Meaning explained This is what the symbols on the label in your clothes stand for

There are a few things to bear in mind when doing laundry. First and foremost: the symbols on the label. Not everyone understands every symbol - blue News explains what they mean.

Bad adult after washing: The new sweater has shrunk or the dress has lost its color. Why? This could be because you didn't pay attention to the symbols on the washing label. You should therefore always take a look before putting the laundry in the drum.

Only if you take optimum care of your clothes will you get the most out of them for as long as possible. Basically, the labels provide information about washing, drying, ironing, bleaching and dry cleaning. The label is attached to the inside of the garment and can usually be found on the side.

Good to know: The symbols are standardized all over the world and were introduced in 1963 by the International Association for the Care Labeling of Textiles (GINETEX). However, there are a few exceptions, for example, other symbols are used in South Korea and the USA.

The first and probably best-known symbol is the trough with the wavy line representing water. It provides information about the washing temperature and the washing program. The numbers are self-explanatory and indicate the maximum temperature that should be used. The bars under the tub provide information about the recommended program.

If a tub is shown with a hand, this means that the garment can only be washed by hand. However, many machines today also have a corresponding program. If the symbol is completely crossed out, the textile should not be washed at all - this sometimes happens with leather. You should then take it to the dry cleaner.

The symbol in second place shows a triangle, which stands for bleach. Important to know in advance: Many detergents contain bleaching additives - either in the form of oxygen or chlorine - to protect white clothes from discoloration. In contrast, colored fabrics do not always tolerate this well, which is why it is worth looking at the label.

The third symbol is a square that explains how the garment should be dried. A basic distinction is made between machine drying and natural drying.

If the square has a circle inside it, this represents machine drying. The dots in the circle indicate how much heat the dryer may be set to: the fewer dots, the less hot the tumble dryer should be. A crossed-out dot means that the garment must not be put in the dryer.

A vertical line in the square indicates that it may be hung on the washing line and dried as usual. Horizontal lines mean that it is recommended to dry the fabric lying flat. Slanted lines in the corner also indicate that direct light is not good for the fabric.

The iron symbol is fairly self-explanatory. It is in fourth place and indicates the extent to which textiles can be smoothed. Because not every fabric can cope with heat. The same rule applies here: the more dots there are on the iron, the higher the temperature can be.

If the symbol is crossed out, it is better not to use the iron. In addition, another symbol indicates when steam is unsuitable for a fabric - this also applies to a dot, so it is better not to use steam.

The last symbol, a circle, is not really relevant for the average person. The circle is for professional dry cleaners, if that's where you take it.

If an empty circle stands for itself, this means that any type of professional cleaning is possible for the laundry. A letter in the circle indicates which cleaning agents may be used. A W stands for professional wet cleaning.

The crossed-out circle indicates that dry cleaning is not suitable for the garment.

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