Iron, low temperature
An ISO 3758 iron symbol with one dot, indicating ironing at a low temperature, up to a soleplate of about 110 °C.
What it means
One dot on the iron caps the heat at the lowest setting. It is used for heat-sensitive fibres — acrylic, nylon, acetate and elastane blends — that scorch, glaze or melt under a hotter plate.
What to do
Set the iron to its lowest (often marked with one dot, silk or synthetics) and test on an inside seam first. Iron on the reverse, and place a pressing cloth between the iron and any printed or shiny surface.
How to use this term
Use this ironing symbol before applying heat, steam or pressure to the garment surface.
- Read iron, low temperature 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
After pressing cotton or linen, it's tempting to turn the dial straight to one dot and iron a synthetic right away. But a soleplate holds its heat and cools more slowly than you turn the dial, so it can stay hotter than the new setting suggests — long enough to glaze or melt a heat-sensitive synthetic. Give the plate time to actually cool, not just the dial time to move.
For the broader method, use the How to Iron a Shirt 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