Laundry Symbols

Direct Answer

International garment care symbols governed by ISO 3758 (GINETEX) and ASTM D5489 standardize washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and professional cleaning instructions on garment tags. The system uses five core geometric shapes modified by temperature dots, cycle bars, and cross-out warnings.

Source: ISO 3758:2012 / ASTM D5489-14 (Standard Guide for Care Symbols) · Last reviewed Aug 28, 2026

Specs

Governing Standards	ISO 3758 / GINETEX / ASTM D5489 / FTC Care Labeling Rule
The 5 Core Symbols	Washtub (Washing) \| Triangle (Bleach) \| Square (Drying) \| Iron (Ironing) \| Circle (Dry Clean)
Temperature Dots Rule	1 Dot = Low (30°C/110°C) \| 2 Dots = Med (40°C/150°C) \| 3 Dots = High (50°C/200°C)
Mechanical Action Bars	No bar = Normal cycle \| 1 Bar = Permanent Press/Synthetic \| 2 Bars = Gentle/Wool
Hand in Tub Symbol	Hand wash only (maximum 40°C / 105°F, no machine agitation)
Cross-Out 'X' Modifier	Never perform the indicated operation (e.g., Do Not Tumble Dry, Do Not Iron)

Complete Laundry Care Symbols Decoding Guide

1. Washing Symbols (Washtub)

Empty Tub: Machine wash normal cycle.
Tub with 1 Dot (or 30°C): Cold wash (30°C / 85°F).
Tub with 2 Dots (or 40°C): Warm wash (40°C / 105°F).
Tub with 3 Dots (or 50°C): Hot wash (50°C / 120°F).
Tub with 4 Dots (or 60°C): Heavy-duty wash (60°C / 140°F).
1 Bar Underneath: Permanent press / synthetic cycle (mild spin).
2 Bars Underneath: Delicate / gentle / wool cycle (very low spin).
Hand in Tub: Hand wash only (do not machine wash).
Tub with X: Do not wash.

2. Bleaching Symbols (Triangle)

Empty Triangle: Any bleach allowed (including chlorine bleach).
Triangle with Diagonal Stripes: Non-chlorine / oxygen-safe bleach only.
Solid Triangle with X (or Hollow Triangle with X): Do NOT bleach.

3. Drying Symbols (Square)

Square with Circle inside: Tumble dry allowed. –1 Dot inside Circle: Tumble dry low heat. –2 Dots inside Circle: Tumble dry medium heat. –3 Dots inside Circle: Tumble dry high heat. –Circle with X: Do not tumble dry.
Square with 1 Horizontal Line: Dry flat (essential for heavy wool knits).
Square with 1 Vertical Line: Line dry / hang dry.
Square with 3 Vertical Lines: Drip dry without wringing.
Diagonal Slash in Corner: Dry in shade (prevent UV sun bleaching).

4. Ironing Symbols (Flat Iron)

Iron with 1 Dot: Low temperature (110°C / 230°F) for nylon, acetate, acrylic.
Iron with 2 Dots: Medium temperature (150°C / 300°F) for polyester, wool blends.
Iron with 3 Dots: High temperature (200°C / 390°F) for pure cotton, linen.
Iron with X: Do not iron.
Iron with Steam X Below: Dry iron only (no steam).

5. Professional Cleaning Symbols (Circle)

Empty Circle: Dry clean only.
Circle with 'P': Dry clean with Perchloroethylene (standard professional solvent).
Circle with 'F': Dry clean with Hydrocarbon petroleum solvent (delicate fabrics).
Circle with 'W': Professional wet cleaning.
Circle with X: Do not dry clean.

Order of Symbols on Garment Tags

Under international ISO 3758 standards, garment care tags always display the five operations in exact chronological processing order: Wash longrightarrow Bleach longrightarrow Dry longrightarrow Iron longrightarrow Professional; Care

Following this standardized sequence ensures consumers and commercial laundries can instantly read care instructions from left to right without linguistic translation.