Deciphering Washing Instructions
For those who rely on their household appliances to get through the weekly laundry routine, deciphering the sometimes confusing clothing labels is key to maintaining the life of your clothes and prolonging the lifespan of your washing machine. But what do all the symbols mean?
Most clothing labels, as well as after-market and store-bought washing instructions, will provide a number of symbols to help provide guidance on how to approach the best way to clean the item. The symbols are the universal language for washing instructions and will let you easily determine the best way to care for each article of clothing.
The two most familiar symbols are the temperature and wash cycle settings. These temperature settings can range from cold or warm to hot or very hot, depending on the needs of the fabric. The wash cycle setting usually ranges from gentle or delicate to heavy duty and also varies depending on the needs of the fabric.
However, it can sometimes be confusing to decipher the other symbols that appear on the labels. To make it easier, the International Organization for Standardization has released a set of 17 universal symbols, each of which correlates to a specific clothing care practice. To further help users understand the visuals, the symbols generally include an explanation of the practice written in plain text.
The symbols are broken down into four categories: Washing, Ironing, Bleaching and Dry Cleaning. Each symbol has its own unique icon that you can look for on the clothing label or washing instructions. A few of the symbols you may encounter are a cross/circle to indicate that bleach should not be used, a triangle for no tumble dry and a hand for washing by hand.
Sometimes, the best information can be found in the user manual that came with the washing machine. It is important to read through it and refer to the diagram of symbols and their explanations. Additionally, reading through our Comprehensive Appliance Error Codes Glossary can be very beneficial in understanding all the symbols and their meanings.
By understanding the universal clothing care symbols, you can better care for your garments and get the most out of your washing machine. To get started, take note of all the symbols on the item’s label and find the associated written description of the important care information.
Whether you are a novice or experienced user of household appliances, deciphering washing instructions and their accompanying symbols is essential to caring for your clothes and maintaining the life of your washing machine. To learn more, check out our Comprehensive Appliance Error Codes Glossary to better understand what each clothing care symbol means.