We've all been there - pulling a much-treasured item from the washing machine only to discover it's now the perfect size to fit the cat. Lucky Mittens. Fortunately, keeping your fabrics in tip-top condition is easy as long as you check the care label first. And while these puzzling squiggles and dots may have your head in a spin, we've got them explained to make your life easier!
The purpose of laundry symbols is to give you instructions on how to wash and dry your garments, while also providing additional pointers on things like bleaching and ironing. In general, the 'tub of water' icon informs you how to wash the item, the square with a circle inside refers to tumble drying, the circle on its own is for dry cleaning, the triangle is for bleaching and the iron tells you what temperature is safest to prevent sizzling a hole in your bed linen.
Regular machine wash
hand wash
do not wash
cold wash
wash up to 30º
wash up to 40º
wash up to 60º
wash up to 95º
use bleach if needed
do not bleach
tumble dry low heat
tumble dry high heat
tumble dry no heat
do not tumble dry
dry clean
do not dry clean
cool iron
hot iron
do not steam
do not iron
To help you see at a glance what's what, we’ve created a helpful downloadable washing symbols guide that explains the meaning of each icon. Print it, share it, frame it, gaze at it adoringly and thank your lucky stars the cat won't be getting any more hand-me-downs. Sorry Mittens.
We hope this helps wash away your fears and irons out any doubts but do get in touch if you have a laundry query or tips to share… we love a good laundry natter!
