The washing instructions on clothing tags usually consist of a series of internationally accepted icons. These icons are simple and intuitive to guide consumers on how to properly wash, dry and care for clothes to avoid damage to clothes due to improper operation. The following is a detailed interpretation of common washing instruction icons:
1. Washing method category
Water washing icon (basin)
Basic icon: A basin placed upright, indicating that the clothes can be washed in water.
Variant 1: There are numbers on the basin (such as 30, 40), indicating the upper limit of the water temperature during washing (unit: ℃), for example, “30” means the water temperature does not exceed 30℃.
Variant 2: There are wavy lines under the basin. The more lines, the weaker the washing intensity (such as 1 line for gentle washing, suitable for silk, wool, etc.; no lines for regular washing).
Prohibition mark: “×” is drawn on the basin, indicating that the clothes cannot be washed in water (usually dry-cleaned).
Dry cleaning icon (circle)
Basic icon: A hollow circle, indicating that the clothes can be dry-cleaned.
Variant: There are letters in the circle (such as A, P, F), indicating the applicable dry cleaning agent type:
A: All types of dry cleaning agents can be used;
P: Only petroleum dry cleaning agents such as perchloroethylene can be used;
F: Only fluorine dry cleaning agents can be used.
Prohibition mark: “×” is drawn on the circle, indicating that the clothes cannot be dry cleaned.
Hand wash icon (basin + hand)
The icon is a hand in the basin, which means that the clothes must be hand washed and machine washing is prohibited (usually used for delicate fabrics such as lace and cashmere).
2. Bleaching method category
Bleach icon (triangle)
Basic icon: A hollow triangle, indicating that the clothes can be bleached with chlorine (chlorine bleach, such as 84 disinfectant).
Variant: There is an “×” in the triangle, indicating that chlorine bleach cannot be used (chlorine bleaching will cause the fabric to fade or damage, suitable for colored clothes).
Variant: There are two slashes in the triangle, indicating that only non-chlorine bleach can be used (such as oxygen bleach, suitable for fabrics such as wool and silk).
3. Drying (drying/drying) category
Drying icon (square + vertical line)
Basic icon: a square (representing a clothes drying rack) with a vertical line inside, indicating that clothes can be hung to dry.
Variant: a horizontal line inside the square, indicating that clothes can be laid flat to dry (suitable for clothes that are easily deformed, such as sweaters and knitwear).
Prohibition sign: a “×” is drawn on the square, indicating that clothes cannot be hung/laid flat to dry (usually need to be dried).
Drying icon (circle + fan)
Basic icon: a circle with a fan-shaped fan inside, indicating that clothes can be machine dried.
Variant 1: a number (such as 60) in the circle indicates the upper limit of the drying temperature (unit: ℃).
Variant 2: a “△” in the circle indicates low-temperature drying; “□” indicates medium-temperature drying; “●” indicates high-temperature drying.
Prohibition sign: a “×” is drawn on the circle, indicating that clothes cannot be machine dried (may shrink or deform due to high temperature).
4. Ironing methods
Ironing icons (iron)
Basic icon: an iron shape, indicating that clothes can be ironed.
Variation: There are dots on the iron, and the number of dots represents the upper limit of the ironing temperature:
1 dot: low temperature ironing (≤110℃, suitable for wool and silk);
2 dots: medium temperature ironing (≤150℃, suitable for cotton and linen);
3 dots: high temperature ironing (≤200℃, suitable for high temperature resistant fabrics such as linen).
Prohibition mark: “×” is drawn on the iron, indicating that the clothes cannot be ironed (such as coated fabrics and certain chemical fiber fabrics, ironing will cause melting or deformation).
5. Precautions
The icons are usually arranged in the order of “washing → bleaching → drying → ironing”, corresponding to the process of clothing care.
If the clothes are marked with multiple restrictions at the same time (such as “water temperature 30℃ + gentle washing + no chlorine bleaching”), all requirements must be followed at the same time.
For special fabrics (such as wool, silk, and leather), it is recommended to follow the instructions on the tag first to avoid damage caused by “assumption” operations (for example, wool products may shrink after machine washing, and silk will fade after chlorine bleaching).
By interpreting these icons, consumers can quickly grasp the key points of clothing care, extend the service life of clothing, and maintain its appearance and texture. If you have any questions about the icons, you can also combine the text instructions on the tag (some brands will add Chinese/English annotations) for further confirmation.
FAQ
Both methods use a square base icon (which represents a clothes drying rack), but the lines inside reveal the specific method. If the square has a vertical line inside, it means the garment can be hung to dry. If the square has a horizontal line inside, it signifies that the garment must be laid flat to dry, a method typically required for delicate items like sweaters and knitwear that easily stretch out of shape.
The dots inside the iron icon indicate the maximum safe temperature limit allowed for ironing the garment:
1 dot: Low temperature ironing ($\le$110℃), required for delicate fabrics like wool and silk.
2 dots: Medium temperature ironing ($\le$150℃), suitable for cotton and linen blends.
3 dots: High temperature ironing ($\le$200℃), safe for durable fabrics like pure linen.
Following these dots prevents catastrophic damage, as using a high-temperature setting on low-dot fabrics can permanently melt, scorch, or deform the clothing.
