How to Read Clothing Care Labels

Co-authored by Safir Ali and Sophia Latorre

Last Updated: July 9, 2021 References

Clothing care labels can be confusing at first glance. Though there are different labeling schemes in different countries, there is a generalized shift to international labeling. If you take the time to learn what each symbol means, you’ll be able to quickly identify them the next time you need to know whether an item can be washed, bleached, dried, ironed, or dry cleaned.

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Washing Your Clothes

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1
Identify when to machine wash your clothes. Machine wash your garment if the label contains a symbol of a three-sided container with wavy lines on top. Think of this symbol as your washing machine filled with water to help you remember what it means. You can machine wash as normal, without any special considerations.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner
Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.}
- If this symbol has one line under it, use the permanent press wash cycle.^{[2]
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- If this symbol has two lines under it, use the gentle wash cycle.^{[3]
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- If this symbol contains one dot, wash it in cold water.^{[4]
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- If this symbol contains two dots, wash it in warm water.^{[5]
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- If this symbol contains three dots, wash it in hot water.^{[6]
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- If this symbol contains a number, wash it in water the temperature (in degrees Celsius) of that number (e.g., if the number is 30, wash the garment in water with a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, or 86 degrees Fahrenheit).^{[7]
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Identify when to hand wash your garment. You should hand wash your garment if the label contains a washing symbol with a hand in it. You should not put items with this symbol in the washing machine, as the fabric may be too delicate.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner
Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.}
- Generally, you should not hand wash items at a temperature higher than 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
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Identify when a garment cannot be washed. Do not wash your garment if it contains the washing symbol with an X through it. This goes for both machine washing and hand washing. Instead, take the garment to the dry cleaner to ensure the fabric is cleaned appropriately.^{[9]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Bleaching Your Clothes

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1
Bleach your garment if the label contains a triangle. Though the triangle doesn’t really resemble a bottle of bleach, try to remember that it represents one. You may bleach as needed, using either chlorine or oxygen-based bleach on the garment.^{[10]
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Identify what kind of bleach to use. Use non-chlorine bleach only if the symbol of a triangle has diagonal lines in it. Chlorine bleach leaches dye out of fabrics, so it is typically only used for white fabric. Non-chlorine bleach is oxygen based and shouldn’t stain or ruin your clothes.^{[11]
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Do not use bleach if the symbol of a triangle has an X through it. That goes for both chlorine and oxygen-based bleach. If you have a stain, try using another method to remove it.^{[12]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Drying Your Clothes

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1
Identify when to dry your clothes in the dryer. Tumble-dry your garment if the label contains a square with a circle inside of it. Think of the square with the circle in it as your dryer to help you remember what the symbol means. You can dry the garment as usual, without any special considerations.^{[13]
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- If this symbol contains one dot, dry at a low temperature.
- If this symbol contains two dots, dry at a medium temperature.
- If this symbol contains three dots, dry at a high temperature.
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Identify when not to dry your clothes in the dryer. Do not tumble-dry your garment if the label contains a symbol of a dryer with an X through it. Using the dryer could damage your garment, so be sure to hang, line-dry, or lay the garment flat to dry. Look for other symbols on the label to help you decide which method is best.^{[14]
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Air-dry your garment if the label contains a symbol of a square. The symbol means “natural drying.” Do not use a clothes dryer or other method.^{[15]
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Expert Source

Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner
Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.}
- If the symbol contains a semi-circle connecting the two top corners, hang the garment on a clothes line to dry.^{[16]
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- If the symbol contains one horizontal line in the middle of the square, the item should be dried flat.^{[17]
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- If the symbol contains three vertical lines in the middle of the square, the item needs to be drip dried.^{[18]
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- If the symbol contains two diagonal lines in the top left corner, the item should be dried in the shade.^{[19]
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Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Ironing Your Clothes

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1
Iron your garment if it contains a symbol resembling an iron. This one is easy to remember, as the symbol looks just like a clothes iron. You can iron as usual, without any special considerations.^{[20]
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- If this symbol contains one dot, iron at a low temperature.^{[21]
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- If this symbol contains two dots, iron at a medium temperature.^{[22]
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- If this symbol contains three dots, iron at a high temperature.^{[23]
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Identify when to iron with steam. Do not iron with steam if the garment contains a label with a symbol of an iron with an X over lines coming out of the bottom. Think of the lines coming out of the iron as steam or water to help you remember the symbol. Use only dry heat, as the steam may damage or ruin the fabric.^{[24]
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Identify when not to iron. Do not iron the garment if the label contains a symbol of an iron with an X through it. If the item has wrinkles, tumble-dry it if the label allows. You could also hang it in the bathroom while taking a steamy shower, which will help the wrinkles disappear.^{[25]
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Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

Dry Cleaning Your Clothes

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1
Dry clean the garment if the label contains a circle. Take the garment to the dry cleaner rather than washing or drying it at home. Usually, fabrics with this symbol cannot get wet.^{[26]
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Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner
Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.} Water as well as high heat could damage or ruin the fabric.^{[27]
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Identify which solvent to use when dry cleaning. Dry clean with a particular solvent if the label contains a circle with a letter in it. The letter tells the dry cleaner which solvent to use for this particular fabric. The letter A means any solvent can be used, the letter F means only a petroleum solvent may be used, and the letter P means any solvent except trichloroethylene may be used.^{[28]
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Do not dry clean if the label contains a circle with an X through it. This means the item cannot be dry cleaned. Check the label to see if you can wash and dry the garment at home.^{[29]
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Community Q&A

Question

If a label says do not use fabric softener, does that mean just in the wash? Can I still use dryer sheets?

Community Answer

Yes, the softener can just cause the fabric to lose its shape. If it would make you more comfortable though, you could try drying the item without dryer sheets to determine if you need them.