Laundry Symbols Decoder: What Do Washing Symbols Mean?
Tap the symbols on a clothes care label to see what each one means in plain English, plus the washing machine temperature, programme, spin, drying and ironing settings to use. Covers all the washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and dry-cleaning symbols used in the UK and Europe.
No sign-up required. Free to use. Last reviewed October 2026.
Decode your care label
Laundry Symbols Decoder
Tap the symbols you see on the care label, one from each row. You'll get what each one means and the washing machine, drying and ironing settings to use.
Your care label
Tap the symbols on your label to start.
Settings to use
What each symbol means
How it works: the symbols follow the international care-labelling system (ISO 3758, used across the UK and Europe). They are read left to right: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional cleaning. The number in the tub is the highest safe water temperature in °C; dots in the tumble dryer and iron mean heat (more dots, hotter). Lines under a symbol ask for a gentler treatment. A symbol that isn't on the label means that treatment is normally fine. The care symbols are registered trademarks of GINETEX.
A guide only. Machines and programme names vary; check your machine's manual, and test stain removers and new settings on a hidden spot first.
How it works
Five shapes tell you everything
Care labels in the UK and Europe use the same international system (ISO 3758). Each shape is one kind of care, read from left to right. The sources and assumptions behind it are on our How we calculate page.
Tub and triangle
The tub is washing: the number is the hottest water in °C, a hand means hand wash, and lines underneath mean a gentler cycle (one line synthetics, two lines delicates or wool). The triangle is bleach: two stripes mean non-chlorine only.
Square
The square is drying. A circle inside means tumble drying, with dots for the heat (one dot low, two dots normal). Lines inside mean air drying: a curve for the line, three lines for drip dry, one line for flat.
Iron and circle
The iron's dots match the dial on your iron: one dot 110 °C, two dots 150 °C, three dots 200 °C. A circle on its own is for the dry cleaner. A cross through any symbol means don't.
Examples
Common care labels, decoded
What typical labels say for everyday things, and how to wash them.
Typical labels only. Always follow the label on your own item, which the maker tested for that fabric and dye.
Tips
Wash smarter, not hotter
Following the label keeps clothes looking new. These help them last longer and cost less to wash.
Go lower than the label
The number is the maximum, not the target. Modern detergents clean well at 30 °C, and heating the water is most of a wash's energy. Keep 60 °C for towels, bedding and anything heavily soiled.
Skip the dryer when you can
A tumble dryer is one of the dearest appliances to run. Check what yours costs with the Electricity Cost Calculator, and when you dry indoors, open a window or run a dehumidifier.
No label?
If the label is missing or faded, wash it like the most delicate fabric it could be: 30 °C on a gentle cycle, no bleach, air dry and a cool iron.
Explore more tools
More practical tools, all in one place
Use simple checks, pickers and planners to make better decisions about your home, equipment and energy use.
Electricity Cost Calculator
Find out how much your appliances cost to run per day, month and year.
Replace or Keep
Compare the running cost of your current appliance with potential replacements.
Dehumidifier Picker
Find the right size and type of dehumidifier based on your room and usage.
Off-Grid Planner
Estimate your daily power needs and the battery, solar and inverter capacity to supply them.
Damp & Mould Check
Check whether a window or wall will get condensation or mould, and what humidity keeps it dry.
Plug-in Solar Payback
See what a plug-in (balcony) solar kit would save and how many years it takes to pay for itself.
Heating Cost Compare
Compare what it costs to heat a room with gas, oil, electric heaters, storage heaters or a heat pump.
Radiator & BTU Calculator
Work out what size radiator a room needs, in watts and BTU, for a boiler or a heat pump.
Paint Calculator
Work out how much paint a room or the outside of a house needs, and which tins to buy.
Concrete Calculator
Work out the concrete for a slab, footing, fence posts or steps, and the cement, ballast or bags to buy.
Tile Calculator
Work out how many tiles, boxes, adhesive and grout a floor or wall needs.
Wallpaper Calculator
Work out how many rolls of wallpaper a room or feature wall needs, allowing for the pattern repeat.
Square Metre Calculator
Work out the area of a room, floor or garden in m² and ft², including L-shapes and circles.
Gravel Calculator
Work out the tonnes and bags of gravel, chippings or sub-base for a path, border or driveway.
Decking Calculator
Work out the deck boards, joists and screws or clips for a timber or composite deck.
Flooring Calculator
Work out the packs of laminate, wood or click vinyl flooring a room needs, with underlay and beading.
Solar Panel Calculator
See what solar panels on your roof would make and save, and how many years they take to pay back.
Heat Loss Calculator
Estimate your whole home's heat loss, the heat pump size it needs and what heating costs a year.
Cable Size Calculator
Work out the cable size and fuse for a 12 V, 24 V or 48 V circuit in a van, boat or off-grid system.
EV Charging Cost
See what an electric car costs to charge per mile, per charge and per year, and the saving over petrol.
U-Value Calculator
Build up a wall, loft, roof or floor layer by layer to see its U-value and what its heat loss costs.
Curtain Size Calculator
Work out the pole length, curtain width and drop, the ready-made size to buy and the fabric to make them.
TV Size Calculator
Find the best TV size for where you sit, or the best seat for your TV, and how high to mount it.
Light Bulb Finder
Find the fitting, brightness and colour of the LED to replace any bulb, and keep a list of your bulbs.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions about laundry symbols
Common questions about washing, drying and ironing symbols on clothes labels.
What do the numbers in the washing tub mean?
The highest water temperature in °C the item can be washed at: 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 or 95. Some labels use dots instead: one dot is 30 °C, two dots 40 °C, three dots 50 °C and four dots 60 °C. You can always wash cooler.
What do the lines under the washing symbol mean?
One line means a gentle cycle with less spinning, such as the synthetics or easy-care programme. Two lines mean a very gentle cycle, such as the delicates or wool programme. No line means a normal cycle is fine.
What does the square with a circle mean?
It means the item can be tumble dried. One dot inside the circle means low heat, two dots normal heat. A cross through it means don't tumble dry.
What do the dots on the iron symbol mean?
They show the hottest setting: one dot is low (up to 110 °C, for synthetics like acrylic and nylon), two dots medium (up to 150 °C, for wool, silk and polyester) and three dots high (up to 200 °C, for cotton and linen). They match the dots on most irons.
What does the triangle on a clothes label mean?
The triangle is about bleach. An empty triangle means any bleach is fine, a triangle with two diagonal stripes means only non-chlorine (oxygen) bleach, and a crossed-out triangle means no bleach at all.
What does the circle with a P or F mean?
A circle is for professional cleaning. P means it can be dry cleaned normally, F means only with milder cleaning fluids, and W means it can be wet cleaned. A line under the circle asks for a gentle process; a cross means don't dry clean.
What does a symbol with a cross through it mean?
Don't do it. A crossed-out tub means don't wash in water, a crossed-out square with a circle means don't tumble dry, a crossed-out iron means don't iron, and so on.