WHAT ARE YOUR LAUNDRY SYMBOLS TELLING YOU?
Laundry symbols can be a little confusing. What do those lines and dots mean and how do you use them to keep clothes looking their best? First, check your clothing label to find the fabric information followed by a series of symbols. Be careful to distinguish between the washing and drying symbols. If your item is stained, browse our stain removal guide before deciding how to wash.
The chart below breaks down the most common clothing care symbols — from washing to drying, dry cleaning and even ironing.
Print this cheat sheet for easy reference next time you wash:
washing symbols
When figuring out how to wash an item, look for the wash tub icon as well as what's inside and below it. Black dots indicate water temperature and one or two lines beneath the tub represent cycle choice. An X means your item shouldn't be machine washed: look for a hand symbol indicating hand washing or a circle for dry cleaning. If you want to use bleach, look for a triangle symbol to determine if it's safe for your fabric.
How to Wash
Do Not Wash
Do Not Wash
Hand Wash
Hand Wash
Machine Wash
Machine Wash
Machine Wash:
Permanent Press
Machine Wash: Permanent Press
Machine Wash:
Gentle or Delicate
Machine Wash: Gentle or Delicate
Heat Level
Cold
30°C or 85°F
Cold 30°C or 85°F
Warm
40°C or 105°F
Warm 40°C or 105°F
Warm / Hot
50°C or 120°F
Warm / Hot 50°C or 120°F
Hot
60°C or 140°F
Hot 60°C or 140°F
Sanitize
70°C or 160°F
Sanitize 70°C or 160°F
Bleach Usage
OK to Bleach
OK to Bleach
Do Not Bleach
Do Not Bleach
Non-chlorine Bleach if Needed
Non-chlorine Bleach if Needed
Drying symbols
Look for a square on your item's care tag when deciding how to dry. A circle inside the square means it can be tumble dried in the dryer, while straight or curved lines mean it should be air dried. Just like washing symbols, black dots represent heat and lines beneath the square indicate cycle choice.
Air Drying
Drip Dry
Drip Dry
Dry in the Shade
Dry in the Shade
Hang Dry
Hang Dry
Dry Flat
Dry Flat
Basic Dryer Cycles
Tumble Dry
Tumble Dry
Do Not Tumble Dry
Do Not Tumble Dry
No Heat
No Heat
Normal Cycle
Low Heat
Normal Cycle Low Heat
Normal Cycle
Medium Heat
Normal Cycle Medium Heat
Normal Cycle
High Heat
Normal Cycle High Heat
Permanent Press
Permanent Press
No Heat
Permanent Press No Heat
Permanent Press
Low Heat
Permanent Press Low Heat
Permanent Press
Medium Heat
Permanent Press Medium Heat
Gentle Cycle
Gentle Cycle
No Heat
Gentle Cycle No Heat
Gentle Cycle
Low Heat
Gentle Cycle Low Heat
Gentle Cycle
Medium Heat
Gentle Cycle Medium Heat
Ironing symbols
The ironing symbol isn't hard to spot—it looks just like an iron. Black dots will indicate heat while X's will tell you whether or not to use steam or skip ironing altogether. If you want to skip this step, select a wrinkle fighting setting on your dryer like the Wrinkle Prevent option with Steam by Maytag that tumbles your clothes with steam for up to 150 minutes after the cycle ends.
Cool
110°C or 230°F
Cool 110°C or 230°F
Warm
150°C or 300°F
Warm 150°C or 300°F
Hot
200°C or 390°F
Hot 200°C or 390°F
No Steam
No Steam
Do Not Iron
Do Not Iron
Dry Cleaning symbols
If you see a plain circle on your tag, that means your item is best left to a dry cleaning professional.
Dry Clean
Dry Clean
Do Not Dry Clean
Do Not Dry Clean
Letter tells the dry cleaner the process
Letter tells the dry cleaner the process
LAUNDRY SYMBOLS & LAUNDRY CYCLES
Now that you’re a pro at recognizing clothing care symbols, check out the features that can help you tackle load after load. Maytag® washers and dryers come with a variety of cycles and options for different load types. When you pair your new laundry-symbol knowledge with these cycles, you've got one powerful way to take on laundry day.
And for even more ways to get the most out of laundry day, read about the types of detergent that are best for your loads.
More ways to get laundry right
HOW TO REMOVE STAINS FROM CLOTHES
Get tips on stain removal—from red wine to blood and ink, Maytag is here to help.
WASHING MACHINE SETTINGS EXPLAINED
Dive into this guide on laundry cycles — discover how they work and when to use them.
HOW TO DO LAUNDRY, FROM START TO FINISH
Master laundry fundamentals with this seven-step guide.
