Laundry Symbols Guide: What Care Labels Mean
Those little symbols on the tag are a roadmap for keeping your clothes looking right. Once you know the five shapes and a couple of simple rules, any care label makes sense. Pick a symbol family below or search for the one you are looking at. When a label says dry clean only, or you are not sure what it wants, bring it to Model Cleaners, with GreenEarth eco-friendly cleaning, expert spotters, and 10 locations across Pittsburgh, Western PA, and Morgantown, WV.
This guide covers the care symbols used on garment labels in the United States. Brands draw them a little differently, so treat the label as your guide. When you are not sure what a symbol means, our team can read it for you.
Five shapes, five jobs
Tub washes, triangle bleaches, square dries, iron irons, circle is professional care.
Dots mean heat
More dots, more heat. Same rule for washing, drying, and ironing.
Bars mean be gentle
Lines under a symbol call for a gentler cycle. One bar is permanent press, two is delicate.
An X means never
A cross through any symbol means do not do that step at all.
Read left to right
Labels run in order: wash, bleach, dry, iron, then dry clean.
Tap a family to see every symbol, or search above.
No match. Try another word, or tap a family above.
Washing
The tub is the wash symbol. Dots inside tell you the water temperature, and more dots means hotter. Lines under the tub ask for a gentler cycle.
Machine wash
Machine wash, normal cycle.
Permanent press
Machine wash, permanent press cycle.
Delicate / gentle
Machine wash, gentle cycle.
Hand wash
Hand wash only.
Wash cold
Wash cool, around 65 to 85°F.
Wash warm
Wash warm, around 105°F.
Wash hot
Wash hot, around 120°F.
Not sure your machine can do what the tub is asking? Let us handle it. Model Cleaners cleans by the label so your clothes last longer.
Bleaching
The triangle is the bleach symbol. A plain triangle allows any bleach. Two lines inside mean non-chlorine, color-safe bleach only. A crossed-out triangle, found under Warnings, means no bleach at all.
Any bleach
Any bleach can be used when needed.
Non-chlorine only
Only non-chlorine, color-safe bleach when needed.
Bleach is easy to get wrong at home. Our spotters know which fabrics can take it and which cannot, so colors stay true.
Drying
The square is the dry symbol. A circle inside means tumble dry, and dots in the circle set the heat. Lines or shapes in a plain square tell you to air dry instead, by hanging, dripping, or laying flat.
Tumble dry
Tumble dry, normal cycle.
Permanent press
Tumble dry, permanent press cycle.
Delicate / gentle
Tumble dry, gentle cycle.
No heat / air
Tumble dry with no heat, air only.
Low heat
Tumble dry, low heat.
Medium heat
Tumble dry, medium heat.
High heat
Tumble dry, high heat.
Line dry
Hang to dry, or line dry.
Drip dry
Hang dripping wet to dry.
Dry flat
Lay flat to dry.
Dry in the shade
Dry in the shade. Added to a hang, drip, or flat symbol.
Most shrinking and fading happens in the dryer. Bring delicate pieces to us and they come back the right size and shape.
Ironing
The iron symbol shows the heat setting with dots. More dots, more heat. The right setting depends on the fabric, so match the dots to your iron before you press.
Iron
Iron at any temperature, with or without steam.
Iron low
Iron low, up to about 230°F. For acetate, acrylic, nylon, and spandex.
Iron medium
Iron medium, up to about 300°F. For polyester, silk, and wool.
Iron high
Iron high, up to about 390°F. For cotton and linen.
One wrong setting can scorch a shirt. Our pressing finishes shirts and suits sharp, with no shine marks and no guesswork.
Dry Cleaning
The circle means professional dry cleaning. The letter inside tells the cleaner which solvent to use, so you do not have to. A plain circle means dry clean, and any letter is a note for us.
Dry clean
Dry clean. A professional will choose the method.
Any solvent
Dry clean with any solvent.
Solvent except trichloroethylene
Dry clean with any solvent except trichloroethylene. The most common dry clean symbol.
Petroleum solvent only
Dry clean with petroleum solvent only.
A circle means leave it to a professional. Model Cleaners reads the solvent letter and cleans it the right way with GreenEarth, gentle on fabric and color.
Warnings & Do-Not
A cross through any symbol means never do that step. These are the ones to watch for. When you see an X you are unsure about, the safest move is to bring the garment to us.
Do not wash
Do not wash. Usually needs professional cleaning.
Bring it inDo not wring
Do not wring or twist to remove water.
Do not bleach
Do not use any bleach.
Do not tumble dry
Do not put it in the dryer.
Do not dry
Do not dry. Shown with do not wash.
Do not iron
Do not iron.
No steam
Ironing is fine, but do not use steam.
Do not dry clean
Do not dry clean.
A do-not symbol usually means the garment needs special handling. Point it out to us and our spotters will choose a safe method so nothing gets ruined.
When the label gets complicated
Dry clean only, delicate fabrics, and the do-not symbols all call for a professional. Model Cleaners has cared for the Pittsburgh area since 1986. Learn more about our dry cleaning.
GreenEarth Cleaning
Non-toxic, gentle on delicate fabrics.
Expert Spotters
Trained to read the label and the fabric.
RFID Tracking
Every garment tracked, never lost.
10 Locations
Across Pittsburgh, Western PA, and Morgantown.
Care Label Questions
Where do I find the care label on my clothes?
It is usually sewn into a side seam, the back of the collar, or the bottom hem. Care labels are meant to stay attached and readable for the life of the garment, so check those spots before you wash anything new.
What does an X over a care symbol mean?
A cross through any symbol means never do that step. An X over the wash tub usually means the item needs professional cleaning instead of the washing machine. If you see an X you are unsure about, bring the garment to Model Cleaners and we will read the label for you.
What do the dots inside a symbol mean?
Dots stand for heat or temperature. The more dots, the hotter the setting. One dot is the coolest, three dots is the hottest. This works the same way inside the wash tub, the dryer symbol, and the iron.
What do the bars or lines under a symbol mean?
Lines under a symbol mean handle it more gently. One bar means the permanent press cycle. Two bars mean the delicate or gentle cycle. The more bars, the gentler the garment needs to be treated.
My label says dry clean only. Can Model Cleaners handle it?
Yes. Dry clean only is exactly what we do. Model Cleaners has cared for the Pittsburgh area since 1986 with GreenEarth eco-friendly cleaning and expert spotters. You can drop it off at any of our 10 locations or schedule a pickup through our Elite Pickup and Delivery Club.
What if my garment has no care label?
Bring it in and tell us what the fabric is and what it has been through. Our spotters will look at the material and choose a safe method. When a label is missing, professional judgment is the safest path.
Let us read the label for you
Schedule a pickup and leave it at your door, or stop by any Model Cleaners location. We clean by the label so your clothes look right and last longer.