Guide to washing symbols: how to read labels
When washing household linen or even our clothes, it is essential to pay attention to the information provided on the labels.
Washing symbols provide instructions for fabric care, but sometimes they create confusion rather than being helpful. These small yet valuable tools offer indispensable guidance to preserve the quality and longevity of fabrics, avoiding damage such as shrinkage or discoloration.
Each label not only provides guidance on the proper washing, drying, and ironing methods but also reveals other useful details:
- Composition of the item;
- Country of manufacture;
- Washing instructions and temperature;
- Possibilities for bleaching, spinning, and ironing modes;
- The most suitable drying method.
Following these instructions carefully is not only a good practice to keep garments in perfect condition but also a way to respect the manufacturer’s specific recommendations, especially for more delicate fabrics or those we value most.
Thanks to the universality of the adopted symbols, which ensure clarity and consistency everywhere, we can avoid common mistakes and provide proper care for each item, preserving its integrity and value over time.
In fact, these symbols were specifically introduced by GINETEX (International Association for the Care Labelling of Textiles) in 1963 and are still used today. They are standardized internationally and protected by trademark law.
You can find them on fabric labels, and in the case of DaunenStep, they can be found on duvets, pillows, mattress covers, and all other bedding and bathroom items.
There are several categories of symbols. Let’s take a closer look:
Below are the most commonly used symbols, but for a more detailed description, scroll down or click on the individual sections above:
Washing symbols are used to guide the proper care of fabrics, indicating how to wash, dry, iron, and maintain them without causing damage, thereby ensuring their durability and quality over time.
General washing symbol: a basin filled with water. If there is no bar under the basin, it means the fabric can withstand maximum drum rotation (strong action);
Do not wash: a basin filled with water crossed out with an x;
Hand wash: a basin filled with water with a hand inside;
Wash at 30°: a basin filled with water with the temperature number or a certain number of dots inside;
Delicate wash and spin: a basin filled with water with a bar underneath. A bar indicates a delicate spin cycle with moderate drum rotation (gentle action);
Wash with delicate or wool cycle at 30°: a basin filled with water showing 30 and two bars underneath. Two bars indicate the garment should be washed very delicately with minimal drum rotation or no spin (e.g., using the wool program);
Cold wash: a basin filled with water and a faucet;
Do not hand wash: a basin filled with water with a hand crossed out with an x;
Do not wring: a crossed-out knot symbol;
Additional Washing Symbols
There are additional variations of these washing symbols, such as the degrees to use for each item. The temperature can be inferred from the number of dots or the specific temperature indicated inside the symbol:
- One dot: cold wash (30°)
- Two dots: wash at medium temperature (40°)
- Three dots: wash at high temperature (max 50°)
- Four dots: wash at high temperature (max 60°)
- Five dots: wash at high temperature (max 70°)
- Six dots: wash at high temperature (max 95°)
Bleaching symbols indicate whether a garment can be treated with bleach or other whitening agents, helping to preserve the color and quality of the fabric without causing damage..
Bleaching allowed: empty triangle;
Non-chlorine bleach: triangle with two parallel lines inside. Use chlorine-free products;
Chlorine bleach: triangle with the letters CL inside. Only chlorine-based products should be used;
Do not bleach: triangle crossed out with an x;
Drying symbols provide guidance on how to properly dry a garment, specifying whether it is suitable for tumble drying, at what temperature, or if it should be air-dried to avoid damaging the fabric..
Tumble drying allowed: square with a circle inside;
Permanent press drying: indicates a drying program designed for garments with permanent prints;
Delicate drying: a gentle drying program;
Tumble drying at low temperature: square with a circle and one dot inside. It is recommended to choose a delicate program not exceeding a maximum temperature of 60 degrees;
Tumble drying at medium temperature: square with a circle and two dots inside;
Tumble drying at high temperature: square with a circle and three dots inside;
Do not tumble dry: square with a circle inside crossed out with an x; the item cannot be tumble dried;
Natural drying: empty square;
Vertical natural drying: square with a semicircle;
Vertical natural drying in the shade: square with a semicircle and two diagonal parallel lines;
Horizontal natural drying: square with a horizontal line inside;
Horizontal natural drying in the shade: square with a horizontal line and two diagonal parallel lines;
Natural drying in the shade: square with two diagonal parallel lines;
Drip natural drying: square with three vertical lines inside;
Drip natural drying in the shade: square with three vertical lines and two diagonal parallel lines inside;
Ironing Symbols
Ironing symbols indicate whether a garment can be ironed, at what temperature, and which precautions to take to avoid damaging the fabric or altering its characteristics.
Ironing allowed: an iron symbol; it indicates that ironing is permitted, including the use of steam;
Iron at low temperature: an iron symbol with one dot inside; maximum 110°C, no steam;
Iron at medium temperature: an iron symbol with two dots inside; maximum 150°C;
Iron at high temperature: an iron symbol with three dots inside; maximum 200°C;
Do not iron: an iron symbol crossed out with an x;
Iron without steam: an iron symbol with two lines crossed out with an x underneath;
Chemical or professional cleaning is usually performed only in professional contexts, such as laundries, and is represented by an empty circle.
Inside the circle, there may be different letters indicating the washing conditions carried out with suitable chemicals and detergents:
- A in a circle – dry cleaning with all commonly used solvents;
- F in a circle – use only petroleum-based solvents, hydrocarbons, and trichloroethane;
- P in a circle – cleaning only with perchloroethylene;
- W in a circle – the fabric can only be washed with water;
- W in a circle and crossed out with X – the garment must only be dry cleaned;
- X in a circle or empty circle crossed out – the fabric must not be dry cleaned.
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