"What Do Laundry Symbols Mean: A Comprehensive Guide"

Unraveling the Mystery: A Comprehensive Guide to Laundry Symbols

Laundry symbols, often found on clothing tags, can seem like a cryptic language, but understanding them can extend the life of your garments and save you from costly mistakes. This guide deciphers the most common laundry symbols, ensuring you become a laundry pro in no time.

Understanding Laundry Symbols: A Brief Overview

Laundry symbols are universal, meaning they're used worldwide to provide care instructions for garments. They're designed to help you understand the best methods for washing, drying, ironing, and more. Let's dive into the most common symbols you'll encounter.

Washing Symbols

Symbol	Meaning
	Machine washable. The number inside the tub indicates the maximum spin speed: 1 (gentle), 2, 3, 4, 5 (aggressive).
	Hand wash only. This symbol indicates that the garment is too delicate for a washing machine.

Additional washing symbols include:

• - The degrees inside the tub indicate the maximum washing temperature (in Celsius).
• - This symbol indicates that the garment can be tumble-dried. The number or circle indicates the maximum temperature: circle (low), 1 (medium), 2 (high).

Ironing Symbols

Symbol	Meaning
	Can be ironed. The number or line indicates the maximum iron temperature: line (low), 1 (medium), 2 (high).
	Dry clean only. This symbol indicates that the garment should be professionally cleaned.

Other ironing symbols include:

• - Can be ironed using a steam iron.
• - Do not iron. This symbol indicates that ironing may damage the garment.

Additional Laundry Symbols

Besides washing, drying, and ironing, there are symbols for bleaching, professional care, and more. Always check the care label for specific instructions tailored to your garment.

Understanding laundry symbols is a powerful tool in your laundry arsenal. It helps you maintain your garments' quality, prevents shrinking, fading, and other damages, and ultimately saves you money in the long run. So, the next time you're sorting your laundry, don't be intimidated by those mysterious symbols – you're now a laundry pro!