Housekeeping · 옷 관리

Read Clothing Care Labels in 6 Steps: Wash, Bleach, Dry and Iron

Decode five care-label symbol groups, temperatures, process bars and prohibition marks before washing.

AI-edited · Human admin approved

Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Mk2010 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 (unmodified) · CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗

Read the garment's actual label instead of guessing from fabric alone. GINETEX/ISO 3758 care signs cover washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional textile care. Label systems may differ by country or garment, so check written and maker instructions too. Use any bleach only as directed on its own label.

Your try-it-at-home checklist

0 / 6 done

1. Find the care label inside the garment. Read the symbols, written instructions and fabric composition. Enlarge a photograph of tiny print if needed.
2. A washtub indicates domestic washing. Numbers like 30 or 40 are maximum temperatures in °C, not mandatory settings. A hand means hand wash; a crossed-out tub means do not wash in water.
3. One line below the washtub means a milder process, and two lines a very mild one. Match the machine cycle and mechanical action to the label.
4. The triangle covers bleaching. An empty triangle permits bleaching; two diagonal strokes mean only oxygen/non-chlorine bleach; a crossed-out triangle prohibits it. Never mix bleach products; follow their separate safety labels.
5. A square indicates drying. A circle inside it means tumble drying; dots indicate permitted heat intensity. Crossed-out treatments are prohibited; lines within a square can indicate natural drying.
6. The iron and its dots indicate ironing temperature levels. A circle with letters describes professional textile care. If the label is unclear, ask the maker or a professional rather than trying uncertain treatment.

GINETEXGINETEX Care symbols — ISO 3758:2023 ↗Official description of washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, professional care symbols and their restrictions; copyrighted symbol chart not reproduced.Wikimedia CommonsLaundry symbols on a care label attached to a shirt.JPG ↗Mk2010 photograph with individually confirmed CC BY-SA 3.0 license and proper attribution.Wikimedia CommonsCommons: Reusing content outside Wikimedia — technical ↗Separate source-level permission for direct hotlinking; attribution and individual file terms still apply.

Your try-it-at-home checklist

Further reading

You may also like

Six steps to rotate—not flip—a Sealy Posturepedic mattress

Six steps to clean Andersen sliding patio-door tracks and rollers

Six steps to reduce kitchen-sponge cross-contamination