Laundry Symbols Explained (So You Don’t Ruin Clothes Again)

Have you ever looked at a clothing care tag and wondered what all those tiny symbols mean? You’re not alone. Laundry symbols aren’t decorative—they’re essential instructions that protect your clothing from shrinking, fading, stretching, and damage. Once you learn the basics, you’ll never ruin a favorite shirt again. 👕✨

🧼 1. Washing Symbols

The bucket-shaped icon tells you how to wash your garment.

✔ Washing Basics

• Bucket with water: machine wash
• Hand in bucket: hand wash only
• Number inside bucket: max water temperature
• Crossed-out bucket: do not wash

🌬 2. Drying Symbols

Understanding drying icons is crucial—heat can destroy fabrics fast.

• Square: drying instruction
• Circle in square: tumble dry
• Dots inside: heat level (1 low, 2 medium, 3 high)
• Line inside square: line dry
• Flat line: dry flat
• Crossed-out circle: do not tumble dry

🧴 3. Bleaching Symbols

• Triangle: bleach allowed
• Triangle with lines: non-chlorine bleach only
• Crossed-out triangle: no bleach

🪙 4. Ironing Symbols

• Iron icon: you can iron
• Dots inside iron: temperature levels
• Crossed-out iron: do not iron

🧽 5. Professional Cleaning Symbols

• Circle: dry clean
• Letters inside circle: type of solvent
• Crossed circle: no dry cleaning

💡 Final Thoughts

Laundry symbols look confusing at first, but once you understand them, they’ll save you from accidental damage and shrinkage. With SwiftScrub’s quick symbol guide, caring for your clothing becomes easy, safe, and stress-free. 🧺✨