The number inside the wash tub symbol indicates the maximum water temperature in Celsius. A single dot means cold (30°C), two dots mean warm (40°C), and three dots mean hot (50–60°C). If there is no number or dot, use a normal warm wash. When in doubt, cold water is always the safest choice.

It depends on the care label. A plain triangle means any bleach is allowed. A triangle with diagonal lines means only non-chlorine (oxygen-based) bleach is safe. A crossed-out triangle means no bleach at all. For colored clothes, oxygen-based bleach is generally safer, but always check the label first.

Dry cleaning uses chemical solvents instead of water to clean fabrics, making it ideal for delicate materials like silk and wool. Wet cleaning is a professional process that uses water with specialized detergents and equipment, and is considered more eco-friendly. Both require professional handling and cannot be done at home.

The square is the drying symbol. A circle inside means tumble dry - one dot for low heat, two dots for high; a crossed-out circle means do not tumble dry. Lines inside the square show natural drying - a horizontal line means dry flat, a vertical line means hang to drip dry, and a curved line at the top means line dry.

The iron shape is the ironing symbol, and the dots show the maximum temperature - one dot is low (up to about 110°C, for synthetics), two dots is medium (about 150°C, for wool and silk), and three dots is high (about 200°C, for cotton and linen). A crossed-out iron means do not iron.