45+ UK Laundry Symbols Explained To Make Washing Easier

Take the guesswork out of washing your clothes with this handy illustrated guide to UK laundry symbols. With over 45 washing symbols decoded, you’ll never ruin an item of clothing again!

When people talk about sustainable fashion, most people automatically assume that means shopping from ethical brands. In reality, making your wardrobe more sustainable is more about wearing the clothes you already own over and over again than shopping for new clothing.

Laundry should be central to any discussion on sustainable fashion because how we wash our clothes goes a long way in determining how long they last.

The way we wash, dry, and care for our clothes can either extend their lifespan or shorten it dramatically. A jumper that lasts five years instead of one doesn’t just save money; it reduces demand for new fibres, new dyes, and all the resources that go into producing them.

However, I’m the first to admit that doing laundry is not a particularly fun chore. I minimise the amount of laundry I need to do by knowing how often I should wash my clothes. Even so, it is always tempting to put dirty washing on a standard wash cycle without reading the care labels and laundry symbols. Yet doing so can be damaging to our clothes.

It’s also one of the easiest habits to fall into because modern washing machines make everything feel simple and automatic. With a daily wash cycle, they make you feel that you can put everything in on one wash. Unfortunately, clothes aren’t one-size-fits-all, even if the machines sometimes pretend they are.

Washing our clothes correctly is easier said than done, though. With over 45 laundry care symbols on UK clothes labels, it can get confusing.

Let me take the guesswork out of laundry day with this straightforward guide to laundry symbols:

UK Laundry Symbols Guide

Moral Fibres Substack subscribers have access to a printable version of this guide that you can print out and keep near your washing machine. It’s great to reach for when you’re washing something new for the first time, dealing with vintage or charity shop finds, or caring for wool and synthetics. So do consider joining me there!

Machine Washing Symbols

These UK laundry symbols mean an item is (or is not) suitable for machine washing:

• Tub of water – The item is machine washable and can be spun and rinsed as normal.
• Tub of water with a cross through it – Do not machine wash this item.
• Tub of water with one line under it – This item is machine washable, but only on a permanent press wash cycle. On most modern machines, a permanent press cycle uses gentler agitation and a slower spin, which helps reduce creasing and fibre stress. It’s most commonly used on synthetic fibres.
• Tub of water with two lines under it – This item is machine washable, but should be washed on a delicate wash. A delicate wash uses less friction, which helps prevent thinning fabric, stretched seams, and premature wear.

Laundry Temperature Symbols

These laundry symbols may look complicated – particularly if the label uses the dot system rather than temperature. However, they simply refer to the temperature that your washing machine’s cycle should not exceed.

In most cases, they refer to the maximum temperature the clothes should be washed at – not the temperature the item should be washed at. Washing at lower temperatures is kinder to clothes, making them last longer. It also uses significantly less energy, making this one of the easiest ways to reduce the environmental impact of your laundry routine.

• Tub of water with 30°C or a single dot – Do not wash the item at a temperature greater than 30°C or 80°F.
• Tub of water with 40°C or two dots – Do not wash the item at a temperature greater than 40°C or 100°F.
• Tub of water with 50°C or three dots – Do not wash the item at a temperature greater than 50°C or 120°F.
• Tub of water with 60°C or four dots – Do not wash the item at a temperature greater than 60°C or 140°F.
• Tub of water with 70°C or five dots – Do not wash the item at a temperature greater than 70°C or 160°F.
• Tub of water with 95°C or six dots – Do not wash the item at a temperature greater than 95°C or 200°F.

Bleach Symbols

Due to the shape of the bleaching symbol, most people confuse these UK laundry symbols with ironing care guides. Just remember that when you see a triangle, think bleach, not iron!

These symbols refer to the use of chlorine bleach, rather than oxygen bleach. I prefer to use oxygen bleach (which can be used, despite the presence of this symbol). This is because skipping chlorine bleach altogether, where possible, is often the gentlest option, as bleaching agents are acidic and can weaken fibres and cause fabrics to break down faster over time.

• Outline of a triangle – The item can be bleached with any type of bleach.
• Crossed out outline of a triangle – The item should not be bleached.
• Crossed out outline of a triangle with the letters CL inside – The item should only be bleached with non-chlorinated bleach.
• Triangle with two diagonal lines inside – Again, non-chlorinated bleach should be used if bleach is needed. This symbol is sometimes used in place of the previous symbol.

Handwashing Symbols

Hand washing comes complete with its own small set of laundry care instructions to follow.

• Hand in water – The item should be washed gently by hand at 40°C or 104°F or less.
• Twisted fabric with a cross-through – The garment should not be wrung out. Instead, try pressing the water out gently with a towel helps your garment to keep its shape and avoids stressing seams.

