Laundry Symbols Explained: Ultimate Guide To Care Labels

Before reading this guide, let me ask you:

• Does your head spin when you stare blankly at the laundry symbols on your most prized possessions? 

• Have you ever bought a beautiful garment, worn it, looked at the care label symbols and thrown it in the laundry basket promising a hand wash that never happens?

• We’re all guilty of speed reading the label and hurriedly throwing our favorite items in the wash at 30 in the hope that it will come out of the wash just fine, right?

If the responses are yes, well, this laundry symbols guide will definitely help you!

All laundry symbols have a specific meaning so, with the very best London Dry Cleaners, we have put together a downloadable essential guide that you can use today to maximize the lifetime of your most prized threads.

1. Dry cleaning symbols
2. Ironing symbols
3. Drying symbols
4. Hand washing symbols
5. Synthetic washing symbols
6. All-in-one laundry symbols

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DRY CLEANING

• If the care label has a small circle the manufacture is stating you must dry clean this item.
• If there is a little letter inside the circle it’s indicating to the dry cleaner what chemical to use.
• The more bars underneath the circle indicate the level of precaution the dry cleaner must take.
• If there is a cross over the circle symbol you should not dry clean the item.

Why not leave your dry-cleaning in our expert hands and book a collection with our industry professionals. 

We’ve broken down exactly what the dry cleaning process of your clothes entails.

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IRONING

• Your item can be ironed at any temperature if the care label iron symbol has no dots.
• The more dots on the iron symbol suggests the temperature of heat that can be applied:
  • 1 dot: delicates i.e, silk and wool.
  • 2 dots: synthetics.
  • 3 dots: linen and cotton.
• If there is a cross over the iron symbol you should not iron the item.

We know how much you hate ironing, so why not get a crisp, professional press from an expert and instead spend that time doing something you love.

Learn how to perfectly smooth out the creases in your shirt by following our ultimate guide to ironing a shirt.

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DRYING

• If the care label has a circle inside a square, your item can be tumble dried.
• The more dots on the iron symbol suggests the temperature of heat that can be applied:
  • 1 dot = low temperature
  • 2 dots = medium temperature
  • 3 dots = high temperature
• If there is a cross over the tumble dry symbol, you should not tumble dry the item.

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HAND WASHING

• If the care label has a tub with a hand, your item can be hand washed or put in a delicate washing cycle of 40°C/104°F, or lower.
• Hand washing is better suited for delicate items, like cashmere or silk, because the wash is gentle preventing shrinking or snagging.
• If the care label has a twisted symbol, your item can be wrung.
• If the care label has a cross over the twisted symbol you should not wring the item.

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SYNTHETIC WASHING

• Your item can be washed in the washing machine if your care label has a tub symbol.
• The number on the tub symbol indicates the maximum temperature that can be applied.
• The more bars underneath the tub indicates a reduction of spinning and rinsing:
  • No bar: The item can be spun and rinsed as normal.
  • 1 bar: Spin speed should be reduced.
  • 2 bars: Mild wash but can be spun and rinsed as normal.
• If there is a cross over the tub symbol you should not wash the item.

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If these laundry symbols seem like too much hard work, our on-demand laundry service is on hand to help. We can collect, clean and deliver your laundry back to you, freshly washed and smelling fabulous.

In the meantime, you can download our complete care label guide and print it out for reference.

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Further resources

We’ve put together handy guides to help you navigate all things laundry, garment care, and dry cleaning.

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ihateironing is a network of professional dry cleaners providing the finest dry cleaning and laundry service with convenient collection and delivery at any times that suit you. We operate in London, New York, Brighton, Edinburgh, Oxford, and beyond.