We've been reading care labels in Austin since 1987. In the video, one of our team walks through a real one in about 15 seconds. Below is the full cheat sheet.
| Symbol | What it means |
|---|---|
| Washtub | Machine wash is OK. |
| Washtub with a number or dots | Maximum water temperature. 30 (or one dot) is cold, 40 (two dots) is warm, 50 and up (three or more dots) is hot. |
| One line under the tub | Permanent press cycle. |
| Two lines under the tub | Delicate or gentle cycle. |
| Hand in the tub | Hand wash only. |
| Tub with an X | Do not wash. This one usually means it needs a pro. |
| Symbol | What it means |
|---|---|
| Empty triangle | Any bleach is OK. |
| Triangle with two diagonal lines | Non-chlorine (color-safe) bleach only. |
| Triangle with an X | Do not bleach. |
| Symbol | What it means |
|---|---|
| Square with a circle | Tumble dry is OK. Dots show the heat: one is low, two is medium, three is high. A filled circle means no heat. |
| Square with a circle and an X | Do not tumble dry. |
| Square with a curved line at the top | Line dry. |
| Square with three vertical lines | Drip dry. |
| Square with one horizontal line | Dry flat. |
| Diagonal lines in the corner | Dry in the shade. |
| Symbol | What it means |
|---|---|
| Iron with one dot | Low heat (silk, nylon, acrylic). |
| Iron with two dots | Medium heat (wool, polyester). |
| Iron with three dots | High heat (cotton, linen). |
| Iron with lines crossed out underneath | No steam. |
| Iron with an X | Do not iron. |
| Symbol | What it means |
|---|---|
| Empty circle | Dry clean. |
| Circle with A, P or F | A note for your cleaner about which solvent to use. That's our job, not yours. |
| Circle with W | Professional wet cleaning. |
| Circle with an X | Do not dry clean. |
Not sure what your label is telling you? See what everyday cleaning we handle and what it costs.
"These are what the symbols look like on the inside of your garment on the care label. This one says do not wash, the next one is do not bleach, the next one is do not tumble dry. You can press it and you can clean it, dry clean it."
A plain circle means the garment can be professionally dry cleaned. A circle with an X through it means do not dry clean. A letter inside the circle (A, F or P) tells the cleaner which solvent to use, and a W means professional wet cleaning.
That is the tumble dry symbol. Dots inside the circle show the heat: one dot is low, two is medium, three is high. A filled black circle means no heat, and an X through it means do not tumble dry.
Dots always mean temperature. More dots means more heat. You will see them on the washtub, the dryer symbol and the iron symbol.
The triangle is about bleach. An empty triangle means any bleach is fine, a triangle with two diagonal lines means non-chlorine bleach only, and a triangle with an X means do not bleach.
Yes. A do not wash symbol usually means the garment needs professional care. Bring it to any Rick's Cleaners location and we will read the label and clean it the right way.
More questions? Check our FAQ page.
Drop it off at one of our 15 Austin-area locations, or have it picked up at your door.
Find a Rick's location Schedule pickup with Ian'sAlso see dry clean and laundry delivery and wash and fold.
