The symbols on a care label are not decoration. They are an internationally standardised set of marks in which each shape names a treatment and the bars, dots and letters inside it say “more gently” or “no further than this”.
§ 1What this system is
Care label
A small label sewn into the inside of a garment, using graphic symbols to state which care treatments that garment allows. The symbol system is specified by ISO 3758; the corresponding Chinese standard is “Textiles — Care labelling code using symbols”.
The essential point is that the symbols state a limit, not an instruction. “Can be machine washed at 40 °C” does not mean “must be machine washed at 40 °C”; you may always treat the item more gently. If a symbol carries a cross, however, that is a prohibition and cannot be worked around.
Grouped by treatment, the symbols cover washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional care, and they normally appear on a garment in that order. For other entries on care, see the Care section.
§ 2Five basic shapes
| Shape | Meaning | Common additional marks |
|---|---|---|
| Washtub | Washing | A number in the tub is the maximum temperature (30, 40, 60, 95). One bar beneath the tub means mild, two mean very mild. A hand in the tub means hand wash only. A cross means do not wash |
| Triangle | Bleaching | A cross means do not bleach; two diagonal lines inside the triangle mean oxygen bleach only |
| Square | Drying | A circle inside the square means tumble drying is allowed, with dots inside the circle for the temperature. A vertical line means hang to dry, a horizontal line means dry flat, a diagonal line in the top left corner means dry in the shade |
| Iron | Ironing | Dots give the temperature: one dot about 110 °C, two about 150 °C, three about 200 °C. A cross means do not iron |
| Circle | Professional care | A letter inside the circle gives the permitted solvent: P for perchloroethylene and similar, F for petroleum solvent, W for professional wet cleaning. A cross means no professional care |
§ 3Bars and dots: the two marks most often missed
Bars and dots both express degree, but they mean different things in different symbols. A bar beneath the washtub reduces mechanical action: one bar is mild treatment, two are very mild. A dot inside the iron gives temperature, and more dots mean more heat.
These are the marks most often overlooked. A silk item labelled 30 °C with one bar, washed on an ordinary 30 °C cycle, is at the right temperature but subjected to too much agitation — and can come out quite unlike a cotton item labelled 30 °C with no bar. Temperature decides whether something shrinks or distorts; mechanical action decides whether it pills and loses its hand. The second often shows up sooner.
Mechanical action matters most on knitted garments. For why, see the section on unravelling and curling in Weft Knitting and Warp Knitting.
§ 4Four common misreadings
Frequently misread
- Reading the letter inside the circle as a type of detergent. These are solvent codes and only apply in the context of professional care.
- Taking “do not bleach” to mean “no oxygen bleach”. The two are not the same: a triangle with two diagonal lines permits oxygen bleach, and only a cross forbids bleaching entirely.
- Reading the temperature and ignoring the bar. This is the most common mistake of all.
- Assuming a cross applies to one particular machine. A cross is a prohibition regardless of whether your machine happens to have that programme.
§ 5How to read a label in practice
- Look for crosses first. Every symbol carrying a cross is a hard prohibition. Establish those before deciding anything else.
- Then the washtub: temperature and number of bars. Both have to be read together before the washing requirement is fully understood.
- Then the drying method. The marks in the square decide whether you hang, dry flat or may tumble dry. For knits and natural fibres, drying often matters more than washing.
- Finally the circle. A circle without a cross means professional care is permitted; a circle with a cross means the item must not be dry cleaned, so do not send it.
- If the label is gone. Treat the item as gently as possible: low temperature, short cycle, mild programme, dry flat. This is a rule of thumb rather than a substitute for the symbols, but it is safer than guessing at something more aggressive.
Sources and uncertainties
- The symbol system is specified by ISO 3758; the corresponding Chinese standard is “Textiles — Care labelling code using symbols”. This page describes the general meaning of each symbol under that system.
- Symbols are added between editions of the standard, particularly in the drying and professional care groups. When you meet a combination you do not recognise, follow the leaflet supplied with the garment or the current standard rather than forcing it into the table above.
- “Treat it as gently as possible when the label is lost” is a rule of thumb, not a requirement of the standard. For why band elastic weakens with wear, see Measuring Your Underbust.