Laundry care label symbols, decoded
Every care label speaks the same small language: a washtub, a triangle, a square, an iron and a circle, with dots, bars, lines and crosses that change what each one means. There are two versions of it. US labels use the ASTM system, which marks temperature with dots, and imported and European labels use the international ISO system, which prints the number. Secondhand clothing carries both, and a handful of symbols mean different things in each. Pick the shape you see on the label to find it, and the meaning says what to do and how hot is too hot.
Find your symbol
Washing: the washtub
A tub with a wavy waterline. Dots or a number inside give the hottest water allowed; bars underneath ask for a gentler cycle.
Machine wash
Machine wash on a normal cycle at any temperature.
US labels
Permanent press cycle
Machine wash on the permanent press cycle: a cool-down before the spin so creases do not set.
US labels
Delicate cycle
Machine wash on the delicate or gentle cycle: low agitation and a short, slow spin.
US labels
Wash coldmax 30°C (85°F)
Machine wash in water no hotter than 30°C (85°F).
One dot is cold, which the US standard sets at 65 to 85°F. The ISO label for the same thing prints 30 in the tub.
US labels
Wash warmmax 40°C (105°F)
Machine wash in water no hotter than 40°C (105°F).
US labels
Wash hotmax 50°C (120°F)
Machine wash in water no hotter than 50°C (120°F).
US labels
Wash at 60°Cmax 60°C (140°F)
Machine wash in water no hotter than 60°C (140°F).
US labels
Wash at 70°Cmax 70°C (160°F)
Machine wash in water no hotter than 70°C (160°F).
US labels
Wash at 95°Cmax 95°C (200°F)
Machine wash in water no hotter than 95°C (200°F).
US labels
Wash at 95°Cmax 95°C (203°F)
Machine wash at up to 95°C (203°F) on a normal cycle.
International labels
Wash at 70°Cmax 70°C (158°F)
Machine wash at up to 70°C (158°F) on a normal cycle.
International labels
Wash at 60°Cmax 60°C (140°F)
Machine wash at up to 60°C (140°F) on a normal cycle.
International labels
Wash at 60°C, gentlemax 60°C (140°F)
Machine wash at up to 60°C (140°F) on a gentle (permanent press) cycle.
International labels
Wash at 50°Cmax 50°C (122°F)
Machine wash at up to 50°C (122°F) on a normal cycle.
In ISO 3758:2012. GINETEX's 2023 symbol sheet no longer lists the 50°C tubs, so newer labels skip from 40 to 60.
International labels
Wash at 40°Cmax 40°C (104°F)
Machine wash at up to 40°C (104°F) on a normal cycle.
International labels
Wash at 40°C, gentlemax 40°C (104°F)
Machine wash at up to 40°C (104°F) on a gentle (permanent press) cycle.
International labels
Wash at 40°C, very gentlemax 40°C (104°F)
Machine wash at up to 40°C (104°F) on a very gentle (wool) cycle.
International labels
Wash at 30°Cmax 30°C (86°F)
Machine wash at up to 30°C (86°F) on a normal cycle.
International labels
Wash at 30°C, gentlemax 30°C (86°F)
Machine wash at up to 30°C (86°F) on a gentle (permanent press) cycle.
International labels
Wash at 30°C, very gentlemax 30°C (86°F)
Machine wash at up to 30°C (86°F) on a very gentle (wool) cycle.
International labels
Hand wash
Wash by hand, not in a machine. On an international label that also means no hotter than 40°C (104°F); a US label sets no limit unless dots are added.
US and international labels
Do not wash
Do not wash, by hand or by machine. Usually paired with a dry-cleaning symbol.
US and international labels
Do not wring
Do not twist the garment to squeeze water out. Press it in a towel instead.
US labels
Bleaching: the triangle
An empty triangle allows any bleach. Two lines inside it allow only oxygen bleach. A crossed triangle means none.
Any bleach
Any bleach can be used when needed, chlorine or oxygen.
US and international labels
Non-chlorine bleach only
Use only oxygen (non-chlorine) bleach. Chlorine bleach will damage it.
US and international labels
Do not bleach
Do not use any bleach.
