A Guide to Washing Instruction Symbols
Understanding the wash care symbols on your clothing is crucial to ensure that you are caring for your laundry correctly. By carefully following the care instructions on your garments, you can prolong the life of your clothing, maintaining the quality of your items for longer. To help you understand more, we have pulled together this handy article and graphic that explains the most common wash care symbols in the UK.
Washing Symbol
This symbol shows a bucket of water. The number inside the bucket indicates the maximum temperature at which the garment can be washed. For example, if the number inside the bucket is 40, it means that the garment can be washed at a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius.
Bleaching Symbol
This symbol is represented by a triangle. If there is nothing inside the triangle, it means that you can use any type of bleach on the garment. If there is a cross through the triangle, it means that you cannot use any bleach on the garment.
Ironing Symbol
This symbol shows an iron. The number of dots inside the iron indicates the maximum temperature that can be used to iron the garment. For example, if there are three dots, it means that you can use a maximum temperature of 200 degrees Celsius to iron the garment.
Drying Symbol
This symbol is represented by a square. If there is nothing inside the square, it means that you can tumble dry the garment on any heat setting. If there is a circle inside the square, it means that you can tumble dry the garment but only on a low heat setting. If there is a cross through the square, it means that the garment cannot be tumble dried.
Dry Cleaning Symbol
This symbol shows a circle. If there is nothing inside the circle, it means that the garment can be dry cleaned with any solvent. If there is a letter inside the circle, it means that a specific solvent should be used. For example, the letter 'P' means that only perchloroethylene should be used.
Understanding the wash care symbols when doing your laundry is an essential aspect of taking care of your clothes. By following the care instructions on the labels, you can prevent your garments from shrinking, fading, or losing their shape. Before selecting a wash cycle, always check the labels on your clothes and follow the care instructions to keep your items in the best possible condition.