How to Read a Clothing Care Label
Every clothing care label uses the same five symbol families, always in the same order left to right: a washtub for washing, a triangle for bleaching, a square for drying, an iron for ironing, and a circle for dry cleaning. Dots inside a symbol set the temperature, bars underneath set how gentle the cycle is, and an X over any symbol means do not do that step. Pick a family above to see what its symbols mean, or open the full decoder to look up one exact icon. For custom printed or embroidered apparel, the safest routine is wash cold and inside out, dry low, and iron around the design, never on it.
FAQ
Care labels use five symbol families in a fixed order: washtub for washing, triangle for bleaching, square for drying, iron for ironing, and circle for dry cleaning. Dots set temperature, bars set gentleness, and an X means do not. Pick a family above to see each meaning.
Each shape covers one step. The washtub with dots sets wash temperature, the triangle governs bleach, the square covers drying, the iron sets ironing heat, and the circle covers dry cleaning. This tool explains each family in plain English.
An X through any care symbol means do not do that step. A crossed-out washtub means do not wash, a crossed-out iron means do not iron, and so on.
Dots show temperature. Inside the washtub they set wash temperature, and inside the iron they set ironing heat, with one dot lowest and three dots highest.
The five shapes are shared internationally under the ISO and ASTM standards. US labels often add words, and a few details differ, but the shapes on this page cover almost any garment.
Wash cold and inside out, skip the bleach, dry low, and iron around the design. Heat and friction are what damage prints and embroidery, not water.
Last updated July 1, 2026