The US symbol is a solid black triangle with a cross. The international one is an outline.
US labels
Do not bleach
Do not use any bleach.
The international symbol is an outlined triangle with a cross. The US one is solid black.
International labels
Tumble drying: the circle in a square
A circle inside a square is the dryer. Dots set the heat, bars set a gentler cycle, and a filled circle means no heat at all.
Tumble dry
Tumble dry at any heat on a normal cycle.
US labels
Tumble dry, permanent press
Tumble dry on the permanent press cycle, which cools down before it stops.
US labels
Tumble dry, delicate
Tumble dry on the delicate or gentle cycle.
US labels
Tumble dry, high heat
Tumble dry on high heat.
Only on US labels. The international system has no three-dot dryer.
US labels
Tumble dry, medium or normal heat
On a US label, tumble dry on medium heat. On an international label, normal heat, which is the hottest it allows (about 80°C / 176°F).
The one symbol that means something different in each system. Assume medium if you cannot tell which kind of label it is.
US and international labels
Tumble dry, low heat
Tumble dry on low heat.
US and international labels
Tumble dry, no heat
Tumble on the air-only setting, with no heat.
The circle is filled in. An empty circle with no dots means any heat, which is the opposite.
US labels
Do not tumble dry
Keep it out of the dryer. Air dry it instead.
US and international labels
Do not dry
Do not dry by any method at home. It appears with Do not wash, on garments meant for a cleaner.
US labels
Air drying: the square with lines
A square with no circle is drying without a machine. The lines inside say how: hanging, dripping wet, or flat.
Line dry
Hang it on a line or a hanger to dry, after spinning out the water.
The US symbol is a curve hanging from the top edge. The international one is a single vertical line.
US labels
Line dry
Hang it on a line or a hanger to dry, after spinning out the water.
International labels
Drip dry
Hang it up soaking wet, without wringing or spinning, and let it drip dry.
Three vertical lines on a US label. The international symbol has two.
US labels
Drip line dry
Hang it up wet, without spinning it first, and let it drip dry.
International labels
Dry flat
Lay it flat to dry, so its own weight does not stretch it. Usual for knits.
US and international labels
Drip flat dry
Lay it flat while still wet, without spinning it first.
International labels
Dry in shade
Dry it out of direct sun, which fades and weakens some fibers.
Two diagonal lines in the corner on a US label, added to another drying symbol. The international version uses one.
US labels
Line dry in shade
Hang it to dry out of direct sun.
International labels
Drip line dry in shade
Hang it up wet, without spinning, out of direct sun.
International labels
Dry flat in shade
Lay it flat to dry, out of direct sun.
International labels
Drip flat dry in shade
Lay it flat while still wet, out of direct sun.
International labels
Ironing: the iron
Dots inside the iron set the soleplate temperature: one is low, three is high.
Iron
Iron at any temperature, with or without steam.
US labels
Iron on lowmax 110°C (230°F)
Iron on low heat, the setting for acetate, acrylic and nylon.
GINETEX's 2023 sheet raises the international figure to 120°C (248°F).
US and international labels
Iron on mediummax 150°C (300°F)
Iron on medium heat, the setting for wool, silk and polyester.
GINETEX's 2023 sheet gives 160°C (320°F) for the international label.
US and international labels
Iron on highmax 200°C (390°F)
Iron on high heat, the setting for cotton and linen.
GINETEX's 2023 sheet gives 210°C (410°F) for the international label.
US and international labels
No steam
Iron without steam. The crossed lines under the iron are the steam.
US labels
Iron on low, no steammax 120°C (248°F)
Iron on low heat, at most 120°C (248°F), without steam. Steam may damage it.
Added in ISO 3758:2023, so it only appears on recent international labels.
International labels
Do not iron
Do not iron or press it.
US and international labels
Dry cleaning: the circle
A plain circle is for the cleaner, not for you. The letter inside tells them which solvent or process the garment can take.
Dry clean
Have it dry cleaned. The cleaner chooses the process.
US labels
Dry clean, any solvent
Dry clean in any solvent.
Dropped from the US standard in 2018 and still on older labels, which is where a reseller will meet it.
