight during the indicated drying method.
Ironing
Low iron: one dot
Look for: Iron containing one dot.
Use the low dot setting. Older labels may specify 110°C; the 2023 standard uses 120°C. Follow the garment’s instructions. Steam can damage some items.
Ironing
Moderate iron: two dots
Look for: Iron containing two dots.
Use the moderate dot setting. Older labels may specify 150°C; the 2023 standard uses 160°C. Follow the garment’s instructions.
Ironing
Hot iron: three dots
Look for: Iron containing three dots.
Use the high dot setting only if permitted. Older labels may specify 200°C; the 2023 standard uses 210°C. Follow the garment’s instructions.
Ironing
Do not iron
Look for: Cross through an iron.
Do not iron or press.
Professional care
Professional cleaning
Look for: Circle containing P, F or W; possibly with bars.
Show the complete label to a professional cleaner. Letters and bars describe processes and limits, not a home washing recipe.
Professional care
Do not dry clean
Look for: Cross through a plain circle.
Do not use professional dry cleaning. This does not by itself permit washing.
How to read a care label
Start with the complete label, including words and any special instructions. Match the shape, number of dots and bars, then add each relevant instruction above. A temperature is a ceiling, rather than a requirement to use the hottest permitted setting. A bar changes the care process; it does not change the number printed inside the washtub.
For example, a tub marked 40 with one bar, a crossed-out triangle and a crossed-out tumble-drying mark mean a maximum 40°C mild wash, no bleach and no tumble drying. Selecting those four descriptions creates a printable reminder. It does not decide stain treatment, detergent dosage or whether another garment can share the load.
Five families of instructions
A washtub deals with washing, a triangle with bleaching, a drying square with drying, an iron with ironing, and a circle with professional care. A square containing a circle concerns tumble drying; a drying square with straight lines concerns natural drying. Check the entire mark, not only the outer shape.
A professional wet-cleaning instruction is not permission to wash the item at home. Letters and bars are information for a cleaner. If a mark is missing, we do not infer permission for a process: ask the maker when the correct treatment is unclear.
Why ironing temperatures can differ
The current GINETEX guide for ISO 3758:2023 gives 120°C, 160°C and 210°C for the three dot levels. AEG’s care-symbol table also documents familiar 110°C, 150°C and 200°C limits. Keep to any temperature written on your garment and the matching iron setting; do not raise heat on an older garment because a newer guide lists a higher maximum. For an ambiguous label, confirm with its manufacturer.
Sources, artwork and scope
Meanings checked on 19 October 2026 against the sources linked on each card and Bosch’s laundry care-symbol guide. We use plain-language descriptions rather than reproducing protected care-symbol artwork. GINETEX explains its symbol ownership and authorisation requirements. This independent reference is not GINETEX-approved, exhaustive or a care-label certification.
Different countries and older labels may use different systems. This tool cannot inspect fabric, damage, trims, coatings or the full label. A material name alone does not tell us which wash is safe. Never use the summary to override the garment label or machine safety instructions.
Your next useful step
Once you know the permitted care, find a launderette with suitable facilities and confirm machine settings with staff. Use the laundry cost calculator to compare your own prices, or browse the laundry guide library for preparation advice.
Put it into practice.
How to wash a duvet: check the label, machine and drying plan
Decide whether your duvet can be washed at home, when a larger machine helps, and how to plan a complete dry without guessing temperatures.
Read the guide ↗
How to use a launderette: a practical first-visit checklist
Prepare your first UK launderette visit: check self-service access, payment, detergent, machine choice, drying and the last wash time.
Read the guide ↗
Laundry costs: compare a home wash with a launderette fairly
Work out electricity per load, convert energy labels per 100 cycles, add drying and detergent, and compare checked launderette prices.
Read the guide ↗