Care Symbols Explained: How to Read Any Laundry Label
Almost every towel, bathrobe and item of clothing has a small label with care symbols. If you can read them, you wash correctly, avoid shrinking your favourite pieces and enjoy your textiles for longer. The system is simpler than it looks: there are five basic symbols, supplemented by numbers, dots and lines. In this article we explain all care symbols step by step – including the often forgotten air-drying symbols and the letters in the circle.
Contents14
- Care symbols: the five basic symbols
- Washing: temperature, lines and hand wash
- Bleaching: the triangle
- Drying: tumble dryer and air-drying
- Ironing: dots in the iron
- Professional cleaning: letters in the circle
- Reading a label step by step
- Common mistakes when reading labels
- Sorting laundry by care symbols
- What the care symbols mean for our textiles
- Fabric softener: not on the label
- Good to know
- Conclusion
- Frequently asked questions
Care symbols: the five basic symbols
The symbols are internationally standardised and always follow the same order: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, professional cleaning.
| Basic symbol | Means | Supplemented by |
|---|---|---|
| Wash tub | Washing | Number or dots, lines underneath, hand |
| Triangle | Bleaching | Diagonal lines |
| Square | Drying | Circle (tumble dryer) or lines (air-drying) |
| Iron | Ironing | One to three dots |
| Circle | Professional cleaning | Letters P, F or W, line underneath |
One rule applies to all: if a symbol is crossed out, that treatment is not allowed.
Washing: temperature, lines and hand wash
- Number in the tub: the maximum temperature in degrees Celsius, for example 30, 40, 60 or 95. Sometimes there are dots instead: one dot for 30 °C, two for 40 °C, three for 50 °C, four for 60 °C.
- No line underneath: normal wash cycle.
- One line: gentle cycle with less agitation and a softer spin.
- Two lines: extra gentle, such as a delicates or wool cycle.
- Hand in the tub: hand wash only, usually up to 40 °C.
- Crossed-out tub: do not wash.
Important: the number is the upper limit. Washing colder is always allowed.
Bleaching: the triangle
- Empty triangle: any bleach is allowed.
- Triangle with two diagonal lines: oxygen-based bleach only, no chlorine.
- Crossed-out triangle: do not bleach. You'll find this on many coloured textiles – including some of our hammam towels.
Drying: tumble dryer and air-drying
Square with circle: tumble dryer
- One dot: tumble dry at reduced temperature (gentle programme).
- Two dots: tumble dry at normal temperature.
- Crossed out: do not tumble dry.
Square with lines: air-drying
These care symbols are missing from many overviews, but they appear on numerous labels:
- Vertical line in the square: line dry or dry on a hanger.
- Three vertical lines: drip dry, i.e. hang up dripping wet without spinning first.
- Horizontal line: dry flat so the item doesn't lose its shape.
- Diagonal line in the top corner: dry in the shade so colours don't fade.
Ironing: dots in the iron
- One dot: low temperature, up to about 110 °C, without steam.
- Two dots: medium temperature, up to about 150 °C.
- Three dots: high temperature, up to about 200 °C.
- Crossed out: do not iron.
Professional cleaning: letters in the circle
This symbol is aimed at the dry cleaner, not at you. Still, it helps to know what it means:
- P in the circle: dry cleaning with the usual solvents is possible.
- F in the circle: only with milder hydrocarbon solvents.
- W in the circle: professional wet cleaning is possible.
- Line under the circle: gentle treatment.
- Crossed-out circle: do not dry clean.
Reading a label step by step
Let's take a typical label from a terry towel with these five care symbols from left to right: tub with 40 and one line, crossed-out triangle, square with circle and one dot, iron with two dots, circle with P.
- Washing: maximum 40 °C on a gentle cycle.
- Bleaching: no bleach, so no detergent containing bleach either.
- Drying: tumble drying allowed, but only on the gentle programme at reduced temperature.
- Ironing: possible at medium temperature.
- Cleaning: dry cleaning would be possible, but is hardly necessary for a towel.
With a little practice, you can read a label like this in seconds.
