Manufacturer · Fashion & Home Accessories
Care label symbols are five groups of symbols, always arranged in the same order: washing (washtub), bleaching (triangle), drying (square), ironing (iron) and professional cleaning (circle). Dots indicate temperature, bars under the symbol a gentler process, and a cross means "not permitted". The system is described in the international standard ISO 3758 and is used throughout Europe.
Care label symbols – where they come from and why they are the same everywhere
Care symbols were created so that the buyer can understand how to look after a garment without reading text in a foreign language. They are managed by the international association GINETEX and standardised in ISO 3758. That is why the same blouse sold in Bulgaria, Germany and Italy carries the same symbols, while the fibre names are translated into the language of each country.
It is important to know that a symbol always shows the maximum permitted treatment. If the label says 40 °C, washing at 30 °C is safe, but at 60 °C it is not. The same applies to ironing and drying.
The five groups and their order on the label
The standard requires the symbols to appear in a set sequence from left to right. This way anyone used to labels finds the information they need at a glance.
- Washing – a tub of water. The number inside is the maximum temperature in degrees Celsius. A hand in the tub means hand wash.
- Bleaching – a triangle. An empty triangle allows any bleaching agent; with two diagonal lines, only oxygen bleach (non-chlorine).
- Drying – a square. With a circle inside it refers to a tumble dryer; with lines, to natural drying.
- Ironing – an iron. One, two or three dots show the maximum soleplate temperature.
- Professional cleaning – a circle. The letters P and F refer to dry cleaning with solvents, W to professional wet cleaning.
The general logic: dots, bars and the cross
Once you have learned three rules, you will be able to read almost any label, even if you see a particular symbol for the first time.
Dots – temperature
The more dots, the higher the permitted temperature. On the iron, one dot corresponds to about 110 °C, two to 150 °C and three to 200 °C. On the tumble dryer, one dot means low temperature, two means normal. In some non-European systems dots are also placed in the washtub instead of a number.
Bars – gentler treatment
One bar under the washtub means a gentle cycle with reduced mechanical action (the typical synthetics programme). Two bars mean a very gentle cycle, as used for wool and delicate fabrics. Bars under the circle for professional cleaning have the same meaning – a milder process.
The cross – prohibition
A diagonal cross over any symbol means that the treatment is not allowed: do not wash, do not bleach, do not tumble dry, do not iron or do not dry clean.
The most common combinations you will see
| Product type | Typical symbol combination | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton T-shirt | 30 or 40 °C, crossed-out triangle, tumble dryer with one dot, iron with two dots | Normal wash, no bleach, low tumble dry, medium iron |
| Wool jumper | Hand wash or 30 °C with two bars, dry flat, iron with one dot | Very gentle wash, no wringing or hanging on a line |
| Jeans | 30 or 40 °C, no bleach, iron with two or three dots | Wash inside out, iron according to composition |
| Jacket or coat | Crossed-out washtub, circle with P | Professional dry cleaning only |
What the symbols do not show
The symbols do not tell you what the garment is made of. That information is given separately, in the fibre composition line, for example "80% cotton, 20% polyester". Nor do they indicate whether the garment should be washed inside out, separately from light colours or in a laundry bag. The manufacturer can add such instructions as short text, for example "Wash separately" or "Wash inside out". Both parts – symbols and text – usually appear on the same care and composition label.
Who decides the symbols for a specific garment
Responsibility lies with the manufacturer or the brand that places the product on the market. The symbols are chosen according to the most sensitive component: if a coat has a wool shell and a viscose lining, the instructions must protect both, as well as the buttons, appliqués and bonded parts. Good practice with new fabrics is to wash-test a sample before the labels go to print.
For brands working with several collections, it is useful to have an internal table of standard combinations for each fabric type. This avoids contradictions such as an iron with three dots on a product with 5% elastane, which cannot take high temperatures.
How the symbols are printed on the label
The symbols are printed together with the text, usually in black or dark ink on white or cream satin or taffeta tape. They must remain legible, so on narrow tapes of 20–25 mm they are placed on a second line or a separate panel. If the brand's main label is woven, the care label is ordered as a printed label in the same width and colour so that they look like a set. You will find more options in the labels category.
Care labels from the manufacturer
Polkom is a Bulgarian manufacturer of clothing accessories with over 30 years of experience. We print care and composition labels with care symbols, composition and your logo, help arrange the information and make a sample before the production run. Send us the text and symbols via our contact page – you will receive a quote and a material proposal.
