What do the 2 lines under the tub in a laundry symbol mean?

They mean “very gentle washing is possible”. 1 line means “gentle” and no line means normal washing. Garments with 2 lines should be washed in a laundry net on the washing machine's gentlest cycle (hand wash, dry, soft and so on, named differently by model), with a short spin of 30 seconds to 1 minute. The number in the tub (such as 40) is the maximum water temperature.

Can a garment with a hand-wash symbol be washed on the washing machine's hand wash cycle?

On many washing machines, the “hand wash cycle” or “dry cycle” is designed for garments with the hand-wash symbol. However, which garments it supports differs by model, so check your washing machine's manual. The hand-wash symbol means water up to 40°C, with no rubbing or scrubbing; pressing the garment in the water is the basic method.

What does the square with a circle and 1 dot mean?

It means “can be tumble dried at a low temperature (maximum exhaust temperature 60°C)”. You can use the dryer's low-heat or soft setting. 2 dots means a maximum of 80°C, so the dryer can be used at a normal temperature. A square with a circle and a cross means a dryer cannot be used (tumble drying prohibited). Gas dryers at laundromats tend to get very hot, so avoid them for 1-dot garments if you cannot set a low temperature.

Which bleach can I use on a garment with a triangle and 2 slashes?

Only oxygen bleach can be used: powdered sodium percarbonate (such as OxiClean) or liquid oxygen bleach. Chlorine bleach (the kind with a “do not mix” warning) cannot be used. A plain triangle (empty inside) allows both chlorine and oxygen bleach, and a triangle with a cross allows neither.

What is “wet line dry” (a square with 2 vertical lines)?

It means you hang the garment on a hanger or similar while it is still wet, without spinning it in the washing machine or wringing it by hand. It is meant to prevent wrinkles and loss of shape from spinning, and because water drips, dry it in the bathroom or outdoors. 2 horizontal lines mean “wet dry flat”, where you spread it out flat while wet. A slash in the upper left means dry it in the shade.

What do the circle with P and the circle with F mean?

They are symbols for dry cleaning at a cleaner. A circle with P means dry cleaning with perchloroethylene and petroleum solvents is possible, and a circle with F means petroleum solvents; a line underneath means a gentle treatment. A circle with W means wet cleaning (professional water washing) is possible. None of these says whether you can wash the item at home; that is decided by the tub symbol.

Can I wash garments with different laundry symbols together?

Yes, if you match the lowest water temperature limit and the gentlest water flow among the garments you wash together. For example, a 40°C normal garment and a 30°C gentle (1 line) garment can go together in water up to 30°C on a gentle-flow cycle. If you separate only the garment that sets the strictest conditions, the rest can be washed thoroughly on the standard cycle. Wash garments with a cross on the tub, garments with a “wash separately” note, and dark colors that tend to transfer color separately.

Which new symbol matches the old “弱 30 中性”?

It means water up to 30°C, gentle water flow and a neutral detergent, so the guide in the new symbols is “tub with 30 and 1 line (gentle)” or “2 lines (very gentle)”. The old “手洗イ 30” corresponds to the new hand-wash symbol (up to 40°C), but washing in lukewarm water of 30°C or below, as on the original symbol, is safer. The old symbols were used until November 2016.

Laundry Care Symbols Meaning & Washing Guide | Search by Look, Wash-Together Conditions, Old-to-New Symbol Chart

The Laundry Care Symbols Meaning & Washing Guide Checker shows the official JIS L 0001 meaning and “what to actually do” just by tapping the same shape as the symbol on a garment tag. It covers all 41 symbols for home washing (tub), bleaching (triangle), tumble drying (square with circle), natural drying (square with line), ironing, dry cleaning (circle with P / F) and wet cleaning (circle with W), and you can search with appearance words such as “2 lines”, “2 dots” or “slash in the upper left”. Choose the tag symbols by category and it lists, in order, the washing machine cycle, water temperature, bleach, dryer use, drying method and iron temperature. Add several garments and it works out the maximum water temperature and water-flow strength for washing them together, which garments go in a laundry net, which come out of the dryer, color-transfer risks, and even how to split the load so that “the rest can be washed on the standard cycle”. It also includes a chart matching the old symbols used until November 2016 (such as 弱 30 中性, 手洗イ, エンソサラシ, ドライセキユ系 and the high/medium/low iron marks) to the new symbols.

Look up what a laundry care symbol means

Tap the same shape as the symbol on the tag to see its official JIS meaning and what to actually do (washing machine cycle, how to dry, iron temperature). You can also search by how a symbol looks, such as “2 lines”, “2 dots” or “square circle”.

Search by appearance or meaning

Home washingWashtub symbol | Whether machine washing or hand washing is allowed, the maximum water temperature and the strength of the water flow

BleachTriangle symbol | Whether chlorine or oxygen bleach may be used

Tumble drySquare-with-circle symbol | Whether a dryer (tumble drying) may be used

Natural dryingSquare-with-line symbol | Line dry, dry flat, drip dry, dry in the shade

IronIron symbol | Maximum soleplate temperature of the iron

Dry cleaningCircle with P / F symbol | Cleaning with solvents at a cleaner

Wet cleaningCircle with W symbol | Special professional water washing at a cleaner

Home washing | Look: Tub with 40, 2 lines

40°C, very gentle

“Maximum water temperature 40°C; can be machine washed with a very gentle cycle”

Wash on the gentlest cycle of the washing machine (hand wash, dry, soft, etc.) in a laundry net. Keep the spin short too (30 seconds to 1 minute).
Use water up to 40°C. Washing in cold (room temperature) water is also fine.
A neutral detergent for delicates is a good guide (the new symbols do not specify a detergent).

