How often do you really look at the labels on your clothes? Most of us just chuck our dirty laundry into the washing machine without a second thought.
But those symbols on your garments are there to tell you exactly how to care for your favourite jumpers and shirts. The key thing is knowing whether you should even be machine washing your clothes in the first place.
There can be up to five symbols on clothing labels, all designed to help extend the lifespan of your clothes. However, many people confess they don’t know what they all signify – including the triangle which can appear in four different ways, reports the Express.
Which? recently shared a TikTok video explaining precisely what each symbol represents.
Firstly, the most crucial symbol to pay attention to is a tub of water with two lines crossed through it, indicating that you should not machine wash your clothes at all. Not even on a delicate cycle.
If your garment has a tub with a water sign, it means it can go in the washing machine. The tub usually also has numbers – such as 30 or 60 – indicating the temperature at which the clothes can be washed.
One line underneath the tub signifies synthetics at a slower spin speed, while two lines mean a gentle or wool cycle.
Some washing machines might have a hand wash feature which can be used for clothes with labels that show a tub of water and a hand symbol.
A triangle with a cross on it means do not use any bleach on the clothing item, while the circle symbol means dry clean only.
You can even decipher how to dry your clothes using the symbols – a square with a circle inside it, crossed out, indicates that you cannot tumble dry it, only air dry.
Furthermore, a twisting symbol with a cross on it signifies not to twist the clothing as it could cause damage.