Here's What All Those Symbols on Your Laundry Actually Mean
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Nowadays, with smart appliances, fabric softeners, and every type of laundry detergent you can imagine, do the laundry symbols on our clothing tags matter? What do all these shapes and lines mean, anyway? Well as it turns out, quite a bit, at least if you want to optimize the lifespan of your clothing and textiles: “Paying attention to the laundry care symbols on clothing is an essential step in keeping your clothes in their best condition, and preventing shrinking, fading, and damage," Shawn Ashby, Whirlpool Laundry Brand Manager, tells House Beautiful.
To help decode some of the mystery, we decided to take a deep dive into the most popular laundry symbols (there are over 40!). Then we reached out to the experts to decode them. Scroll to learn the basics of the laundry symbol guide and visuals to help you along the way.
What are Universal Laundry Symbols?
Clothing manufacturers have created universal laundry symbols to help you keep your clothes in the best condition for the long haul. Even with a smart washer and dryer and the fancy detergent, you still could be washing your clothes the wrong way.
"Universal laundry symbols help prompt the appropriate laundry steps for any given item of clothing, from washing and drying to ironing and dry cleaning," says Ashby. "It's to help their clothes look their best and last as long as possible." This should be music to your ears the next time you go shopping, and you're debating on whether or not to buy that cute sweater.
Essential Washing Machine Symbols
All washing machine symbols have a little bathtub with wavy marks on top to represent water. Commonly used washing symbols are normal, permanent press, and delicate, which will align with the settings on your washer machine. Now, there are also temperature settings on clothing symbols, but most times, these three options will cover your basic laundry needs.
"Even though the fabric can be machine washed or hand washed with gentle agitation, keep in mind that a cool wash also provides a good clean," advise Corinna and Theresa Williams, owners of Celsious laundry services in Brooklyn. "Hot water and high heat are good for sanitary purposes, but if selected as the default, can be harsh on fabrics."
Hot water temperature and a fast spin cycle
Minimal wrinkles and best for synthetic and polyester fabrics
Cold water and a low spin speed for delicate fabrics like lace and silk
Wash the clothing by hand instead of in the washing machine
When it comes to washing clothes, the Celsious owners tell House Beautiful, "washing less often is also better for your clothes." Overwashing can cause pilling and can stretch out the fabric. "If you think you can still get another wear out of something, you can use a steamer to freshen up clothes in between washes. "
Lastly, anytime you see an X over a graphic, pay attention! If you ignore this laundry symbol you run the risk of damaging the garment permanently.
The clothing article should be dry cleaned
Essential Drying Machine Symbols
Drying instructions are necessary to keep your clothes in good condition and avoid fabric shrinkage and pilling. Similar to the washer, you'll see standard symbols like tumble dry, permanent press, and gentle cycle that align with the settings on your dryer. But there are other dryer symbols that you may not be familiar with that help keep your clothes in good condition.
Hang clothing in the shower to dry, and excess water drips down the drain
Hang or drip dry clothing
Do not twist or crunch the fabric
As Courtney Arrington-Baldwin, cofounder of Mr. Baldwin Style, notes, "hang dry whenever possible." As a fashion stylist, she has found machine drying causes the most damage to delicate clothing. "If the item is extremely delicate, consult with a trusted dry cleaner, and ask them to protect or wrap any delicate beading or buttons that may get damaged during the dry cleaning process."
Essential Laundry Symbols
Lastly, some symbols are important to look out for even before you take your clothes home. "You should always check the care symbols and instructions before washing anything, and preferably before buying! Your clothes should fit in with your lifestyle," note the Williams sisters. If you see a circle for a garment that needs to be dry cleaned, and you're a homebody, skip it and look for an article of clothes that's less high maintenance.
Best to clean clothing with a professional dry cleaner
Do not use a professional dry cleaner on this clothing
Do not use liquid bleach or it will damage the fabric
Permanent Press fabrics have been treated with chemicals to ensure they resist wrinkles, an iron can damage the fabric
"Many professional clothing designers have fabric knowledge, and we often reference laundry symbols," notes clothing designer Mo Glover of Zyem. "However, we also have a lot of experience draping and working with fabrics and will deviate when we need to. Dry cleaning isn't always the best way, especially with cut and sew or knit items."
So stop getting lost in the spin cycle when trying to decipher the best way to clean your clothes, and use the visual guide below to help you navigate your next laundry day.
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