The Complete Garment Care
Symbol Guide
Understand every symbol on your clothing label — washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and professional cleaning — so your clothes last longer.
What Are Care Labels?
Every garment sold in India must carry a care label listing the safe washing, drying, and ironing methods for that specific fabric. The symbols follow the international standard BS EN ISO 3758:2012.
Reading them correctly protects your clothes — wrong wash temperatures can shrink wool, high heat can melt synthetic fibres, and chlorine bleach can destroy coloured garments.
At DrycleanEx, every garment we receive is assessed against its care label before we choose the correct cleaning process.
5 Categories of Care Symbols
Care labels always appear in the same order:
1. Washing — machine or hand wash temperatures
2. Bleaching — whether bleach is safe
3. Drying — tumble, line, flat, shade
4. Ironing — temperature and steam
5. Professional Cleaning — dry clean solvents
A cross (✕) over any symbol means DO NOT perform that action.
1 · Washing Symbols
The washtub symbol indicates machine or hand washing. The number inside shows the maximum temperature in °C. Bars beneath the tub indicate gentler mechanical action — one bar = gentle, two bars = very gentle.
Symbol basis: BS EN ISO 3758:2012 — tub shape, temperature figure, underline count
2 · Bleaching Symbols
The triangle symbol indicates whether bleaching is permitted and which type. Chlorine bleach is the most aggressive; it can destroy colour and fibre. Oxygen/non-chlorine bleach (colour-safe) is gentler and safe for most coloured items.
Never use chlorine bleach on coloured fabrics, silk, wool, or any item marked with lines inside the triangle.
3 · Drying Symbols
Drying symbols show how to dry after washing. A square with a circle inside = tumble dryer. A plain square with marks inside = natural/flat drying. Dots inside the tumble dryer circle indicate heat level — one dot = low heat, two dots = normal heat.
Incorrect drying causes more damage than incorrect washing for many fabrics, particularly wool and down.
4 · Ironing Symbols
The iron symbol with dots inside indicates maximum temperature. One dot = cool (110°C), two dots = warm (150°C), three dots = hot (200°C). Steam lines below the iron base indicate whether steam is permitted.
Always check the dots — ironing synthetic fabric at high heat melts the fibres and cannot be reversed.
5 · Professional Cleaning Symbols
The circle symbol indicates professional dry cleaning. The letter inside specifies the solvent type: P = tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), F = hydrocarbon. A bar beneath the circle indicates a milder / more sensitive process required.
Always mention care label symbols when dropping off garments — the solvent choice protects your fabric.
Additional Care Instructions
Label Wording Explained
Beyond the symbols, care labels often include written instructions. Here are the most common phrases and what they mean.
- Do not soak — soaking causes dye bleeding or shape distortion
- Do not wring — twisting damages weave structure
- Wash dark colours separately — prevents dye transfer
- Wash with similar colours — prevents colour bleed
- Turn inside out before cleaning — protects surface finish
- Use mild detergent — strong enzymes damage delicate fibres
- Do not use biological detergent — enzymes damage protein fibres (wool, silk)
- Wash on wool cycle — specific low-agitation cycle
- Wash on delicate cycle — minimum mechanical action
- Place in a mesh laundry bag — protects embellishments and hooks
- Do not spin — high RPM damages structure
- Wash before use — remove manufacturing residues
- Dry away from direct sunlight — prevents UV fading
- Dry away from direct heat — prevents heat damage and shrinkage
- Do not line dry — hanging causes stretching
- Reshape whilst damp — restore shape before drying
- Dry inside out — prevents surface fading
- Dry on a hanger — maintain structure during drying
- Dry flat — lay horizontal to prevent stretch
- Dry thoroughly — especially important for down fill
- Low temperature tumble dry recommended — protects synthetics
- Tumble dry with 3 washing balls — restores down loft
- Iron on reverse side — protects surface finish or print
- Do not steam — steam can mark or shrink certain fabrics
- Iron whilst damp — easier to remove creases
- Do not iron print — heat melts ink or transfers
- Do not iron motif — protects decorative elements
- Do not iron embellishment — beads, sequins melt under heat
- Do not iron faux fur — heat melts synthetic pile permanently
- Iron print on reverse side — use a pressing cloth
- Do not iron pleats — heat sets permanent creases
- Steam iron recommended — steam helps relax fibres
- Professional leather clean only — water damages leather
- Specialist dry clean with green earth solution — eco-solvent
- Specialist dry clean with siloxane solution — ultra-delicate process
Fabric Quick Reference
Care by Fabric Type
Not sure which symbols apply to your garment? Use this quick-reference guide by fabric.
| Fabric | Max Wash Temp | Bleach | Dry | Iron | Dry Clean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton (white) | 95°C | Any bleach | Tumble normal | Hot 200°C | P or F |
| Cotton (coloured) | 40–60°C | Oxygen only | Tumble or line | Warm 150°C | P |
| Wool / Cashmere | 30°C gentle | Do not bleach | Dry flat | Cool 110°C | P or F |
| Silk | Hand wash 30°C | Do not bleach | Line / shade | Cool 110°C | F mild |
| Polyester | 40–50°C gentle | Oxygen only | Tumble low | Cool 110°C | P |
| Viscose / Rayon | 30–40°C gentle | Do not bleach | Line dry | Cool damp | P |
| Linen | 40–60°C | Oxygen only | Line dry | Hot 200°C damp | P |
| Elastane / Lycra | 30°C gentle | Do not bleach | Do not tumble | Do not iron | Do not |
| Down / Feather fill | 40°C | Do not bleach | Tumble low + balls | Do not iron | F |
| Leather / Suede | Do not wash | Do not bleach | Line / shade | Do not iron | F specialist |
Let the Experts Handle It for You
Not sure about your garment's care label? Book a free pickup — our team reads every label before choosing the right process.
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