Baby Clothes Laundry & Care Symbols, Explained
Confused by the little symbols on your baby's clothing tags? Here is every common laundry care symbol — washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and dry-cleaning — in plain English, with tips for keeping baby clothes lasting longer. Type below to find a symbol fast.
Washing
Machine wash
The tub means machine wash. Dots or a number inside show the maximum temperature.
Baby tip: Most baby clothes do fine on a cold, gentle cycle — it protects colours, prints and elastic through constant washing.
Wash cold (30°C / 85°F)
Machine wash cold, up to 30°C (about 85°F).
Wash warm (40°C / 105°F)
Machine wash warm, up to 40°C (about 105°F).
Hand wash
Hand wash only, gently, in lukewarm water.
Gentle / permanent press
Wash on a gentle / permanent-press cycle (reduced agitation and spin).
Delicate
Very gentle / delicate cycle — minimal agitation.
Do not wash
Do not wash — the item usually needs professional cleaning.
Bleaching
Bleach allowed
Any bleach may be used when needed.
Non-chlorine bleach only
Only non-chlorine, colour-safe (oxygen) bleach.
Baby tip: Safer for coloured baby prints — chlorine bleach can fade and weaken them.
Do not bleach
Do not use any bleach.
Drying
Tumble dry
Tumble drying is OK. Dots inside show the heat level.
Tumble dry low
Tumble dry on low heat.
Baby tip: Low heat protects snaps, prints and elastic — high heat is what shrinks and cracks baby clothes.
Do not tumble dry
Do not tumble dry.
Line dry
Hang to line dry.
Dry flat
Dry flat to keep the shape — best for knits.
Ironing
Iron
Ironing is OK. Dots show the maximum temperature.
Iron low heat
Iron on low heat (for delicate synthetics).
Do not iron
Do not iron — heat can melt prints or synthetic fibres.
Baby tip: Skip the iron on anything with a printed/appliqué design or snaps.
Dry cleaning
Dry clean
Dry clean by a professional (letters inside tell the cleaner which solvent).
Do not dry clean
Do not dry clean.
Good to know
Care symbols are an international standard (ISO 3758 / ASTM), so the shapes mean the same thing across brands: a tub = washing, a triangle = bleaching, a square = drying, an iron = ironing, a circle = dry-cleaning, and a cross through any symbol means "don't." Dots show temperature/heat (more dots = hotter) and bars under a symbol mean a gentler cycle. This guide covers fabric-care technique only.
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