Laundry symbols guide    

Have you ever picked up an item of clothing, glanced at the label and found yourself puzzled by all those symbols? It can be difficult to understand what they mean. However, they actually provide valuable information about your garments and how best to care for them.

Understanding what these cryptic symbols mean can help you keep your clothes in top condition. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered with our comprehensive laundry symbols guide.

What are the standard laundry care symbols?

There are five basic international laundry care symbols that you’ll find on your clothes:

  1. Washtubs offer washing advice for your clothes.
  2. Triangles provide advice on bleaching your clothes.
  3. Irons tell you how to iron your garments.
  4. Circles provide dry cleaning
  5. Squares inform you of the drying methods you can use.

Whatever care label you look at around the world, laundry symbols will be presented in the same order as above.

What do laundry symbols mean?  

While there are five standard types of laundry symbols, each has multiple variations. These variations offer additional information about how to care for your clothes and prevent damage. They cover aspects like temperature, washing machine settings, chemicals that can be used and drying techniques.

We’ve broken down what each symbol means so that you’ll be better equipped to keep your clothes fresh and well-maintained.

Machine washing symbols

When you look at the care labels on your clothes, you’ll often see symbols that resemble washtubs filled with water. These symbols offer advice on machine washing your garments and the water temperature you should use. Let’s break it down:

  • Clear washtub: Clothes are machine washable.
  • Washtub with 30°C (or one dot): Clothes can be machine washed in cold water.
  • Washtub with 40°C (or two dots): Clothes can be machine washed in warm water.
  • Washtub with 60°C (or three dots): Clothes can be machine washed in hot water.

 You may also see lines underneath the washtub symbols. These tell you if the garments need to be washed on a specific cycle:

  • Washtub with one line: Use a permanent press cycle (often for synthetic fabrics).
  • Washtub with two lines: Use a gentle cycle (often for delicate fabrics).

Hand-washing symbols

Some symbols provide information on hand-washing clothes. Two of these use the washtub symbol, while the other looks like a piece of twisted fabric.

  • Washtub with a hand: Clothes should be hand-washed only (do not machine wash).
  • Washtub with a cross: Do not machine wash or hand wash. Instead, the clothes require dry cleaning (more information below).
  • Twisted fabric: Do not wring out the clothes after washing.

Dry cleaning symbols

When it comes to maintaining your wardrobe, some fabrics require a little extra care. Silk, suede and wool, among others, fall into this category. Dry cleaning can significantly enhance the appearance and quality of these garments. To help you navigate the world of dry cleaning, keep an eye out for the following symbols on your clothing labels:

  • Clear circle: The item of clothing must be dry-cleaned.
  • Circle with a cross: The item of clothing must never be dry-cleaned.

Sometimes, you’ll find one of three letters (A, P, or F) inside the circle. These letters guide the dry-cleaning professional regarding the appropriate chemical or solvent to use.

Machine drying symbols

When you encounter a square laundry symbol, it provides instructions specifically related to drying. Square symbols with a circle within them offer guidance on tumble drying.

It’s essential that you get to grips with machine drying symbols – tossing the wrong clothes into your tumble dryer can cause shrinking. Pay attention to the dots inside the square and circle:

  • One dot: You can tumble dry on a cold temperature setting.
  • Two dots: You can tumble dry on a medium temperature setting.
  • Three dots: You can tumble dry on a high temperature setting.
  • No dots: Do not tumble dry; ignoring this can compromise your clothes.

Additionally, you might spot lines underneath the square. These illustrate what settings you should use when you tumble dry. One line indicates that you should use a permanent press cycle, while two lines indicate that you should use a gentle cycle.

Air drying symbols

Square symbols that don’t include a circle are there to inform you that clothes should be air-dried. There are four symbols that you could see, each giving slightly different instructions on how to air dry:

  • Square with one horizontal line: Clothes should be laid flat to dry.
  • Square with two diagonal lines: Clothes should be dried in the shade.
  • Square with three vertical lines: Clothes should be drip-dried.
  • Square with one drooping line: Clothes should be hang-dried.

Ironing and steaming symbols

Ironing symbols are quite straightforward to follow, telling you whether your clothes can be ironed (and at what temperature). There are five to look out for: 

  • Iron with one dot: You can iron at a low temperature (up to 110°C). This symbol is usually found on delicates, including wool and silk.
  • Iron with two dots: You can iron at a medium temperature (up to 150°C). This symbol is usually found on synthetic materials, including polyester.
  • Iron with three dots: You can iron at a high temperature (up to 200°C). This symbol is usually found on linen and cotton.
  • Iron with no dots: You can iron at any temperature.
  • Iron with a cross: Don’t iron the garment; ignoring this can damage your clothes.

There are also two symbols providing specific instructions for steaming your garments:

  • Iron symbol with bursts of steam: You can safely steam your clothes.
  • Iron symbol with a cross over bursts of steam: Avoid steaming, as it may cause damage.

Bleaching symbols

Three symbols provide bleaching advice for washing clothes, each represented by a triangle:

  • Plain triangle: You can bleach the item of clothing when needed.
  • Triangle with a cross: Do not bleach the item of clothing.
  • Triangle with two lines: You can bleach the item of clothing, but only with non-chlorine bleach.

Paying attention to these symbols is essential, as using bleach on specific fabrics can cause damage.

Shop AEG’s range of washing machines and tumble dryers

When it comes to caring for your clothes, AEG offers a diverse range of washing machines and tumble dryers equipped with innovative features.

Our 6000 series washing machines are designed for energy efficiency. Thanks to ProSense technology, they automatically adjust the cycle duration and water usage based on the load size. If you’re looking to neutralise odours and refresh your clothes, consider our 7000 series models. These washing machines feature ProSteam technology, which efficiently removes unwanted smells and reduces creases.

We also offer a variety of tumble dryers to suit your preferences. Whether you prefer heat pump or condenser dryers, we’ve got you covered.

Our 8000 series tumble dryers come equipped with the AbsoluteCare system. This innovative feature uses precise drum movements and temperatures to ensure clothes don’t shrink during drying. For the ultimate in precision drying, explore our 9000 series range. These tumble dryers feature 3DScan Technology, which uses a humidity sensor to adjust drying settings accurately.