Identification marks for washing. What do the icons on a clothing tag mean?

We all want to look good and when buying new clothes we want them to always look fresh and clean. Therefore, such clothing care as washing is an integral procedure. But the fabrics of different wardrobe items are also different and therefore require different washing programs. But clothing manufacturers know how to wash their product and have shared this information with us.

Each item has washing instructions in the form of icons. Surely each of us has seen them, but not everyone knows what they mean. By the way, following these recommendations ensures that the clothes will last as long as possible. That is why we decided to write this article where we will look at the icons on clothes and learn how to wash things in accordance with them.

If you neglect the marks on your clothes and, for example, wash a woolen item in hot water, then it will certainly shrink in size. What to do if the size of clothes decreases after washing, how to return woolen items to their original size, read the article located at the link above.

Where are the laundry icons on clothes?

In order to find the symbols for washing an item, you need to know what the label on which they are located looks like. It consists of a small fabric tag on which the designations are located. At the same time, on the label you will also find the size of the item, its composition and manufacturer.

The label is usually located on the inner seams of clothing. On jackets they can be found inside on the side (usually on the left side) near the waist, or in the inside pocket. On jeans and trousers, it is most often located either on the side or on the back seam. On light clothing: T-shirts, shirts, sweaters, etc., a label with washing icons is located at the back under the collar, or, as in outerwear, on the side seam.

Designation of icons on clothes for washing

If we find a label with icons and don’t know what they are, then it’s time to look at the table below, where we have listed all the standard icon designations and described the machine wash recommendations for them.

Washing instructions

Drying symbols

Cleaning and whitening

Ironing icons

It's no secret that high-quality clothing today is not cheap. That is why you want her to remain beautiful for as long as possible, and here the signs on clothing labels, the meaning of which you must be able to read correctly, will be very helpful. We will be happy to tell you what do the symbols on clothing labels mean? and we will teach you how to properly care for your favorite things.

Signs on the clothing care label: explanation and manufacturer's recommendations

The signs on clothing labels are not simple triangles, circles and squares. Conventions you may encounter on the reverse side any factory textile product, most often relate to certain nuances of fabric care.

What should be on the label:

• washing conditions(machine or manual, at what temperature);
• spinning and drying products;
• ironing;
• whitening;
• dry cleaning recommendations.

In addition, the manufacturer indicates the composition of the fabric from which the item is made. usually signed with an English word Cotton. Also, if you come across Baumwolle, Coton or Cotone, these will also be cotton fabrics. Foreign words Lino, Linen-Flax, Flachs, Linen, Lin are used. hidden on the label under the names Lana, Wool, Woole, Lane, Laine, Wolle.

The signs on the clothing care label will help you choose the right washing and ironing cycle for your favorite clothes. Armed with specific knowledge, you can extend the life of your favorite things and save your family budget.

Even at the stage of choosing clothes, we recommend that you always look at the label or tag located on the wrong side near the neck or on the right side of the product. In addition to the indicated size, composition and care recommendations, the label may contain EAC mark - Eurasian conformity. This marking indicates that the products have passed all quality assessment procedures and comply with the technical regulations of the Customs Union.

What information is on a clothing label?

If you've never paid attention to clothing labels before, deciphering them will seem a bit like reading Chinese characters. However, this is only at first glance. We have already revealed a little bit of the mystery of what information is hidden on the labels. It remains to combine the symbols with their detailed decoding.

Drying and spinning icon:

A square is responsible for these options on your clothing label.

1. If the square is crossed out– drying is contraindicated.
2. Appears in the square circle – drying and spinning in the machine.
3. The circle in the square is crossed out– machine drying and spinning are prohibited.
4. Inside the circle also sometimes meet points responsible for temperature.

• One point– dry at low temperatures.
• Two points– on average.
• Three dots– can be dried at high temperatures.

1. Horizontal line inside a square– the product must be dried horizontally. What additional conditions exist for drying things - see the photo above.

Ironing:

Everything is simple here - the iron is responsible for this option.

1. Crossed out iron warns not to iron.
2. If you see an iron in a circle, this means that the product can be ironed at temperatures up to 140 degrees. This condition applies to fabrics such as wool.
3. There may also be dots inside the iron.

• One point– iron at temperatures up to 110 degrees.
• Two points– up to 150.
• Three dots– up to 200 degrees.

