Read the care label before deciding how to clean a garment, rather than relying on the fabric name. Check separately whether it can be washed in water, the permitted temperature and treatment intensity, and whether it can be tumble dried. Permission to machine wash does not automatically mean permission to use a dryer.
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This guide follows GINETEX’s international care-symbol guidance for ISO 3758:2023. Labels used in different countries do not all look identical. Read the written care instructions on the garment alongside its symbols and any guidance from the clothing manufacturer.
Start with the washing instructions
In the international system, a wash tub indicates washing conditions. First look for a prohibition mark or a hand symbol, then read the temperature and treatment requirements.
A number inside the tub is the maximum water temperature. It does not mean you must use that temperature; it means you should not exceed it. One bar beneath the tub calls for a milder process, while two bars call for a very mild process. Following the temperature limit while ignoring the treatment intensity is not enough.
A hand-wash symbol is different from a do-not-wash symbol. However, a machine’s delicate or wool program does not make it suitable for every garment labeled for hand washing. Check both the clothing manufacturer’s permission and the washer’s instructions. Hand-washing temperature also depends on the particular label; do not apply one temperature to every garment.
Check the triangle before using bleach
Bleaching permission is separate from washing temperature. A garment being white does not, by itself, mean you can bleach it. Check its triangle symbol.
| International symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Empty triangle | Chlorine and oxygen bleach are permitted |
| Triangle with two diagonal lines | Only oxygen bleach is permitted |
| Crossed-out triangle | Do not bleach |
These symbols identify the permitted type of bleaching. They do not specify a dose or mixing method. Follow both the garment instructions and the bleach product’s label. Do not improvise mixtures of different cleaning products to remove a stain.
For performance clothing or decorated garments, the outer fabric alone does not establish whether bleaching is allowed. If the label is unreadable, ask the manufacturer before applying bleach.
Read drying instructions separately
A circle inside a square indicates tumble drying. Dots inside the circle distinguish temperature conditions; a prohibition mark means the garment must not go in a tumble dryer. Another garment made of the same material surviving a dryer cycle does not establish permission for this one.
Lines inside a square indicate natural drying methods. Additional diagonal lines indicate drying in the shade. Do not assume every square is a tumble-dryer symbol: distinguish the circle from the lines inside it.
If you use a washer-dryer, check both washing and drying instructions before starting. Suitable washing conditions do not automatically make the drying stage acceptable. Compare the exact symbols with the official GINETEX guide.
Do not treat “do not wash” as permission to dry clean
A prohibition on washing does not establish that dry cleaning is allowed. Professional cleaning symbols require their own check. If you cannot interpret them, show the complete label to a professional cleaner and ask which treatments are suitable.
Professional wet cleaning is also different from washing in a household machine. Its symbols refer to professional equipment and treatment conditions. A home washer’s available programs are not interchangeable with those professional processes.
If the label is faded or the guidance conflicts
Note any wording and symbols you can still read. If you know the product name or item number, contact the clothing manufacturer. Online care advice for a similar fabric cannot replace the instructions for the actual garment. Samsung Ireland’s care-symbol guidance also advises following the label and checking with the clothing manufacturer when instructions are unclear.
When comparing sources, check whether they use the same symbol system and version. Do not automatically transfer temperature numbers from an old symbol chart to a current label. For the same reason, this guide does not convert ironing symbols into a fixed temperature table.
Before washing, work through permission to wash, temperature and treatment intensity, bleaching permission, and the drying method. If one part remains unclear, hold off on that treatment and ask the clothing manufacturer or a professional cleaner.