Laundry Symbols Decoder
Not sure what the little tub, triangle or square on your clothing tag means? Tap a symbol or search for it to get its meaning in plain English, the temperature it stands for and a care tip, then build your garment's full label into simple washing instructions.
Last updated:
Tap a symbol to see what it means.
No symbols match your search. Try a shape (tub, triangle, square, iron, circle) or a word like “cold”.
How to use the Laundry Symbols Decoder
- Find the symbol on your clothing tag in the grid, or type a shape or word in the search box (for example “two dots” or “triangle”).
- Tap it to see what it means, the maximum temperature and a care tip.
- Press Add to my label for each symbol on the tag. They are sorted in the usual order: wash, bleach, dry, iron, dry clean.
- Read your care instructions under My care label. A warning appears if two symbols contradict each other.
- Copy the instructions to save them, or load an example label to see typical care for common garments.
The five basic laundry symbols
Every care label is built from five shapes. Once you know them, most symbols decode themselves: dots add heat, lines under a symbol make the process gentler and a cross means “do not”.
| Shape | Stands for | Modifiers |
|---|---|---|
| Washtub | Washing | Dots or a number for water temperature, a hand for hand wash, lines for permanent press or gentle cycles |
| Triangle | Bleaching | Empty = any bleach, diagonal lines = non-chlorine only, crossed = no bleach |
| Square | Drying | Circle inside = tumble dry (dots for heat), curved line = line dry, three lines = drip dry, horizontal line = dry flat, corner lines = in the shade |
| Iron | Ironing | 1 to 3 dots for heat, crossed steam lines = no steam |
| Circle | Professional cleaning | Letters P, F, A for dry-clean solvents, W for wet cleaning, line under = gentle |
Temperature reference
| Dots | Washing (max water) | Tumble drying | Ironing (max soleplate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| • | Cold, 30 °C / 85 °F | Low heat | Low, 110 °C / 230 °F (nylon, acrylic) |
| •• | Warm, 40 °C / 105 °F | Medium heat | Medium, 150 °C / 300 °F (polyester, wool, silk) |
| ••• | Hot, 50 °C / 120 °F | High heat | High, 200 °C / 390 °F (cotton, linen) |
| •••• | 60 °C / 140 °F | — | — |
| ••••• | 70 °C / 160 °F | — | — |
| •••••• | 95 °C / 200 °F | — | — |
Care label tips
- Temperatures are maximums. Washing cooler than the label allows is almost always fine and helps colors last.
- The label covers the whole garment, including buttons, trims and linings, so follow it even if the main fabric seems sturdy.
- No label? Wash cold on a gentle cycle and air dry; it is the safest choice for an unknown fabric.
- Test stain removers and bleach on a hidden seam first, and never mix bleach with other cleaners.
- Keep the instructions if you cut out a scratchy tag: copy them from this tool into a note.
Frequently asked questions
What do the dots on laundry symbols mean?
Dots show temperature. In the washtub, 1 dot means cold (up to about 30 °C / 85 °F), 2 dots warm (40 °C / 105 °F), 3 dots hot (50 °C / 120 °F), and 4 to 6 dots hotter still, up to 95 °C. In the tumble-dry circle, 1 to 3 dots mean low, medium and high heat. On the iron, 1 dot is low (110 °C), 2 dots medium (150 °C) and 3 dots high (200 °C).
What do the lines under the washtub mean?
Lines under a washtub or tumble-dry symbol describe the cycle. No line means a normal cycle, one line means permanent press (medium agitation with a cool-down), and two lines mean the gentle or delicate cycle.
What does the triangle symbol mean on clothes?
The triangle is about bleach. An empty triangle means any bleach can be used when needed, a triangle with two diagonal lines means only non-chlorine (oxygen) bleach, and a crossed-out or filled triangle means do not bleach at all.
What does a square with a circle mean?
A square with a circle inside is the tumble-dry symbol. Dots inside the circle set the heat, a filled circle means no heat, and a cross means do not tumble dry. A square without a circle is natural drying: a curved line means line dry, three vertical lines drip dry and a horizontal line dry flat.
What do the letters in the circle mean?
A circle is for professional cleaning. The letter tells the dry cleaner which solvent to use: P means any common solvent except trichloroethylene, F means petroleum (hydrocarbon) solvents only, A means any solvent and W means professional wet cleaning. A line under the circle asks for a gentle process.
What does an X through a symbol mean?
A cross over any symbol means do not do it: do not wash, do not bleach, do not tumble dry, do not iron or do not dry clean.
Are laundry symbols the same in every country?
They are very similar. North America uses ASTM D5489 and most other regions use ISO 3758 or the GINETEX system, which share the same five basic shapes. European labels often show a temperature number in the washtub instead of dots, and US labels sometimes add written instructions.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.