Have you ever tried to decipher the label of that garment that you like so much? Yes, we are talking about the numerous symbols that appear in it that are usually very difficult to understand. Triangles, crossed out circles, squares with circles inside, a plate shape… What does each of them mean?

Its use is quite obvious, as they tell us how we should properly wash a specific garment, or if we can iron it and at what temperature we should do it. For their part, they can also indicate if the garment can be bleached, if it can be dried in a dryer or if it is better to dry it in the open air… And all this in a single label!

Laundry much easier for us. Because there are certain pieces that are too delicate, and since we don’t want them to get damaged easily, here is the meaning of the washing symbols and tricks to learn how to read clothing labels. We assure you: once you understand them, your life will be much easier. Let’s start!

What is each symbol for?

Before we begin, we must understand what each circle, square or triangle that we can find in each and every clothing label is used for. It is important to add that not, since each one is governed by its own system of symbols for washing clothes.

In general, five distinct systems can be found in the United States, Europe, Australia, Japan, and China. Each of them will be read differently, although if you pay close attention to the meaning of the symbols, it will be quite easy for you to find similarities between them. In addition, some garments have symbols from various systems on their labeling. For now, we are going to focus on the European system:

• Washing: it is represented through a bucket full of water. Other symbols may appear within said figure, such as a hand (hand wash), temperature at which to wash represented in circles, or lines under the bucket indicating that the garment is delicate.
• Dried: you will be able to recognize it because it has a square shape. Machine drying wills, in turn, have a circle within that square, but in manual drying; only a few lines will appear inside, the placement of which will indicate a specification of the garment.
• Ironing: it is the simplest and most obvious to recognize since it is represented through the shape of an iron. Inside there are usually circles that indicate the ironing temperature to which the specific garment can be subjected.
• Bleaching: the symbol is a triangle and indicates those bleaching products that you can or cannot use on the garment so that it does not get damaged. It is very important to look closely; otherwise you could spoil your clothes.
• Professional washing: professional washing indicates that you should take the garment to a specialist so that he/she is the one to fix it for you. These indications are represented by a circle with letters inside, each of which indicates the products or the type of washing to be followed.

Symbols of laundry

As we have told you above, the symbols for washing clothes are shaped like a bucket of water and are recognizable with the naked eye. They can have various uses, from hand wash to temperature or many more, and you must pay close attention so that your clothes do not shrink or.

Temperature

The signs of temperature are quite recognizable. As a general rule, the exact temperature (30º, 40º) at which you should wash your clothes is written inside the bucket. But it can also be represented by points, from one to six as the temperature rises. Check it out on the chart!

Delicate clothes

The symbol for not washing clothes is with the bucket crossed out, while the symbol for normal washing is represented by the bucket without crossing it out. From there, lines may appear indicating that the garment is made of a more delicate fabric just below the cube pattern.

The symbols of ironing clothes

The iron is the most obvious representation of the label of your garment, and surely you have seen it on more than one occasion. In it you will observe at what exact temperature you should iron your clothes, or even if you should not use the iron with it. Let’s see it:

Can or can’t it be ironed?

Perhaps this is the easiest symbol of all. If you can use the iron, the symbol will appear as it is, without any modification of any kind. But if you can’t use the iron in any way, it will appear crossed out. What happens if it appears crossed out only at the bottom? It means you shouldn’t use the steam shot.

Iron temperature

As with the bucket of washing water, with the iron the temperature can also be represented by dots. One point means the lowest temperature, two the median, and three the highest temperature.

How should you dry your clothes according to the symbols?

The square is the most consistent representation with the. It will indicate if you can put the garment in the dryer or, on the contrary, it is better to dry it in the open air. In the second case, it could indicate how it should be hung or where to put the garment so that it dries better (in the shade, on a rope…):

Machine dry

Machine drying will always be symbolized by a circle within a square. On it may appear small dots that indicate the temperature, lines below that indicate delicate garments or the crossed out symbol ensuring that you should not put the clothes in the machine.

Air drying

If machine dry has a circle inside the square, hand or air dry is represented by a single square. Of course, different lines may appear inside to indicate that it should be dried with ropes, in the shade, in the sun, let it drain…

The symbols of the laundering of your favorite clothes

On the label you will not only find out the washing, drying or ironing of the clothes. Also which products you can use or which ones you should discard if you want to whiten your clothes. There are certain bleaches that you should not use on certain fabrics, but the garment itself will warn you through its label.

When can you NOT use products?

The answer to this question is quite simple. All you have to do is check if the whitening (in a triangle) is crossed out or not. Sometimes it will be represented in black, and sometimes in white, everything will depend on the garment itself.

The type of products you can use

In said label, the triangle with lines or with very different letters inside can also appear. Depending on what kind of drawing appears, it will be indicating whether you can use oxygen or chlorine andbleachproducts.

What symbols are used for professional washing?

Symbols represented by circles with lines or circles with letters inside are for professional use only. However, if you want to know more about them, pay close attention to the following instructions. With them you will be able to discover if your garment can be dry cleaned, if it can be washed with humidity, the temperature, the steam and a very long etcetera that only specialists will understand. Of course, do not try to do it yourself at home since it is better that you: they will know what to do.