How to read clothing care labels: every symbol explained, EU and US
In short: Read the five symbols in order: wash (tub), bleach (triangle), dry (square), iron, professional care (circle). Numbers are maximum °C, dots mean heat, bars under a symbol mean gentler, and a cross means don't.
By Abu Bakar SaadatPublished 28 October 20265 min readPublisher: Saadat Rafiq
✓ Reviewed by Moaz Abdullah, BS Textile Engineering Technology · 29 October 2026
IllustrationAt a glance
- Order on the label
- Wash, bleach, dry, iron, professional care
- Tub number
- Maximum wash temperature in °C
- Bars under it
- One = gentle, two = very gentle (wool)
- Cross
- Don't use that treatment
- Standards
- ISO 3758:2023 (GINETEX), ASTM D5489 in the US
- Checked
- October 2026
Care symbols follow the international standard ISO 3758 (the current edition is from December 2023) and are always printed in the same order (GINETEX). Once you know the five shapes, the rest is small marks that change their meaning.
Which kind of label do you have?
Bought in Europe or the UK
The symbols follow ISO 3758, as described by GINETEX. Use the EU column in the ironing table.
Bought in the US
Labels may use the ASTM D5489 symbols instead, which are close but differ in a few details (FTC). Use the US column in the ironing table.
Words as well as symbols
If the label has words as well, follow the words.
How to read the label
Find the label and read the symbols left to right.
Illustration: the shapes are simplified, not the official symbols The label is usually in the left side seam or at the back of the neck. The symbols run in this order: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, professional care (GINETEX).
Two marks work on any of them: a cross means don't (GINETEX), and bars underneath mean gentler.
You should see: up to five shapes in a row: a tub, a triangle, a square, an iron and a circle.
Read the tub and set the washing machine.
Illustration The number in the tub is the highest temperature in °C (GINETEX). Set your machine to that number or lower. Then read the bars:
No bar: a normal cycle. One bar: a milder cycle with less mechanical action, like the synthetics programme (GINETEX). Two bars: a very mild cycle, for example for woollens (GINETEX).
A hand in the tub: hand wash, cold to warm (about 20 to 30 °C) or at most 40 °C, without rubbing, pulling or wringing (GINETEX). Crossed tub: don't wash.
US labels may use the ASTM symbols, whose wash chart runs from 30 °C up to 95 °C (University of Tennessee Extension).
You should see: the machine's temperature at or below the number in the tub, on the programme the bars ask for.
Read the triangle before you use any bleach.
Illustration Empty triangle: any bleach, chlorine or oxygen (GINETEX).
Triangle with two diagonal lines: oxygen bleach only, no chlorine.
Crossed triangle: no bleach; use a detergent without bleach.
You should see: a detergent that matches the triangle: no bleach at all if it is crossed out.
Read the square to choose how to dry it.
Illustration A circle in the square means tumble drying. The number of dots shows how much heat is allowed: more dots, more heat (GINETEX). GINETEX's reference points are 80 °C for a normal process and 60 °C for a mild one with reduced heat. A crossed one means don't tumble dry.
Lines in the square mean natural drying (GINETEX): a curved line at the top for a washing line, a horizontal line for drying flat, and vertical lines for drip drying (hang it up wet, without spinning). A diagonal line in the corner means dry it in the shade, for example silk.
You should see: the garment in the dryer on the right heat, or on a line, flat or dripping, as the lines say.
Read the dots in the iron and set the iron's temperature.
Illustration Dots in the iron give the highest soleplate temperature: see the ironing table for the EU and US values. A crossed iron means don't iron.
GINETEX says to follow the label rather than the fibre content, and to take care around printed or applied decorations.
You should see: the iron's dial set no higher than the number of dots allows.
Leave the circle to the dry cleaner, but check for a cross.
Illustration The circle is for the dry cleaner: the letters inside tell them which solvents and processes to use (GINETEX), and a bar underneath asks for a gentler process.
For you, the key mark is a crossed circle: the cleaner must not use that process. If you're unsure, show the label to the cleaner.
You should see: the label shown to the cleaner when you hand the garment over.
Iron temperatures: EU and US
| Dots | EU (GINETEX, ISO 3758) | US (ASTM chart) |
|---|---|---|
| One | Up to 120 °C; steam may cause damage | Low, up to 110 °C (230 °F) |
| Two | Up to 160 °C, steam allowed | Medium, up to 150 °C (300 °F) |
| Three | Up to 210 °C, for cotton and linen | High, up to 200 °C (390 °F) |
| Crossed iron | Don't iron | Don't iron |
How to tell you read it right
- You found all the symbols and read them in order: wash, bleach, dry, iron, professional care (GINETEX).
- The wash temperature is at or below the number in the tub, and the cycle matches the bars (GINETEX).
- Nothing with a cross over it was used: no bleach on a crossed triangle, no dryer on a crossed tumble-dry symbol.
- The iron is no hotter than the dots allow (see the ironing table).
- Where the label has words as well, you followed the words.
If something goes wrong
| What happens | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| There is no label, or it is unreadable | You have no maker's instructions | Wash cold on a gentle cycle and dry flat. Ask the shop or brand if it was expensive |
| Two labels disagree, for example words and symbols | One of them is more cautious | Follow the more cautious one |
| A US label looks slightly different from the EU symbols | It may use ASTM D5489, which differs in a few details (FTC) | Use the US column in the ironing table |
| The garment was damaged although you followed the label | The label may be wrong | Keep the label and receipt and go back to the seller. In the US the FTC enforces the Care Labeling Rule; in the EU and UK, faulty goods fall under consumer law |
Questions readers ask
What does the number in the washing tub mean?
On European labels it is the highest water temperature in °C, which must not be exceeded (GINETEX). A garment labelled 40 can be washed at 30 but not at 60.
What do the lines under the washing tub mean?
One bar means a gentler cycle with less movement, two bars a very gentle cycle, for example for wool (GINETEX). Pick your machine's synthetics or delicates or wool programme.
If a label says "Dry clean", can I wash it?
Possibly. US rules only require one safe method on the label, so "Dry clean" alone doesn't mean washing will harm it. "Dry clean only" is a warning that it can't be washed (FTC).
What does a cross over a symbol mean?
Don't do that treatment. GINETEX says a cross over any symbol means the treatment it shows must not be used.
Sources
We base our articles on the makers' official documentation.
- GINETEX: Care symbols (ISO 3758:2023)
- GINETEX: Care symbols (older detailed version with drying and ironing temperatures)
- GINETEX: Care labelling brochure (PDF)
- FTC: Clothes Captioning, Complying with the Care Labeling Rule (May 2014)
- University of Tennessee Extension: Care symbols, SP519 (ASTM D5489 chart, PDF)
