The Ultimate Guide to Laundry Care Label Symbols and Meanings

Drying Symbols

There are many ways to dry your clothes. And just like with water temperature, drying your clothes properly can be the difference between a shirt you wear again and one that ends up in the rag bin. Here are drying symbols to look out for on laundry care labels and what they mean. 

Air Drying Symbols Guide: 

• Square with three vertical lines — drip dry
• Square with two diagonal lines in the upper corner — dry in the shade
• Square with a crescent at the top — hang dry
• Square with a horizontal line through the middle — dry flat

Dryer Cycle Symbols Guide: 

• Square with a clear circle in the middle — tumble dry 
• Square with a black circle in the middle — no heat
• Square with a circle and a dot in the middle — low heat 
• Square with a circle and two dots in the middle — medium heat
• Square with a circle and three dots in the middle — high heat 
• Square with a circle, one dot in the middle, and a line underneath — permanent press
• Square with a circle, one dot in the middle, and two lines underneath — delicate 
• Square with a circle and an ‘X’ through it — do not tumble dry

Permanent Press Symbols Guide: 

• Square with a circle inside and a line underneath — permanent press: no heat
• Square with a circle inside a dot in the middle and a line underneath — permanent press: low heat
• Square with a circle inside, two dots in the middle, and a line underneath — permanent press: medium heat

Gentle Dryer Symbols Guide: 

• Square with a circle inside and two lines underneath — no heat
• Square with a circle inside, a dot in the middle, and two lines underneath — low heat
• Square with a circle inside, two dots in the middle, and two lines underneath — medium heat

Ironing Symbols 

If you’ve ever ironed a shirt only to realize you melted the sleeve, you know the importance of following ironing symbols on a laundry care label. Of course, if you don’t have time to iron, you can always use Truly Free Home Wrinkle and Static Remover to eliminate wrinkles in minutes. 

Ironing Symbols Guide: 

• Iron with a dot in the middle — low heat: 110°C or 230°F
• Iron with two dots in the middle — medium heat: 150°C or 300°F
• Iron with three dots in the middle — high heat: 200°C or 390°F
• Iron with an ‘X’ through it — do not iron
• Iron with lines at the bottom and an ‘X’ through it — no steam 

Dry Cleaning Symbols

There are certain fabrics that you simply shouldn’t wash at home. Here’s how to know if your clothing needs a trip to the dry cleaners. 

Dry Cleaning Symbols Guide:

• Clear circle — dry clean 
• Circle with an ‘X’ through it — do not dry clean 
• Circle with an ‘A,’ ‘P,’ or ‘F’ in the middle — indicates instructions for dry cleaners