Common mistakes when reading labels
- Mixing up the circles: A circle on its own stands for professional cleaning. Only the circle inside a square means the tumble dryer.
- Overlooking dots: One dot in the dryer symbol means “gentle”. If you then choose the standard programme, cotton may shrink.
- Ignoring the line under the tub: 40 °C with a line is not the same as 40 °C without. The programme makes the difference.
- Only looking at the temperature: Even an item that can handle 60 °C may not tolerate the dryer or bleach. Always read all five care symbols.
Sorting laundry by care symbols
It is easiest if you pre-sort your laundry in the basket according to the labels: gentle-cycle items together, items that can't go in the dryer separately, light and dark colours apart. Our hammam towels then all end up on the same pile: 30 °C, no fabric softener, then onto the line. If you're unsure, always choose the lowest temperature and the gentlest programme stated on any of the labels for mixed loads.
What the care symbols mean for our textiles
The exact details are always on the label and on the respective product page. Translated into the language of symbols, the care for some of our products looks like this:
| Product | Care instructions | Corresponds to |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean hammam towel | 30 °C, no fabric softener, air-dry | Tub 30, square with line |
| Manolia hammam towel | Max. 30 °C, air-drying recommended, do not bleach, do not iron, do not dry clean | Tub 30, triangle, iron and circle each crossed out |
| Trimita Barok bathrobe | Max. 30 °C, do not bleach, do not dry clean, do not tumble dry, do not iron | Tub 30, four symbols crossed out |
| Trimita hooded bathrobe | Gentle cycle 30 °C, mild colour detergent, no bleach, air-dry or tumble dry at low temperature | Tub 30 with line, triangle crossed out, dryer with one dot |
| DOTWAVE sauna towel XL | Can go in the tumble dryer | Dryer symbol not crossed out |
Fabric softener: not on the label
There is no symbol for fabric softener. Still, it is mentioned on many product pages, including ours: we advise against it for our hammam towels because it coats the cotton and can reduce absorbency. The same applies to towels in general if they are supposed to absorb water well.
Good to know
- Voluntary information: In the EU, stating the fibre composition is mandatory, but care labelling is not. Almost all manufacturers use it anyway.
- Other countries: In North America you will sometimes find different symbols, such as dots instead of numbers in the tub. The basic principle is the same.
- Lost the label? If in doubt, wash gently and on the cool side and air-dry. Many retailers also list care instructions on the product page.
- Label annoying you? If you cut it off, take a photo first. That way the care symbols stay at hand.
- New textiles: Wash before first use. Pure cotton can shrink a little – according to the product description, the Manolia by up to around 10 %.
How best to wash hammam towels in particular is explained in the article Washing a hammam towel, and for bathrobes in Bathrobe care.
Related reading: Drying laundry in winter: why hammam towels have the edge · Ironing a hammam towel: necessary or not? · Caring for Hammam Towel Fringes: Washing, Detangling, Re-Knotting
Conclusion
Five basic symbols, a few numbers, dots and lines – that's all it takes to read any care label. Wash tub, triangle, square, iron and circle tell you how hot, how gently and in what way you may treat a textile. Crossed out always means: please don't. If you know the care symbols and also skip fabric softener for towels, you'll enjoy your towels and bathrobes for a long time.
Frequently asked questions
What do the lines under the wash tub mean?
One line stands for a gentle cycle, two lines for an extra gentle cycle such as delicates or wool.
Can I wash at a lower temperature than stated?
Yes. The number is the maximum temperature. Lower is always fine.
What does a square with a circle inside mean?
That is the symbol for the tumble dryer. The dots inside show the permitted temperature; crossed out means: do not tumble dry.
What does a square with a line mean?
That is an air-drying symbol. A vertical line means hang to dry, a horizontal line means dry flat.
What does a crossed-out circle mean?
The textile must not be dry cleaned. This symbol has nothing to do with drying – that's what the square is for.
Is there a symbol for fabric softener?
No. Notes on fabric softener appear, if at all, in the text of the care instructions or on the product page.
Personally written by Martin – founder of BeachAndSteam and sauna operator at Lake Kulkwitz for more than 18 years.