Read the tag

Every laundry care symbol, drawn and explained in one place, with the fine print for each family. Type to filter. We tell you what the tag means — never how to do your laundry.

Washing symbols

Machine Wash, Normal: the garment may be laundered through the use of hottest available water, detergent or soap, agitation, and a machine designed for this purpose.
A plain washtub with no temperature, bar, or X modifier
30Machine Wash, Cold: initial water temperature should not exceed 30°C or 65 to 85°F.
A washtub containing the number 30°C
40Machine Wash, Warm: initial water temperature should not exceed 40°C or 105°F.
A washtub containing the number 40°C
50Machine Wash, Hot: initial water temperature should not exceed 50°C or 120°F.
A washtub containing the number 50°C
60Machine Wash, Hot: initial water temperature should not exceed 60°C or 140°F.
A washtub containing the number 60°C
70Machine Wash, Hot: initial water temperature should not exceed 70°C or 160°F.
A washtub containing the number 70°C
95Machine Wash, Hot: initial water temperature should not exceed 95°C or 200°F.
A washtub containing the number 95°C
Machine Wash, Permanent Press: the garment may be machine laundered only on the setting designed to preserve Permanent Press with cool down or cold rinse prior to reduced spin.
A washtub with one bar underneath
Machine Wash, Gentle or Delicate: the garment may be machine laundered only on the setting designed for gentle agitation and/or reduced time for delicate items.
A washtub with two bars underneath
Do Not Wash: the garment may not be safely laundered by any process.
A washtub crossed by an X

This glyph family identifies machine-wash laundering, water-temperature limits, special machine settings, or a prohibition on laundering.

Temperature numbers set the maximum initial water temperature; dots indicate temperature ranges, and the same dot system applies to all wash procedures. Bars identify permanent-press or gentle/delicate settings, while an X prohibits laundering.
Easy to mix up
  • Confusing a temperature dot or number with a permanent-press or gentle-cycle modifier.
  • Confusing one bar for permanent press with two bars for gentle or delicate laundering.
  • Reading the X as a gentle restriction rather than a prohibition on laundering.

Hand wash symbol

Hand Wash: the garment may be laundered through the use of water, detergent or soap and gentle hand manipulation.
A washtub with a hand inside and no other modifier
The verified evidence does not state the meaning of this modifier.
A washtub with a hand inside and one dot
The verified evidence does not state the meaning of this modifier.
A washtub with a hand inside and two dots
The verified evidence does not state the meaning of this modifier.
A washtub with a hand inside and one bar beneath it

This glyph family uses a washtub containing a hand to identify hand-wash laundering, while related tub modifiers may indicate other care meanings.

The verified evidence does not define how dots, bars, or an X modify the washtub-with-hand glyph. No meaning is assigned to those modifiers here.
Easy to mix up
  • The washtub-with-hand glyph is commonly confused with a washtub symbol for machine washing on a gentle or delicate setting.
  • A hand inside the tub is commonly confused with an X over the tub.
  • Dots or bars beneath a tub are commonly mistaken for changes to the hand-wash meaning.

Bleach symbols

Any commercially available bleach product may be used in the laundering process.
An empty triangle outline
Only a non-chlorine, color-safe bleach may be used in the laundering process. Chlorine bleach may not be used.
An empty triangle outline with two diagonal lines inside it
No bleach product may be used. The garment is not colorfast or structurally able to withstand any bleach.
An empty triangle outline crossed by an X

This glyph family identifies whether bleach may be used, whether only non-chlorine bleach may be used, or whether no bleach may be used.

For this family, the plain triangle permits bleach, two diagonal bars restrict the meaning to non-chlorine bleach, and an X means no bleach. Dots do not modify these bleach symbols.
Easy to mix up
  • Confusing the two diagonal bars for an X and reading the symbol as do not bleach.
  • Treating non-chlorine bleach as equivalent to chlorine bleach.
  • Assuming a single diagonal bar inside the triangle has the same meaning as the two-bar symbol.
Not in the standard: A triangle with one diagonal bar is not assigned a meaning in the supplied standard evidence.

