Laundry Care Label Guide
What the symbols on your clothing tags mean, in plain English, and when to choose laundry or dry cleaning.
Every garment tag uses five basic shapes: a tub for washing, a triangle for bleach, a square for drying, an iron for ironing and a circle for dry cleaning. A cross through any shape means do not. Extra marks such as numbers, dots, bars and letters refine the instruction.
Rule of thumb: if the label says dry clean only, follow it. If it says machine wash, laundry is fine. If there is no label, judge by fabric, or ask us at the counter.
Read more
- How to read laundry care labels
- Dry cleaning vs laundry: which to choose
- Dry cleaning in Mira Road East
Care label FAQ
What does a circle on a clothing label mean?
A circle means the garment can be dry cleaned. A letter inside tells the dry cleaner which solvent type is suitable, and a cross through it means do not dry clean.
What does the number in the washing tub mean?
It is the maximum water temperature in degrees Celsius for washing that garment.
What do the dots on the iron symbol mean?
One dot is low heat, two dots is medium and three dots is high heat.
What should I do if my care label is missing?
Judge by fabric: cotton and denim usually suit laundry, while silk, wool and embellished or structured pieces are safer dry cleaned. Ask us if you are unsure.