Labels on clothes: decoding of symbols and care recommendations

Manufacturers accompany each item with labels with mysterious symbols, which most often we simply ignore. But these icons are the key to proper fabric care, which will help maintain its quality and color longer. In this article, YokoSun explains how to learn to read symbols on labels

What are the symbols on labels for?

Textile care symbols are designed to protect users from premature damage to their products. Especially for this purpose, a special system of signs has been developed and implemented, which in Russia is approved by GOST - ISO 3758:2012 and complies with the international standard.

There are main and additional symbols - their combination helps you understand how to care for the item correctly. Otherwise, you can send a very delicate item to the dry cleaner, steam it, or spoil it in any other way.

Some manufacturers duplicate care recommendations in printed text, but such tips are not found on every item. Sometimes we intuitively understand how to care for a thing, but it’s much better to know for sure. Moreover, learning to read symbols is not so difficult.

What do the symbols on the labels mean?

There are five main and several additional symbols. Let's look at each of them and their combinations.

1. Bowl with liquid - washing

A symbol whose meaning is already clear: the image of a basin with water helps to determine the appropriate washing mode. Additional signs suggest the nuances of care.

• A basin with liquidmeans that the item can be washed.
• Liquid basin with an additional line at the bottom. An additional line under the basin indicates that the product should be washed in a gentle mode. Two such lines indicate that the item requires delicate washing.
• Crossed out basin with liquid - this sign is left on the label of an item that cannot be washed.
• A basin with numbers insidehelps determine the maximum permissible washing temperature. If you see the number 30°, it means that washing at 40°, and especially higher, is prohibited.
• A basin with a handmeans that the items need to be washed by hand.

Often there is a combination of several characters at once, but their meaning does not change. For example, an image of a basin with a bottom line, inside which the number 30° is depicted, indicates that the fabric requires gentle washing at a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees Celsius.

2. Triangle - whitening

The triangle is responsible for whitening on the labels. Here are the most common combinations with it and their meanings.

• Triangle without additional symbols– the item can be bleached.
• A triangle with two diagonal lines inside means that the fabric can only be bleached using non-chlorine products. Like, for example, YokoSun oxygen bleach-stain remover. It is based on active oxygen, which removes contaminants without harming tissue.
• A crossed out triangleindicates that the item cannot be bleached.

3. Circle – chemical (professional) cleaning

Dry cleaning labels are indicated by a circle. For ordinary consumers, it is enough to know only two symbols from this group. Everyone else tells dry cleaning professionals exactly how to care for the item.

• Circle without additional symbols– the item can be dry cleaned.
• A crossed out circle means that dry cleaning is prohibited.
• A circle with a line under itindicates that the fabric requires gentle dry cleaning. For example, with a limited amount of water and impact on the material.
• Letters in a circleindicate the active substance in the product, which can be used when dry cleaning the product.

4. Iron - ironing

And again, an obvious symbol - the iron on the labels is responsible for ironing the product at home. Sometimes there are images of an iron with dots inside. Let's figure out what this means.

• Iron without additional symbols – the item can be ironed.
• Iron with dots inside. The dots inside the iron indicate the ironing temperature. One point inside - you can iron the item at temperatures up to 110°C, two points – up to 150°C, and three points – up to 200°C.
• An iron with crossed out steammeans that the item can be ironed, but not steamed.
• A crossed-out ironindicates that the product cannot be ironed.

5. Square - natural drying

The square image indicates the correct mode of natural drying of the product. An additional, sixth symbol is responsible for drum drying. First, let's deal with natural drying.

• Square without additional symbols – drying is allowed.
• A square with one vertical line insideindicates that the item must be sewn in a vertical position.
• A square with two vertical lines inside indicates that the item requires vertical drying without spinning.
• A square with one horizontal line inside is applied to the labels of items that should be laid out to dry.
• A square with two horizontal lines inside - the item should be dried flat out without spinning.
• A square with a diagonal line in the upper left cornerindicates that the product should be dried in the shade. Usually this sign is combined with other variations. For example, a square with vertical and diagonal lines indicates that the item should be dried on a hanger and in the shade.

5.1 Squared circle - tumble dry

Tumble drying on the labels is indicated by a circle in a square. Let's look at the most common combinations of symbols.

• Circle in a square without additional symbols – spinning and tumble drying are allowed.
• A circle in a square with a line at the bottom indicates that spinning and drying should be done in a gentle manner. Two such lines indicate that a delicate regime is required to care for the fabric.
• A circle in a square with dots inside. As with the iron image, the dots indicate the appropriate temperature setting for tumble drying. One dot inside means that the product should be dried at a low temperature, no higher than 60°C, two dots - at an average temperature, no higher than 80°C, three dots - drying at a high temperature is acceptable.
• A crossed out circle within a squareindicates that tumble drying is prohibited.

Labels on clothing say a lot about how best to care for the item. Don't get rid of them at least before the first wash.

If you see a label with underlined symbols, remember that the fabric requires gentle care and choose the appropriate products for this. Or give preference to those that are suitable for all types of fabrics – even delicate ones. YokoSun washing gel is designed to reliably clean ordinary and even the most delicate fabrics, caring for and leaving a pleasant aroma.

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