Care label symbols

The care symbols on textile labels form an international language described by the standard ISO 3758. Its current edition dates from 2023. The standard covers domestic washing, bleaching, drying and ironing and professional dry cleaning and wet cleaning; it does not apply to industrial laundering. The symbols appear on the label in a fixed order.

The grammar of the symbols

Each group has a basic shape, and that shape is modified by the same rules:

• A crossed-out symbol (X) means: do not use this method.
• Dots indicate temperature – the more dots, the higher the temperature.
• A bar under the symbol means gentler treatment; two bars mean very gentle.
• A number in the washtub gives the maximum washing temperature in °C.

The five groups

Shape	Group	What to watch for
Washtub with water	Washing	Number = maximum temperature; hand in the tub = hand wash
Triangle	Bleaching	Empty = any bleach; with diagonal lines = oxygen bleach only; crossed out = do not bleach
Square	Drying	Circle inside = tumble dryer, dots = temperature; lines inside = natural drying
Iron	Ironing	One to three dots = low to high temperature
Circle	Professional cleaning	The letter tells the cleaner which process to use; W = wet cleaning

How to use it

A symbol shows the harshest treatment the item can still withstand. You can always wash at a lower temperature or line dry instead of tumble drying. The reverse does not hold.

If the label is missing or illegible, treat the item according to its most delicate component: wash a cotton–viscose blend as you would viscose.