Does your head spin as soon as you look at the tag on your clothes with drying, washing, and ironing symbols that you have no idea about? Well, you are not alone. Not all types of fabrics and clothing articles can be washed in the same way, and this is why manufacturer make sure to put the correct symbol on their tags to help laundry pickup and delivery services take care of them the right way. Today, let’s take a look at some basic symbols and their meaning so you can extend the life of your garments and enjoy wearing them for years to come.

Dry-Cleaning Symbols

• If your clothing item’s care label has a small circle, it means that you must dry-clean this item.
• You might also notice a particular letter inside the circle; that letter indicates what type of chemical the dry cleaner should use to wash that clothing item.
• The more bars under the circle, the more precautions the dry cleaner must take when handling that fabric or item.
• If your care label has a circle and then a cross over that circle, do not dry clean the item, as this may harm the fabric. Instead, use gentle handwashing.

Ironing Symbols

• If your care label has a small iron on it with no dots, it means that the article is suitable for ironing at all temperatures.
• The more dots the iron symbol has, the higher the temperature allowed. For example, one dot means using low temperature and is found on garments with delicate fabrics such as silk or wool. Two dots mean synthetic fabrics and medium-level temperature, and three dots mean linen or cotton, and high-temperature ironing will be fine.
• If there is an iron symbol with a cross on it, this means you should not iron it at all.
• If there is an iron symbol with steam lines, this means that you can safely steam iron the garment.

Drying Symbols

• A symbol with a circle inside a square means that it is safe to tumble dry the garment.
• One black dot in the circle means tumble drying on a low temperature is suitable. Two black dots in the circle mean tumble drying at medium temperature is suitable, and three black dots in the circle mean tumble drying at high temperature is suitable.
• A symbol with a circle inside the square and a cross over it means that you cannot tumble dry the garment.

Final Thoughts

The symbols mentioned above are some of the most common and basic ones that you must know about to take care of your garments the right way. Knowing how to wash, iron, and dry specific fabrics according to their care symbols will help you extend their life and maintain their freshness and color and the quality of the fabric. If you need more guidance about care symbols or require same-day laundry services, consider contacting Bubbles Laundry. We know how to care for every fabric the right way. Let us give your clothing and specialty items the care and love they deserve.