Do not bleach
An ISO 3758 triangle crossed out, indicating no bleach of any kind — neither chlorine nor oxygen — may be used on the garment.
What it means
A cross through the triangle is a total prohibition on bleaching. The fibre, dye or finish would be degraded by oxidising agents, so even colour-safe oxygen bleach must be avoided.
What to do
Treat stains without any bleach. Use enzymatic pre-treaters, a soak in plain detergent, or mechanical methods like blotting and brushing, and check that any stain remover you buy is explicitly bleach-free.
How to use this term
Use this bleach symbol before choosing chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach or a no-bleach stain route.
- Read do not bleach 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 assume colour-safe bleach is safe for every fabric; silk, wool, leather and some dyes can still be damaged.
For the broader method, use the Set-in stain guide and then return to this term when the label changes the safe option.
Related terms
Sources
- ISO 3758:2012 Textiles — Care labelling code using symbols — International Organization for Standardization