Washing symbols
The wash tub icon tells you exactly how to wash the garment, with underscored lines indicating the recommended cycle and black dots representing wa...
Drying symbols
Laundry symbols will tell you not just how to wash, but also how to dry. First, determine whether the item should be air or tumble dried. The lines...
Ironing Symbols
With dryer innovations like Permanent Press and Whirlpool brand’s Wrinkle Shield™ option, ironing in modern life is practically unnecessary. But if...
Dry cleaning symbols
Despite how far we’ve come with home dryer technology, some garments are still best left to the professionals. A simple circle will tell you whethe...
What does the wash tub icon mean?
The wash tub icon tells you exactly how to wash the garment, with underscored lines indicating the recommended cycle and black dots representing water temperature. An X, of course, warns to not machine wash at all.
How to tell if an item is air dried?
First, determine whether the item should be air or tumble dried. The lines inside the square will tell you how an item should be air dried. (Surprisingly, there’s more than one way to do it.) If it can be tumble dried (dried in a dryer), the symbol will also tell you how.
What does "dry clean only" mean on a care label?
“Dry clean only” means just that – machine washing will damage the garment.
What is care labeling?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Care Labeling Rule requires clothing manufacturers and importers to provide regular care instructions through the use of care labels. These care instructions divide into six basic categories. They are washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, dry cleaning, and warnings. Instructions can be spelled out, as in “Machine ...
Why do we need garment care labels?
Whatever your preference, properly caring for clothing based on the manufacturer’s instructions ensures that garments look better and last longer. This will save you time and money.
