Understanding Clothing Care Labels

FASHION · GLOBAL

Understanding Clothing Care Labels

What the symbols mean, temperature and drying, dry clean only and composition

Care labels are a standardised language, and five symbols cover almost everything you need to know.

The five symbols

A tub means washing, with a number for the maximum temperature and bars underneath indicating a gentler cycle. A triangle means bleaching. A square means drying, with a circle inside for tumble drying and dots for heat.

An iron shows the maximum temperature in dots. A circle means professional cleaning, with letters indicating the solvent the cleaner should use.

A cross through any symbol means do not.

Temperature

The number is a maximum rather than a recommendation. Thirty degrees is enough for most everyday laundry and uses considerably less energy, and sixty periodically for towels, bedding and anything soiled.

Drying

Heat is what shrinks cotton, destroys elastane and cracks prints. One dot means low heat and two means normal. A square with a line means dry flat, which matters for knitwear that stretches under its own weight.

Dry clean only

Sometimes a genuine requirement — structured tailoring, some silks, anything with fusible interlining — and sometimes a manufacturer being cautious. Test a hidden area if you intend to ignore it, and accept the risk.

Composition matters as much

Wool and silk are protein fibres and are damaged by biological detergents. Viscose is weak when wet. Elastane degrades with heat.

Detergent and dosing

Most people use too much, which leaves residue that irritates skin and stiffens fabric. Follow the dose for your water hardness and load size, and use less in soft water areas.

Non-biological detergent for wool, silk and sensitive skin, since enzymes attack protein fibres.

Sorting

By colour, by fabric weight and by how dirty things are. Washing a heavy towel with a fine top damages the top and leaves the towel barely cleaned.

Machine care

Clean the filter, leave the door ajar and run a hot maintenance wash monthly, which prevents the smell people blame on detergent.

Drying

Air drying indoors adds moisture to a room, so ventilate or use a dehumidifier to avoid damp and mould. Outdoors is free and kills some bacteria through sunlight.

Knitwear dried flat keeps its shape; hung wet it stretches permanently.

Stains

Treat promptly, cold water for protein stains such as blood, milk and egg, since heat sets them. Test any stain remover on a hidden area first.

Do not tumble dry anything still stained, which makes the mark permanent.

Check the label before the first wash rather than after it.

Washing less

Airing, spot cleaning and brushing extend garments considerably, since most clothes are worn out by laundering rather than by wearing.

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