1. Icon crossed out circle means that dry cleaning is prohibited.
2. If the letter A appears inside the circle– dry cleaning is possible using any product.
3. Letter P warns that dry cleaning is permitted only if certain products are used.

Whitening:

Triangle on the fabric label is responsible for bleaching. The crossed out triangle icon indicates that bleaching is prohibited.

Designations on clothing labels for washing

Designations on clothing labels for washing depicted as a basin of water. Inside the basin, numbers indicating the water temperature are placed or dots are depicted.

We often delight ourselves with purchases of new clothes and other textile products. But it happens that a favorite cardigan or comfortable trousers after a few months and ten washes lose their sophisticated appearance, become discolored, and shrink. Why does this happen?

Each product label contains clothing care icons, the meaning of which is not known to all users. In view of this, we wash in too hot water and set it to maximum spin, iron it with a very hot iron and send it to the dry cleaner. But many things simply cannot stand this and wear out very quickly. In this article we will decipher for you all the signs of caring for clothes so that they serve you for a long time.

Wash

The main symbols on clothes that indicate the correct washing modes look like this:

The number indicated on the icon indicates the temperature mode that can be used during washing - this is the maximum value; colder water can be used.

If there is one line under the tank, it means washing clothes is allowed in a gentle mode, two lines indicate a very gentle mode with a water temperature of up to 30 degrees. During machine washing, you can wring at minimum speed, and when washing by hand - very carefully, without twisting.

Any self-respecting clothing company is obliged, along with the brand label, to sew on a marking tape with the indicated product care symbols. All standards of signs on the label must comply with GOST 16958/71 GOST R ISO 3758/99.

Whitening

If you need to bleach an item or remove a stain, carefully read the clothing label, which contains all the information about the bleaching process. The main symbol is a triangle.

Incorrectly carried out bleaching can turn a favorite cotton blouse into a rag in half an hour. Therefore, look carefully at the symbols on the label.

Drying

After washing and bleaching (if necessary), you need to dry the item. How to do it correctly, look at the label. The main drying symbol looks like a square.

A ribbon is sewn to the product indicating the type of fabric from which it is made, so that the user can select the desired mode when washing. Therefore, before the first cleaning, do not be lazy and take a close look at all the symbols on the label, on which the manufacturer has indicated all the necessary rules and recommendations.

Ironing

Proper ironing of clothes is also an important factor in their care.

Explanation of the icons on the label indicating the drying rules:

To avoid ironing the product, it is not recommended to wring it vigorously after washing. Also, things need to be well straightened and hung to dry in the shade. You can see all the information on the clothing label.

Professional clothing cleaning

On the labels, the manufacturer indicates possible options for cleaning the product using a dry (dry cleaning) or wet (water cleaning) method, using the services of professional companies. It should be noted that washing clothes in a laundromat is not wet cleaning. The basic icon is a circle.

Explanation of symbols for dry cleaning:

If you follow all the rules for caring for your clothes - washing at the proper temperature, spinning, drying and ironing accordingly - they will serve you for as long as possible.

Video instruction

Buying a new thing is always a pleasant event. However, in order for a new item to last a long time and retain its shape and color, it is necessary to properly care for it. How to determine at what temperature to wash a thing, can it be dry-cleaned, how to dry it and how to iron it? To answer these and other questions, labels come to the rescue, on which manufacturers have carefully indicated all the necessary information.

Labels come in different types: soft and hard. They are on all products, except for children's clothing, for which care recommendations are printed on special stickers. Depending on the type of clothing, labels are located in different places: on outerwear - on the left side near the waistband, on bras - on the left back strap, on dresses - on the side seams at hip level, for other items - either on the side seam or at the back under the collar. The labels indicate the clothing size, manufacturer, fabric composition, and also provide information on proper care of the item.

All designations on clothing labels can be divided into 5 groups:

1. Wash - image of a basin with water;
2. Drying - square;
3. Ironing (iron) - image of an iron;
4. Dryclean - circle;
5. Bleaching (bleach) - triangle.

Wash

There are several types of fabric:

• cotton;
• delicate fabrics (wool, silk);
• synthetic fabrics.

Depending on this, the method of caring for the item is determined. Thus, clothes made from natural materials such as cotton and linen can be washed at any temperature using any washing detergent, both manually and in a washing machine. Wool and silk require delicate handling. For such fabrics, it is recommended to hand wash exclusively, and it is advisable to use special products for delicate fabrics.

