Those little tags sewn into your clothes aren’t just annoying — they’re a roadmap to keeping your garments looking new for years. At Delago, our first step with every garment is reading the care label. Here’s how you can do the same.
The Five Universal Symbols
Every care label uses five categories of symbols: a tub (washing), a triangle (bleaching), a square (drying), an iron (ironing), and a circle (professional cleaning). Each symbol can have dots (indicating temperature), lines (indicating gentleness), or an X (indicating ‘do not’). Learning these five shapes unlocks every care label in the world.
Washing Symbols Decoded
A plain tub means machine wash. One dot inside = cold (30°C), two dots = warm (40°C), three dots = hot (60°C). A hand inside the tub means hand wash only. A crossed tub means do not wash with water at all — dry clean only.
The Ironing Guide
Similarly, dots inside the iron symbol indicate temperature: one dot for low heat (silk, synthetics), two for medium (wool), and three for high heat (cotton, linen). A crossed iron means no ironing — common on printed or embellished garments.
When You See the Circle
A circle means professional cleaning. A letter inside (P, F, or W) tells the dry cleaner which solvent to use. At Delago, our experts read these symbols first and select the appropriate cleaning method for every single garment.
Pro Tip: When in Doubt
If the label is missing, faded, or confusing, always err on the side of caution: cold water, gentle cycle, air dry. Or better yet, bring it to Delago — our fabric specialists can identify the material and recommend the safest cleaning method.
