When using laundry equipment, it’s important to pay attention to the care labels attached to clothing and other fabric. These symbols show how best to clean the material without risking damage. Since the symbols don’t usually come with written instructions, you must rely on what the pictogram seems to say.
However, not all symbols are common and easy to decipher on the go. If you’re stuck trying to make sense of laundry symbols, our guide will help you handle your favorite items with the care they deserve.
Generally, care labels display a tub icon full of water, indicating that you can proceed to machine-wash the fabric. If the tub symbol is crossed out with an X, you can’t wash the fabric. A tub icon with a hand inside means you can only hand-wash the fabric. However, some modern washing machines have hand-washing settings that may be equivalent to traditional hand-washing.
These are washing symbols that indicate recommended wash cycles:
These symbols help you determine the proper water temperature for washing. Sometimes the tub symbol has one or more dots inside but no specific numbers beside it — in this case, the more dots there are, the higher the washing temperature and vice versa. If a specific number is present, like 30, that means you can wash it in water up to but not exceeding that temperature.
While a washtub icon represents washing, a square represents drying and will guide you through the various dryer settings for a safe and efficient drying process. Like fabric washing symbols, drying symbols tell you when and how to machine-dry and when not to use a dryer.
Here are general symbols for drying laundry:
Since a circle inside a square means you can tumble dry, one or more dots inside the circle indicate heat requirements. If the square has a shaded circle, you can only air dry the fabric inside the dryer without using heat. Other dots indicate:
In a washing symbols chart, dry cleaning icons are simply circles with various symbols for additional information, such as letters for the required professional cleaning method.
Ironing is a crucial part of a laundry routine, helping you prepare neat garments by removing creases. Some fabrics can handle heat better than others, and understanding the ironing symbols could help preserve your items. Ironing symbols are easy to identify, as they all feature a rough iron icon with minor differences for further detail. Remember that these symbols stand for ironing and not pressing, as the terms refer to different processes. Here are common ironing symbols:
Since the care label may not display the exact temperature setting, it’s important to know how the low, medium and high heat settings translate on the temperature scale to ensure proper ironing.
Bleaching is convenient when used correctly since there are different approaches, such as chlorine and oxygen. Laundry care symbols representing bleaching are triangles that can guide you through the requirements for particular fabrics:
Modern commercial washing machines are easy to use and accommodate the various laundry symbols your customers may find on their clothing. By upgrading your laundry equipment, you offer your tenants, students or other customers the convenience of modern technology including clear symbols and updated payment systems. An upgrade means reliable and high-tech equipment, increased usage and a high return on investment for your business.
Efficient laundry services begin with selecting laundry equipment your customers can rely on. With the advancements in laundry systems, it can be tough to navigate the market. Caldwell & Gregory can be your partner through the process. Our experts provide laundry solutions designed to meet your commercial needs.
Updating your facility with our commercial laundry equipment has many benefits, such as 24/7 customer support and dedicated preventive maintenance plans to help extend your equipment’s longevity and efficiency. Contact our laundry experts for reliable solutions!