Products made of wool and silk are afraid of hot water and strong spin; they can “shrink” and lose their original shape. It is recommended to dry knitted items horizontally, placing them on a towel and carefully straightening them out. For synthetic items, water temperatures above 30 °C are unacceptable.

On the panel of any modern washing machine, symbols indicate washing modes depending on the type of fabric.

Washing signs on clothes simple and clear. The label graphically depicts a bowl of water, which indicates the maximum permissible water temperature for washing. If a basin and a hand are depicted, this means that the item can only be washed by hand.

It is also worth paying attention to the presence of one or two horizontal lines under laundry icons. One underline indicates a gentle washing mode (minimal mechanical impact, low spin), two underlines indicate the need for even more careful, delicate washing.

A basin with the image of the number 95 is indicated on the labels of clothes that can be exposed to high temperatures when washing, including boiling. Boiling disinfects the laundry, but colored and white items should be separated. Boiling white laundry will help restore its whiteness.

Do not forget about precautions when washing, which are not indicated on clothing labels, namely: before washing any items, you must first empty your pockets, colored and white items must be washed separately, you must also separate items by type of fabric, use washing powder in the amount recommended on the package.

Drying

Even if the item is washed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, improper drying can ruin any item. The image of the “square” will tell you how to dry the item.

An empty square means you can dry it, a crossed one means you can’t. The circle inside the square allows you to dry the item in the washing machine. If it is crossed out, the product cannot be dried in a machine. In this case, from 1 to 3 dots can be applied inside the circle. The more points, the higher the temperature you can set when drying.

A square with a horizontal line indicates that the item should be carefully laid out and dried on a flat horizontal surface. A square with 3 vertical lines indicates that the item should not be twisted; you can only wring it out slightly by hand and dry it exclusively in a vertical position.

A square with a diagonal line in the left corner warns that when drying, you should avoid direct sunlight to avoid fading of the fabric.

Ironing

Deciphering this sign usually does not cause difficulties. In addition, caring manufacturers took care of applying special markings to the iron itself. There are 1 to 3 dots on the tag inside the iron icon. Iron with one point - use the minimum heating temperature (up to 110°C). For synthetic fabrics, acrylic, nylon, polyester, acetate. Iron with 2 points (up to 130°C) - for items made of wool, silk, viscose. Iron with 3 points - for linen and cotton products, heat the iron up to 200 °C.

If the iron is crossed out, you cannot iron the item. If an iron with steam is depicted, the item can be steamed, and, conversely, a crossed out sign indicates that steaming is not permissible.

Dry cleaning

Often it is impossible to remove stains from an item by hand. It happens that the fabric contains decorative elements that can be damaged during washing. Then the question arises about turning to specialists for professional dry cleaning. If there is an image of a circle on the label, then dry cleaning is allowed. The letters inside the circle indicate which special cleaning products are allowed to be used; this information is necessary for dry cleaning employees.

Whitening

Bleaching is a procedure that allows you to return the original whiteness to your favorite clothes. However, not every item can be bleached. An empty triangle on the label allows bleaching, a crossed one prohibits it. Chlorine sign (Cl) inside a triangle indicates the permissibility of using chlorine-containing bleaches; a triangle with two diagonal lines inside prohibits the use of such products.

Designations on clothing labels will help you properly care for any item and prolong its original appearance. Knowing how to decipher tags on clothes will allow you to avoid such unpleasant problems as stretching of an item, loss of brightness, burning of fabric when ironing, etc. In order to properly care for your favorite things, you should always have a table of decoding marks on clothes for washing on hand.

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How often do you, when washing something, look for a special label on it with all the information about washing, ironing or drying? Do you know all the meanings of the symbols on it? Our article about icons on clothes for washing, decoding and other information about which will also be given, will help you remember what you have forgotten, learn something new, and learn something useful from advice.

The manufacturer of the item has taken care of you by attaching a special label to its product, which, in addition to the signs that we will introduce you to in detail, contains information about it, the composition of the product, and warning labels.

There are eight main basic and accompanying symbols on the label. First, let's get to know them themselves, and then move on to specifics.

Drying Ironing
Bleaching Professional cleaning Prohibition
Temperature designation

About washing

The washing rules on any label are explained by this icon - a schematic image of a basin with water.

