# Do not bleach — Laundry Care Symbol | Launderwise

---

Bleaching

![Do not bleach](/images/care-symbols/do-not-bleach.svg)

# 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 ](/blog/remove-set-in-stains/index.md)and then return to this term when the label changes the safe option.

## Related terms

- [Bleach allowed (any bleach)](/glossary/bleach/index.md)
- [Non-chlorine bleach only](/glossary/bleach-non-chlorine/index.md)
- [Enzymatic detergent](/glossary/enzymatic-detergent/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)