Beauty Guides / Style and wardrobe
How to read clothing care labels
A plain-English decoder for laundry symbols: the washtub, triangle, square, iron and circle, what the dots and lines mean, and how to care for delicate fabrics.
The small label inside your clothes tells you how to clean them without shrinking, fading or ruining them. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission's Care Labeling Rule, first issued in 1971, requires most clothing sold in the country to carry care instructions, which can be written in words, symbols or both. The symbols follow international and US standards and look much the same around the world.
The five basic symbols
| Symbol | Means | Think of it as |
|---|---|---|
| Washtub | Washing | How to wash |
| Triangle | Bleaching | Whether bleach is allowed |
| Square | Drying | How to dry |
| Iron | Ironing | How hot to iron |
| Circle | Professional care | Dry cleaning or professional wet cleaning |
A large X through any symbol means do not do it.
Washing (the washtub)
| What you see | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tub with dots | Wash temperature: 1 dot cold, 2 dots warm, 3 dots hot (more dots, hotter) |
| Tub with a number | Maximum water temperature in degrees Celsius, common on labels outside the US |
| One line under the tub | Permanent press cycle: gentler agitation and spin |
| Two lines under the tub | Delicate or gentle cycle |
| Hand in the tub | Hand wash only |
| Tub with an X | Do not wash; usually means dry clean |
Bleaching (the triangle)
| What you see | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Empty triangle | Any bleach when needed |
| Triangle with two diagonal lines | Only non-chlorine (oxygen) bleach |
| Triangle with an X | Do not bleach |
Drying (the square)
| What you see | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Square with a circle inside | Tumble dry; dots show heat (1 low, 2 medium, 3 high) |
| Filled circle in the square | Tumble dry with no heat |
| Square with a curved line at the top | Line dry |
| Square with three vertical lines | Drip dry |
| Square with one horizontal line | Dry flat, important for knits that stretch |
| Square with two diagonal lines in the corner | Dry in shade |
Ironing (the iron)
One dot means low heat (for synthetics, silk), two dots medium (wool, polyester blends), three dots high (cotton, linen). An iron with an X means do not iron; one with crossed lines underneath means do not use steam.
Professional care (the circle)
An empty circle means dry clean. Letters inside tell the cleaner which solvents to use. A circle with a W means professional wet cleaning. A crossed-out circle means do not dry clean. Those letters are mainly for professionals; you just need to know to take it in.
Fabric-by-fabric tips
| Fabric | General care |
|---|---|
| Cotton | Durable; warm or cold wash; may shrink in high heat |
| Linen | Wash gently; wrinkles easily; iron while slightly damp |
| Wool and cashmere | Hand wash or wool cycle in cold water, dry flat |
| Silk | Hand wash cool with a gentle detergent, or dry clean; see silk pillowcases |
| Polyester and nylon | Easy care; avoid high heat |
| Spandex and stretch blends | Avoid high dryer heat, which damages elastic fibers |
| Denim | Wash inside out in cold water to reduce fading |
Habits that make clothes last
- Wash in cold water when you can; it is gentler on colors and saves energy.
- Turn printed and dark items inside out.
- Close zips and fasten hooks to avoid snags.
- Use mesh bags for delicates and bras.
- Avoid overloading the machine.
- Air-dry when possible; dryers cause the most wear.
Snap a photo of the care label on anything special when you buy it, in case the label fades or you cut it off for comfort. Good care is part of building a lasting capsule wardrobe.