Let's look at what it can be - deciphering the symbols on clothes for washing in the table.

A more detailed description of each sign can be found in the article “”, indicating which fabrics they may be present on.

Sometimes inside the pelvis you can see points like these:

Inside the icon " basin» the manufacturer can place information about the maximum water temperature using both dots and digital symbols - they will mean the same thing. Explanation of washing icons on clothes is in the table.

You will learn how to set one or another mode on a machine, the parameters of which generally indicate gentle or delicate washing.

About drying and spinning

Information about drying and spinning can be found in the icon " squared circle"- such a schematic representation of a washing machine. All these features, circles and prohibitory signs are conveniently deciphered in the photo below - for your attention, deciphering the icons on clothes when washing.

If nothing is written on the label, read the recommendations in to set the correct parameters for machine or hand washing. This way you won’t spoil the item, and you will know in what modes you can definitely wash fabric of a particular composition and color.

Ironing

Ironing instructions are logically represented by an iron icon.

Let's take a look at the symbols in the photo above in order:

• Iron with three points - the product can be ironed at high temperatures - up to 200°C, and also steamed. Typically, a cotton or linen product is equipped with such a sign.
• Iron with two points - it is permissible to iron at medium temperatures ( up to 150°С). It is recommended to carry out the process using a steam humidifier or through a slightly damp cloth. Suitable for silk, polyester, viscose and wool.
• Single point iron - iron quickly at low temperature ( up to 110°С). This applies to products made from acetate, polyester, polyamide, and polyacrylic.
• Iron on crossed out " legs» - do not steam the fabric.
• Crossed out iron – ironing of the product is not recommended.

Whitening

Four types of triangles on clothes tell about the rules for bleaching clothes.

Advice! If clothing labels bother you or look unpresentable, then you can do this: take a photo of the necessary information on it, make an identifying signature ( winter jumper, green jacket, red polka dot skirt) and save the photo in a special album on your gadget. The label can now be cut off and thrown away, but everything you need for washing and ironing will remain preserved.

Dry cleaning

The attitude of an item to dry cleaning can be judged by a circle with symbols placed inside it:

Let's decipher the notation:

• A circle without symbols means dry cleaning is acceptable.
• Crossed out circle – do not chemically clean.
• The letter “A” in a circle – it is permissible to clean using any solvent.
• The letter “P” in a circle – it is possible to clean only with ethylene chloride, hydrocarbons, monofluorotrichloromethane.
• The letter “P” in a circle underlined by a horizontal line – cleaning with the above products for “P”, but more gentle.
• The letter "F" in a circle is a chemical treatment using trifluorotrichloromethane or hydrocarbon.
• The letter “F” in a circle underlined by a horizontal line means cleaning using the means described above, but in a gentle manner.

Aqua laundry cleaning

You can also find an icon in the label informing about wet professional laundry cleaning - aqua-cleaning. These are different variations with the "W" placed in a circle. The following sign will tell you how not to get confused in them:

Getting around without a shortcut

If it so happens that the label with all the information that we have presented is not on your product, or you cut it off and threw it away/lost it, then pay attention to the composition of the fabric and the following table:

Otherwise, before refueling the washing machine, check whether it has the same washing modes in the standard graphical representation. If not, we suggest looking at what the signs look like on the panels of the machines that indicate the same mode under different signs in the article “”.

General rules

Regardless of what is indicated on the label, when washing and everything associated with it, rely on the following:

• It is preferable to wash dark, black items separately from everything else and by hand.
• Wash synthetics and artificial fabrics separately from natural ones.
• When the “delicate mode” sign is indicated, it is advisable to fill the washing machine drum only halfway - this will protect things from additional damaging curling. You will learn more about half loading from the article “”.
• Always sort your laundry by color. It is advisable to wash new colored items separately from others. Regarding the temperature regime, read the sections in the article “”.

• Try to tumble dry items only in the most extreme cases.
• Remember - printed and colored fabrics do not tolerate soaking.
• Use bleaches with caution, even if the label says it's okay.
• Always monitor the dosage of detergent - more than necessary can damage things.

Deciphering the icons on clothes for washing, ironing, bleaching, spinning and drying is now a trifle for you. You are convinced that this small set of symbols on the label can tell everything about your item. But if you didn’t find it or accidentally deleted it, we hope that our tips helped you choose the right option for caring for the product.