What do the symbols on a care label mean?

The most common symbols on garment care labels indicate how to wash, bleach, dry and iron an item of clothing. Each of these symbols has several variations for more specific care instructions.

A cup-shaped symbol with water in it refers to how to wash the garment. Additional dots and lines explain the water temperature and cycle setting. The symbol for bleach is typically a triangle. A square with a circle inside indicates the drying instructions. As with the washing instructions, dots and lines add further directions. The profile of an iron describes how best to iron an item.

If, for example, the bleach symbol has an "x" through it, do not bleach the clothing. The same is true for all the symbols.