Care-Symbol Decoder
Select each symbol printed on your garment's care label to get a plain-language reading of the whole label — what every symbol means and the combined verdict.
Tap every symbol that appears on your label. They are grouped by care family.
Washing
9Bleaching
3Drying
13Ironing
5Professional cleaning
6Process & technique
1How to read a laundry care label
Care labels use the ISO 3758 / GINETEX symbol set — the same five families in the same order on almost every garment. Here is how to go from label to decision.
- 1
Find the care label
Look inside the garment — usually on a seam at the side of the body or at the neck.
- 2
Recognise each symbol by its shape
A washtub is washing, a triangle is bleach, a square is drying, an iron is ironing and a circle is professional cleaning. A cross through any symbol is a prohibition.
- 3
Select the symbols you see
Tap each symbol in the grid that matches one on your label to add it to your label.
- 4
Read the combined verdict
The decoded panel shows the warmest safe wash temperature and the bleach, drying, ironing and professional-cleaning verdicts together, and flags any contradictions.
Every laundry care symbol, explained
The complete ISO 3758 symbol reference the decoder draws on — 37 care symbols, grouped by family, each with a short plain-language reading. Open any symbol for its full meaning, common mistakes and sources in the glossary.
Washing 9
- Machine wash, cold
The figure 30 inside the tub, or a single dot, caps the wash water at 30 °C.
Full meaning - Machine wash, warm
The figure 40, or two dots, caps the wash at 40 °C — a middle ground that lifts everyday body soil and light…
Full meaning - Machine wash, permanent press
The single underline tells the machine to ease off: shorter agitation, a lower spin speed and a cool-down…
Full meaning - Machine wash, delicate
The double underline signals the gentlest machine cycle: minimal agitation, a very low spin and a generous…
Full meaning - Hand wash
The hand-in-tub icon restricts cleaning to manual washing, usually at a maximum of around 40 °C.
Full meaning - Do not machine wash
A cross through the washtub is an absolute prohibition on wet cleaning.
Full meaning
Bleaching 3
- Bleach allowed (any bleach)
An empty triangle is the most permissive bleaching symbol: both chlorine (sodium hypochlorite) and oxygen…
Full meaning - Non-chlorine bleach only
The two diagonal stripes restrict bleaching to oxygen-based products such as sodium percarbonate.
Full meaning
Drying 13
- Tumble dry, no heat
A dryer circle calling for no heat means the drum should tumble using room-temperature air alone.
Full meaning - Tumble dry, low heat
One dot inside the dryer circle caps the temperature at the low setting.
Full meaning - Tumble dry, medium heat
Two dots inside the dryer circle allow a moderate temperature — hotter and faster than low heat, but still…
Full meaning - Tumble dry, high heat
Three dots inside the dryer circle allow the hottest tumble cycle.
Full meaning - Tumble dry, normal
The square is the general drying symbol and the circle inside it specifically means a tumble dryer.
Full meaning - Tumble dry, permanent press
The permanent-press drying cycle combines moderate heat with a cool tumble at the end so that synthetics and…
Full meaning - Tumble dry, delicate
The bar under the drying square reduces the tumbling action and is usually paired with low heat.
Full meaning - Line dry (hang to dry)
The vertical line inside the drying square means line drying: the wet item is hung from a line, hanger or…
Full meaning - Drip dry
The two vertical lines mean drip drying: the item is hung immediately after washing, still full of water, so…
Full meaning - Dry in the shade
The corner stripe modifies a line- or flat-dry instruction to add: keep it out of the sun.
Full meaning
Ironing 5
- Iron, medium temperature
Two dots on the iron permit medium heat, suitable for wool, polyester and silk blends.
Full meaning - Iron, high temperature
Three dots on the iron allow the hottest setting, used for cotton and linen.
Full meaning - Iron without steam
The cross over the steam vents at the base of the iron prohibits steam while still allowing dry ironing.
Full meaning
Professional cleaning 6
- Dry clean, any solvent
The letter A inside the circle tells the cleaner that any standard dry-cleaning solvent is safe, including…
Full meaning - Dry clean with hydrocarbon solvent (F)
The letter F restricts cleaning to gentler hydrocarbon solvents and excludes the stronger perchloroethylene.
Full meaning - Dry clean with tetrachloroethylene (P)
The letter P limits cleaning to the perchloroethylene solvent system (and the milder hydrocarbon solvents).
Full meaning - Professional wet cleaning (W)
The letter W specifies professional wet cleaning: a gentle, computer-controlled water process using…
Full meaning
Process & technique 1
About this decoder
Every symbol, meaning and instruction here comes from the Launderwise care-symbol glossary, which follows the ISO 3758 international standard (the GINETEX symbol set used across Europe). The decoder does not invent guidance — it reads the symbols you select and states, in plain language, what they allow together: the warmest wash temperature, whether bleach or the tumble dryer are permitted, the safe iron setting, and whether the item is for a professional cleaner.
Looking for one symbol rather than a whole label? Browse the full care-symbol glossary — every term is a standalone entry with its precise meaning, a common mistake to avoid, and sources.