Dry Cleaning Symbols

The main dry cleaning laundry symbols you need to pay attention to in the UK are the dry clean only and do not dry clean symbols. The other labels are specific instructions to the dry cleaner regarding which method of dry cleaning to use.

You can dry clean at home. However, if it’s a particularly precious item of clothing, it is always best to use a professional. That being said, dry cleaning chemicals can be tough on fabrics over time, so even dry-clean-only items benefit from being cleaned less frequently where possible.

• Circle – The item should be dry-cleaned only.
• Circle with a cross-through – The item should not be dry-cleaned.
• Circle With The Letter A In It – This item should be dry cleaned using any dry cleaning solvent.
• Circle With The Letter F In It – The item should be dry cleaned using petroleum-based solvents only.
• Circle With The Letter P In It – This item should be dry cleaned using any solvent except Trichloroethylene.
• Circle With The Letter W In It – The item should be professionally wet cleaned only.
• Black Circle With Black Cross Through It – The item should not be wet cleaned.

Tumble Drying Symbols

I think the tumble dry laundry symbols can be some of the most complicated to understand in the UK. Most of the care symbols relate to the heat or cycle of your tumble dryer. Once you understand the system, you’ll never shrink another item of clothing again!

Tumble dryers are also one of the most energy-intensive appliances in the home, which makes understanding these symbols useful for both your clothes and your electricity bill.

• Square with a circle inside it – The item can be tumble-dried.
• Square with a crossed-out circle inside it – The item cannot be tumble-dried.
• Square with a circle inside it, containing one dot – The item should be tumble-dried on a low heat setting.
• Square with a circle inside it, containing two dots – The item should be tumble-dried on a medium heat setting.
• Square with a circle inside it, containing three dots – The item should be tumble-dried on a high heat setting.
• Square with a blacked-out circle inside it – The item should be tumble-dried with no heat.
• Square with a circle inside it, and one line underneath – The item should be tumble-dried on a permanent press setting only.
• Square with a circle inside it, and two lines underneath – the item should be tumble-dried on a delicate setting.

Air Drying Symbols

Air drying is one of the simplest ways to reduce wear and tear on clothes, while also cutting energy use to almost zero.

Most clothes don’t have air drying symbols on the care label, as it is the default method of drying clothes. If an item of clothing has a label on it that you’ve never seen before, then chances are it’s an air-drying symbol. Here’s all you need to know:

• Outline of a square – The item can be air-dried.
• Outline of a square with a curved line at the top – The item can be hung to dry on a washing line.
• Outline of a square with three vertical lines inside – The item should be drip-dried on a clothes horse or drying rack.
• Outline of a square with one horizontal line inside – The item should be dried flat to ensure it keeps its shape.
• Outline of a square with two diagonal lines at the top left corner – The item should be dried in the shade, as sunlight may lighten the fabric.

Ironing Symbols

I’m averse to ironing. It’s something I try to avoid at all costs! That being said, some items of clothing like to wrinkle up if you as much as look at them. To avoid damaging clothes when you iron them, acquaint yourself with these UK laundry symbols that relate to ironing:

• Outline of an iron – The item can be ironed at any temperature, and steam can be used.
• Crossed-out outline of an iron – The item should not be ironed.
• Outline of an iron, with a cross through steam lines – The item can be ironed at any temperature, but no steam should be used.
• Outline of an iron containing one dot – The item can be ironed at no more than 110°C or 230°F.
• Outline of an iron containing two dots – The item can be ironed at no more than 150°C or 300°F.
• Outline of an iron containing three dots – The item can be ironed at no more than 200°C or 390°F.

The Impact Of Fast Fashion

Putting our feet on the brakes of fast fashion, by caring for our clothes the right way, is incredibly important when it comes to sustainability.

Globally, the fashion industry is, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), responsible for up to 8% of all greenhouse gas emissions. It may not sound like a lot, but fashion also has other impacts.

Again, according to UNEP, textile dyeing is the second-largest polluter of water in the world. Meanwhile, UNEP says it takes nearly 10,000 litres of water to make a typical pair of jeans.

The simple act of washing our clothes according to the manufacturer’s care label can help to make our clothes look better for longer. Preventing damage to our clothes – either through shrinkage, fading, or losing shape – means we can continue to wear our favourite clothes for longer, and minimise our environmental footprint.

More Handy Laundry Resources

Confused by any other washing instructions? Here’s what the term ‘wash with like colours’ means and here’s how to wash striped clothing, to help avoid making any other laundry missteps!

And looking for more ways to prolong the life of your wardrobe? Try my big guide on the easy ways to make your clothes last longer.