Tumble dry symbols

Tumble dry, normal cycle, any heat.
A circle inside a square with no bars, dots, or X
Tumble dry at high heat.
A circle inside a square with three small dots
Tumble dry at medium heat.
A circle inside a square with two small dots
Tumble dry at low heat.
A circle inside a square with one small dot
Tumble dry with no heat or air.
A circle inside a square with a large solid center and no small heat dots
Tumble dry on the permanent-press cycle.
A circle inside a square with one horizontal bar beneath it
Tumble dry on the delicate or gentle cycle.
A circle inside a square with two horizontal bars beneath it
Do not tumble dry.
A circle inside a square crossed by an X

This circle-in-square glyph family identifies tumble-drying conditions, including cycle type, heat level, air-only drying, and prohibition of tumble drying.

Dots denote heat level: one is low, two are medium, and three are high; the unmarked normal glyph denotes any heat, while the solid-center version denotes no heat or air. One or two bars beneath the glyph denote permanent press or delicate/gentle, and an X means do not tumble dry.
Easy to mix up
  • The unmarked circle-in-square glyph means any heat, not no heat or air.
  • A single heat dot means low heat; it does not mean air-only drying.
  • A bar beneath the glyph changes the cycle to permanent press or delicate/gentle; it is not a heat setting.

Drying symbols

Line dry: a damp garment suspended from a line or bar, indoors or outdoors.
A square with a curved line near its top
Drip dry: a dripping-wet garment suspended from a line or bar, indoors or outdoors, without hand shaping or smoothing.
A square with three vertical lines inside
Dry flat: the garment laid out horizontally for drying.
A square with one horizontal line inside
Dry in shade: dry away from direct sunlight.
A square with two diagonal lines in its upper-left corner
Line dry in shade: line dry, away from direct sunlight.
A square with a curved line near its top and two diagonal lines in its upper-left corner
Drip dry in shade: drip dry, away from direct sunlight.
A square with three vertical lines inside and two diagonal lines in its upper-left corner

This square-glyph family identifies natural drying by line drying, drip drying, flat drying, and drying in shade.

The inner line pattern identifies line dry, drip dry, or dry flat; two diagonal lines in the upper-left corner indicate drying in shade and are usually added to line- or drip-dry symbols. Dots and X marks are not specified for this family.
Easy to mix up
  • The three vertical lines for drip dry are confused with the curved line for line dry.
  • The single horizontal line for dry flat is confused with a washing or ironing symbol.
  • The diagonal shade modifier is sometimes mistaken for a crossed-out symbol.

Ironing symbols

Ironing, dry or steam, at a maximum temperature of 200°C (390°F), high.
An iron shape with three dots in its center
Ironing, dry or steam, at a maximum temperature of 150°C (300°F), medium.
An iron shape with two dots in its center
Ironing, dry or steam, at a maximum temperature of 110°C (230°F), low.
An iron shape with one dot in its center
No steam.
An iron shape with steam lines beneath it crossed out
Do not iron.
An iron shape with an X across it

This glyph family uses an iron shape to indicate ironing temperature, no steam, or prohibition of ironing.

Dots indicate heat level: one dot is low, two dots are medium, and three dots are high. The no-steam addition means no steam, while an X across the iron means do not iron; bars have no stated meaning here.
Easy to mix up
  • A no-steam mark is sometimes confused with do not iron.
  • One dot and two dots are sometimes confused, changing low heat to medium heat.
  • Two dots and three dots are sometimes confused, changing medium heat to high heat.

Dry cleaning symbols

Dry clean with any solvent, any cycle, any moisture, and any heat.
An unlettered circle
ADry clean with any solvent.
A capital A inside a circle
FDry clean using only petroleum solvent.
A capital F inside a circle
PAny dry-cleaning solvent other than trichloroethylene may be safely used.
A capital P inside a circle
The garment may not be commercially drycleaned.
A circle crossed by an X

This glyph family identifies dry-cleaning permission and, when letters appear inside the circle, the permitted solvent scope.

Letters inside the circle identify the solvent scope: A means any solvent, P means any solvent except trichloroethylene, and F means petroleum solvent only. An X over the circle means do not dryclean; no dot or bar meaning is stated in the supplied evidence.
Easy to mix up
  • Assuming every circle variant means unrestricted dry cleaning.
  • Confusing the P symbol with petroleum-solvent-only dry cleaning; petroleum solvent only is represented by F.
  • Treating the crossed circle as a solvent restriction rather than a prohibition on commercial dry cleaning.
Grounded in: blogs.ifas.ufl.edu, fcs.tennessee.edu, news.mgcafe.uky.edu.
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