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Wash Care Symbols

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The wash care symbols on your clothing labels provide special instructions to help you keep your clothes looking their best: This guide explains them all.

The care labels on your garments give you special instructions to help you keep your clothes looking their best. We’ve put together a handy guide so that you can see, at a glance, what all care symbols represent.

Just take a look at our pages on washing, bleaching, and dry cleaning for more information on taking care of your clothes in the washing machine, and our pages on tumble drying, natural drying, and ironing to make sure you give your clothes the TLC they deserve after you wash.

You can download our handy laundry guide to keep your clothes in tip-top condition, but you can also find the information you need in the article below.

Our Essential Guide to Wash Care Symbols

This guide explains what the washing and clothing care symbols on your garment labels say about how you should wash, dry, iron and bleach your clothes – taking you through all the essential steps of taking care of your wardrobe. The following wash care symbols cover how your garment should be cleaned:

Once you've washed your clothes, it's just as important to dry them properly. The following wash care symbols explain whether it is safe to use a tumble dryer after washing your garment, and if so, which setting is appropriate.

If you prefer to dry your clothes naturally, the following clothing care symbols explain the best method to use without damaging your clothes:

Once your clothes are dry, ironing becomes a priority: these wash care symbols explain how (and whether) your clothes should be ironed.

If your whites are looking a bit drab and grey, you should check for these wash care symbols before attempting to use bleach. It is also important to check the label of your product to ensure you use it properly and take the necessary safety precautions. 

(Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use.)

Finally, some special garments are better off being taken care of by a professional; these wash care symbols cover whether your clothing should be dry cleaned

With this guide, you should be able to interpret your clothing labels with ease! For detailed advice on putting their advice into action, check out the rest of the laundry tips section here on the Persil site. You can find additional resources on washing symbols and care labels by visiting Cleanipedia.co.uk.

If you have any clothing care tips of your own, we'd love to hear from you! Share them with us in the comment box below.