The Triangle on Laundry Labels: When to Use Chlorine or Oxygen Bleach
When you reach for bleach to tackle yellowing or a stain, the thing to check is the triangle symbol on the care label. There are three versions, a plain triangle, a triangle with two diagonal lines, and a crossed-out triangle, and each allows different bleaches. This article explains what the triangle symbols mean, how chlorine and oxygen bleach differ, when to use powder or liquid oxygen bleach, which detergents to avoid for no-bleach clothes, and how to test for colour loss first.
There are only three triangle symbols
In current care labelling (the ISO-based system Japan adopted in 2016), bleaching is shown with a triangle. There are only three versions, and what’s drawn inside decides which bleaches you can use.
| What it looks like | Official meaning | Bleaches you can use |
|---|---|---|
| Plain triangle (nothing inside) | Any bleaching agent allowed, chlorine or oxygen | Both chlorine and oxygen |
| Triangle with two diagonal lines | Only oxygen bleach allowed; chlorine bleach not allowed | Oxygen only |
| Crossed-out triangle | Do not bleach | Neither |
Even with a plain triangle, treat chlorine bleach as safe for white clothes only. The symbol shows that the fibres can withstand chlorine; it doesn’t guarantee the dye’s colour will survive.
How chlorine and oxygen bleach differ
Bleaches may look alike on the shelf, but they fall into two main groups by ingredient. Check the “pH” and “ingredients” on the back of the container to tell which is which.
| Chlorine | Oxygen (powder) | Oxygen (liquid) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main ingredient | Sodium hypochlorite | Sodium percarbonate | Hydrogen peroxide |
| pH | Alkaline | Mildly alkaline | Usually acidic to mildly acidic |
| Bleaching power | Strong | Medium (stronger in hot water) | Gentle |
| Coloured items | Not usable (removes colour too) | Many products usable | Many products usable |
| How to spot it | A “Do not mix” danger warning | Powder or granules | Liquid or gel |
For clothes with a triangle and two diagonal lines, you can use the two oxygen types on the right. Powder oxygen bleaches such as OxiClean belong here too. However, because powder oxygen bleach is mildly alkaline, many products say they can’t be used on animal fibres such as wool and silk. For wool or silk, choose a liquid oxygen bleach that clearly lists them as suitable. In the end, follow the “do not use on” section of the bleach container.
For a crossed-out triangle, also avoid detergents that contain bleach
Clothes with a crossed-out triangle can’t take chlorine or oxygen bleach. What’s easy to miss is when the detergent itself contains a bleaching agent. Some powder laundry detergents say “with bleach” or “with oxygen bleach”, and washing with them is close to bleaching even in an ordinary wash.
- Wash crossed-out-triangle clothes with a detergent that has no bleaching agent (such as a neutral detergent for delicates).
- Even if there’s a stain, don’t use bleach to remove it; use a spot-treatment detergent or a dry cleaner’s stain removal service.
- Kitchen chlorine bleach and bathroom mould removers are chlorine too. Keep them from splashing when you handle clothes nearby.
Colour-loss test before bleaching, and how to soak
Even when the triangle says bleach is allowed, that doesn’t guarantee patterns, prints or embroidery thread will be fine. For clothes you haven’t bleached before, test in a hidden spot before treating the whole garment.
- 1
Make up the solution
Mix a small amount at the strength given on the bleach container.
- 2
Apply it somewhere hidden
Dab the solution with a cotton bud on an inconspicuous spot, such as a seam allowance or the inside of a hem.
- 3
Wait about 5 minutes and check
Press a white cloth on it and check that no colour transfers to the cloth and that the spot hasn’t changed colour. If anything changes, don’t use it on that garment.
- 4
Soak only for the stated time
Once you know it’s safe, soak for the time given on the container, rinse well and then wash. Soaking longer doesn’t make it work better; it causes damage and uneven colour.
On clothes with metal buttons, zips or hooks, bleach can discolour or rust the metal. Check the warnings on the container and avoid it if the garment falls under “do not use on”. Also, if the label has an extra instruction saying “do not soak”, don’t soak it, whatever the triangle says.
Old Japanese labels: the flask symbol
On Japanese labels used until November 2016, bleaching was shown with a flask-shaped symbol. The old labels only covered chlorine bleach, so take care when reading them as the new symbols.
| Old label | Old meaning | Nearest new symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Flask with the Japanese word for “chlorine bleaching” | Chlorine bleach can be used | Plain triangle (chlorine and oxygen both allowed) |
| Crossed-out flask | Chlorine bleach cannot be used | Triangle with two diagonal lines, or crossed-out triangle (it doesn’t say whether oxygen bleach is OK) |
If you want to use oxygen bleach on an old garment with a crossed-out flask, do the colour-loss test above first. The full old-to-new conversion is in old and new Japanese care label chart. In the Laundry Care Symbols Meaning & Washing Guide Checker, you can also find bleaching symbols by searching for words like “triangle”, “slash” or “OxiClean”. For deciding which bleach to use when soaking or washing several garments together, see how to wash clothes with different care labels together.
FAQ
- What does a triangle with two diagonal lines on a care label mean?
- It means oxygen bleach is allowed but chlorine bleach is not. You can use powder bleaches based on sodium percarbonate or liquid ones based on hydrogen peroxide. Chlorine bleach, which carries a “Do not mix” warning, can’t be used.
- Can I use OxiClean on clothes with a crossed-out triangle?
- No. A crossed-out triangle means no bleaching of any kind, chlorine or oxygen, and that includes oxygen bleaches such as OxiClean. Avoid detergents containing bleach too, and treat stains with a spot-treatment detergent or a dry cleaner’s stain removal.
- If a coloured garment has a plain triangle, can I use chlorine bleach?
- It’s not recommended. A plain triangle shows that the fibres can withstand chlorine, but chlorine also strips dye, so coloured items may fade or go blotchy. Use oxygen bleach on coloured items.
- Can I use oxygen bleach on wool or silk?
- Even with a triangle with two diagonal lines or a plain triangle, many powder oxygen bleaches say they can’t be used on wool or silk because they’re mildly alkaline. If you use one, choose a liquid oxygen bleach that clearly says it’s suitable for wool and silk, and test for colour loss in a hidden spot first.
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