US labels
Dry clean, P solvents
Dry clean in perchloroethylene or a hydrocarbon solvent. The letter is an instruction to the cleaner.
The US definition is any solvent except trichloroethylene; the international one names perchloroethylene and the F solvents.
US and international labels
Dry clean, P solvents, gentle
Dry clean in P solvents with a gentle process: less moisture, agitation or heat.
US and international labels
Dry clean, F solvents
Dry clean in a hydrocarbon (petroleum) solvent only.
US and international labels
Dry clean, F solvents, gentle
Dry clean in a hydrocarbon solvent with a gentle process.
US and international labels
Do not dry clean
Do not dry clean it.
US and international labels
Professional wet clean
A cleaner can wet clean it: water-based professional cleaning with controlled machines.
US and international labels
Professional wet clean, gentle
Professional wet cleaning with a gentle process.
US and international labels
Professional wet clean, very gentle
Professional wet cleaning with a very gentle process.
US and international labels
Do not wet clean
Do not have it professionally wet cleaned.
US and international labels
Symbols that look alike
The mistakes people make with care labels are almost all here. Each one is two drawings a glance apart.
Two dots in the dryer circle is medium heat on a US label and the hottest normal setting on an international one. When you cannot tell which kind of label it is, dry it on medium.
An empty circle with no dots allows any heat. A filled circle allows none. They sit next to each other on the dryer dial and mean opposite things.
Drip dry is three vertical lines on a US label and two on an international one. One vertical line internationally is plain line drying, which the US draws as a curve.
Both are do not bleach. The US triangle is solid black, the international one is an outline. A triangle with two lines inside is different again: oxygen bleach only.
A circle on its own is dry cleaning, for a professional. The same circle inside a square is your tumble dryer.
The rest of the label
The symbols are one line of a label that usually says more. Next to them you will often find an RN number, which identifies the company that made or imported the garment even when the brand tag is gone. Look up an RN number. The fiber content line matters too: it decides how the garment wears, pills and fades, which is most of what a condition grade measures. How condition grading works.
Common questions
- What do the dots on a care label mean?
- Temperature. In the washtub, one dot is cold (up to 30°C or 85°F), two is warm (40°C, 105°F), three is hot (50°C, 120°F), and four to six go up to 95°C. In the dryer circle and on the iron, the dots are heat settings: one is low, two medium, three high. More dots always means hotter.
- What is the difference between US and international care symbols?
- US labels follow ASTM D5489 and show wash temperature with dots; international labels follow ISO 3758 and print the number in the tub. Most symbols mean the same in both. The ones that do not: two dots in the dryer circle is medium heat in the US and the hottest setting internationally, US drip dry has three vertical lines where ISO uses two, and the US do-not-bleach triangle is solid black where ISO's is an outline.
- What does a circle on a care label mean?
- A plain circle on its own is an instruction for a professional cleaner, not for you. Empty means dry clean; a P or an F names the solvent the cleaner should use; a W means professional wet cleaning; a cross means none of it. A circle drawn inside a square is something else entirely: that is the tumble dryer.
- Do clothes in the US have to have care labels?
- Yes. The FTC's Care Labeling Rule (16 CFR 423) requires manufacturers and importers to attach care instructions covering washing or dry cleaning. Symbols can replace the words, but only symbols from ASTM D5489-96c; international ISO symbols are not accepted on their own on a US label.
- What should I do if the care label is missing or cut out?
- Treat it as the most delicate thing it could be until you know otherwise: cold water by hand, no bleach, no dryer, dry flat, and a press cloth if it needs ironing. If the fiber content tag survived, that narrows it down. Resellers should say the label is missing in the listing, since buyers notice and some ask.
Sources: the FTC's Care Labeling Rule guidance, the ASTM D5489-96c symbol chart, the ISO 3758 symbols published by GINETEX, and Canada's harmonized care symbol guide. Where two of them disagree, the symbol says so.
The label is where a buyer looks first
Care symbols, fiber content and an RN number tell a buyer what a garment is. A GradeThread grade tells them what condition it is in, with a certificate they can check.
Start Grading FreeOn the listing you are about to buy, the GradeThread extension reads the condition from the seller's photos, before you pay. No account needed.