Laundry care symbol decoder
Tap a symbol from the label in your clothes to see what it means and what to do. Or build the whole label and get a plain care summary.
Runs on your phone. Nothing is uploaded or saved.
Tips for UAE heat and sun
Strong sun fades dark and bright clothes fast, and can yellow white synthetics. Hang them inside out, in the shade or indoors, and take them in as soon as they are dry.
In summer, water from rooftop tanks and pipes can come out warm. For 30 °C and wool items, use the cold or wool cycle and do not add extra heat.
Wash sweaty clothes soon: salt and body oil set into fabric in the heat. Shake out dust before washing, and do not leave wet laundry in the drum.
Follow the label, not habit: many are polyester or blends that need a mild wash and a cool iron. Chiffon, crepe and embellished pieces often say hand wash or professional cleaning only.
Empty the dryer's lint filter after every load and never leave a running dryer alone overnight. Lint is very flammable.
How the symbols work
The label lists the steps in order: washing (a tub), bleaching (a triangle), drying (a square), ironing (an iron) and professional cleaning (a circle).
Each symbol shows the harshest treatment the garment can take without lasting damage. A gentler wash or cooler iron is always fine.
More dots mean more heat for drying and ironing. One bar under a tub or circle means a mild process; two bars mean very mild.
Any symbol crossed out means do not do it. If a step has no symbol at all, the label gives no promise about it: be careful.
Sources: ISO 3758:2023, Textiles – Care labelling code using symbols (4th edition, iso.org); GINETEX, the international association for textile care labelling, care symbols guide and its notice "ISO 3758:2023 standard has been published" (ginetex.net), which notes new symbols for hand washing at ambient temperature and for ironing without steam, and more dry-cleaning solvents (these newest symbols are described in words here, not drawn); SGS SafeGuardS 17/23 (January 2024) on the 2023 revision. Temperatures: washing numbers are the maximum water temperature in °C; tumble drying one dot = lower temperature (exhaust up to 60 °C), two dots = normal (up to 80 °C); ironing one dot = sole-plate up to 110 °C, two = 150 °C, three = 200 °C. The care symbols are registered trademarks of GINETEX. Tips are general advice: always follow the garment's own label.