# Delicates — Laundry Care Symbol | Launderwise

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Fabric & materials

# Delicates

A catch-all term for fragile garments and fibres that need gentle handling, such as lingerie, fine knitwear, silk, lace and loosely woven fabrics.

## What it means

Delicates are items whose fibres, structure or trims are easily damaged by the agitation, heat and spin of a normal wash. The label often shows a hand-wash or double-bar delicate machine symbol to signal the reduced action required.

## What to do

Wash delicates on a delicate or hand-wash cycle inside a mesh laundry bag, use a mild detergent, and skip the high spin. Reshape and dry them flat or on a line rather than tumble drying.

## How to use this term

Use this fabric-care term to understand why the same detergent, heat or stain method can behave differently across fibres.

- Read delicates with the other symbols on the same care label; the strictest symbol wins.
- Match the instruction to the garment's most fragile part, including trims, lining, prints and finishes.
- If the label, fabric behaviour and stain method disagree, test a hidden area or choose the lower-risk route.

### Common mistake

Do not choose a method only by stain type; fibre, weave, dye and finish can change what is safe.

For the broader method, use the [Beginner laundry guide ](/blog/getting-started-laundry/index.md)and then return to this term when the label changes the safe option.

## Related terms

- [Machine wash, delicate](/glossary/machine-wash-delicate/index.md)
- [Hand wash](/glossary/hand-wash/index.md)
- [Mesh laundry bag](/glossary/mesh-laundry-bag/index.md)

## Sources

- [ISO 3758:2012 Textiles — Care labelling code using symbols ](https://www.iso.org/standard/42918.html)— International Organization for Standardization

[ Back to the full glossary](/glossary/index.md)