Making Sense Of Laundry Labels

Doing laundry can be stressful at the best of times, but misunderstanding laundry labels can not only add to the stress, but can also aid in ruining your clothes. The last thing you want to do is ruin an expensive wool sweater by boil washing it or burn a hole in your favourite silk dress with the iron. Here we will go through common logos and symbols you may come across on the laundry labels on your clothes, and fabric household items, and explain what they mean.

There are many different things you must take into consideration whilst doing laundry including wash type and temperature, bleaching instructions, drying type and temperature, ironing temperature and dry cleaning instructions.

Washing 

Temperature

Cold (≤30°C)              
Warm (≤40°C)                
Hot (≤50°C)                
Hot (≤60°C)                
Hot (≤70°C)                
Hot (≤95°C)

Type

    Normal

    Permanent Press

    Gentle/Delicate 

    Hand Wash

Do Not Wash

Please Note: Temperature and type logos may be combined as one. e.g. = Warm (≤40°C) Gentle/Delicate wash.

≤ = Equal to or less than.

Bleaching 

    Bleach As Needed (Any Commercially Available Bleach Can Be Used Safely)

    Non-Chlorine Bleach As Needed (Only A Non-Chlorine, Colour-Safe Bleach May Be Used)

Do Not Bleach 

Drying 

Temperature

Low Heat 

Medium Heat

High Heat 

No Heat

Type

 Tumble Dry, Normal

Tumble Dry, Permanent Press

Tumble Dry, Gentle/Delicate

 or  Do Not Dry/Tumble Dry (A Machine Dryer May Not Be Used. Usually Accompanied By An Alternate Drying Method Symbol)

   Line Dry

    Drip Dry

    Dry Flat

    Dry In Shade

 Do Not Wring
Please Note: Temperature and type logos may be combined as one. e.g. = Medium Heat, Permanent Press.

Ironing 

Temperature

Iron, Any Temperature , Steam Or Dry

Low (110°C)

Medium (150°C)

High (200°C)

Type

   Do Not Steam

Do Not Iron

Drycleaning 

      Dryclean

Do Not Dryclean

Please Note: The following symbols are intended for use by professional drycleaners but may be handy to know. 

  Any Solvent

  Petroleum Solvent Only

  Any Solvent Except Trichloroethylene

Short Cycle

Reduced Moisture 

  Low Heat

  No Steam