Many washing machines have a handwash program. This is for delicate garments such as cashmere or silk, and cleans more gently than the normal setting to prevent clothes snagging or shrinking.

Hand wash symboldishes

Some clothes may appear similar, but have different labels – they’re most likely made from different fibres or blends. Some fibres or blends can change size or become ‘furred’ by tumble drying. An item that’s suitable for tumble drying will have been treated to protect against these effects.

Hand wash symbolclothes

The dots on ironing symbols correspond to the dots on an iron’s temperature settings: the more dots there are, the more heat can be applied.

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Clothes manufacturers tend to give good cleaning advice. So, even if you suspect they’re being over cautious, it’s best to follow what they say.

Washing machine symbols meaning

Hand wash symbolon washing machine

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Many claim that washing at 30°C instead of 40°C is the key to saving money and energy. For this reason, you might opt for a lower temperature to the label guide.

Laundry symbols

Washing label symbols

Wringing out your clothes is possibly the most common mistake made during hand washing or drying clothes without a dryer. Twisting the fabric by hand can seriously damage your favourite item of clothing.

If your clothes are machine washable, then you'll see this tub icon on the label. The number within the tub icon shows the maximum temperature that item of clothing can be washed at. This can range from 30°C to 95°C.

If you're currently looking to buy one, not all models will dry clothes properly. We've found some in our tests that leave clothes sopping wet as well as driving up your electricity bills.

But while it may conserve energy and save on running costs, 30°C doesn't always remove tougher stains such as oil and grease.

Drying your clothes can be where it all goes wrong and you either end up stretching your favourite wool jumper or shrinking your best top. In contrast to tumble drying, natural drying symbols can be harder to interpret.