How to read the symbols

Laundry care symbols are made of 5 basic shapes combined with lines, dots and crosses.

A number is a “maximum”

The number in the tub is the maximum water temperature, the dots on the iron are the maximum iron temperature, and the dots in the square with a circle are the maximum dryer temperature. A lower temperature or a gentler treatment than shown is always fine.

Lines underneath mean “gentle”

Lines under the tub or circle: 1 line means “gentle”, 2 lines mean “very gentle” treatment. The more lines, the more carefully you handle the item.

Dots mean “temperature”

Iron: 3 dots = 200°C, 2 dots = 150°C, 1 dot = 110°C (no steam). Dryer: 2 dots = 80°C, 1 dot = 60°C.

A cross means “prohibited”

Only that treatment is prohibited. For example, a circle with a cross (no dry cleaning) does not mean you can wash it at home. Check the tub symbol.

A square means “dry”

A square with a circle is for the dryer; a square with lines is for natural drying. A vertical line is line dry, a horizontal line is dry flat, 2 lines mean drip dry (no spinning), and a slash in the upper left means in the shade.

Read the written notes too

Words such as “use a laundry net”, “use a pressing cloth” and “wring gently” are cautions that symbols cannot express. They are just as important as the symbols.

ABOUT

About Laundry Care Symbols Meaning & Washing Guide | Search by Look, Wash-Together Conditions, Old-to-New Symbol Chart

The Laundry Care Symbols Meaning & Washing Guide Checker lets you look up the symbols on a garment tag just by tapping the same shape. It covers all 41 symbols of the new laundry care symbols in use since December 2016 (JIS L 0001): the home-washing tub (water temperature from 95°C to 30°C, with 1 line underneath = gentle, 2 lines = very gentle, and hand wash), the bleaching triangle (chlorine and oxygen both OK / 2 slashes = oxygen only / cross), the tumble-drying square with a circle (2 dots = exhaust up to 80°C, 1 dot = up to 60°C), the natural-drying square with lines (vertical line = line dry, horizontal line = dry flat, 2 lines = drip dry, slash in the upper left = shade), the iron (3 dots = 200°C, 2 = 150°C, 1 = 110°C with no steam), the dry-cleaning circle with P / F and the wet-cleaning circle with W. Each one is shown with its official JIS meaning and rephrased into practical terms: which washing machine cycle to use, how hot the water may be, and how to dry it. Even if you do not know a symbol's name, you can search by appearance words such as “2 lines”, “1 dot”, “triangle with slash” or “square with circle”. Choose the tag symbols by category and the tool summarizes how to care for the item in the order wash → bleach → dry → iron. Add 2 or more garments and it works out the maximum water temperature, water-flow strength, washing machine cycle, usable bleach, garments to put in a laundry net, garments to take out of the dryer and color-transfer risks for washing them together. It also finds the garment that sets the strictest conditions and shows how to split the load, such as “if you wash this one separately, the rest can be washed at 40°C on the standard cycle”. A chart matches the old symbols found on older garments (JIS L 0217) — 弱 30 中性, 手洗イ 30, エンソサラシ, ドライセキユ系, the high/medium/low iron marks and the wringing symbols — to the new symbols.

How to use Laundry Care Symbols Meaning & Washing Guide | Search by Look, Wash-Together Conditions, Old-to-New Symbol Chart

1In “Look up symbol meanings”, tap the same shape as the symbol on the tag (if you do not know it, search by appearance words such as “2 lines” or “1 dot”)
2In the panel on the right, check the official JIS meaning and the washing machine cycle, drying method and iron temperature
3Open “Decide how to wash from the tag / wash together” and select the tag symbols by category (you can also choose care terms and the garment color)
4In “How to wash …”, check the instructions in the order wash → bleach → dry → iron
5Use “+ Add garment” to add the other garments you want to wash together
6In “Wash-together check”, check the temperature limit, cycle, garments for the laundry net, garments to take out of the dryer and garments to wash separately
7For old symbols on older garments, use “Old-to-new symbol chart” to read them as the new symbols

Great for

I want to know which washing machine cycle “tub with 40 and 2 lines” on a tag means
I want to check whether a garment with “square with circle and 1 dot” can go in a drum dryer or a laundromat dryer
I want to check whether oxygen bleach such as OxiClean can be used on a garment with “triangle with slashes”
I want to know whether a garment with a hand-wash symbol can be washed on the washing machine's hand wash cycle
I want to decide whether garments with different laundry symbols can go into the washing machine together
I want to understand the difference between a knit's “square with a horizontal line” and “2 vertical lines (wet line dry)”
I want to check whether a garment with “circle with a cross (no dry cleaning)” can be washed at home
I want to read the old symbols “弱 30 中性” and “エンソサラシ” on an old garment as the new symbols
I want to share how to wash each garment by URL when asking family members to do the laundry

Good to know

A symbol shows the maximum for that treatment. Washing at a temperature lower than the number in the tub, or with gentler water flow than the number of lines, is fine.
Washing machine cycle names (delicates, dry, hand wash and so on) differ by manufacturer and model. The cycles in this tool are a guide, so always check your washing machine's manual in the end.
The new laundry care symbols do not specify a detergent. Using a neutral detergent for “gentle” and “hand wash” items is a guide based on the “neutral” marking of the old symbols.
As the Consumer Affairs Agency notes, the old and new symbols do not match perfectly. The chart is only a guide for reading old symbols as new ones.
The wash-together check uses only the tag symbols, care terms and the colors you select. Judge by looking at the garment whether the material fades easily or whether zippers and hooks could damage other items.
The garment tags you enter are saved only in this device's browser.

Questions this tool answers

Use Laundry Care Symbols Meaning & Washing Guide | Search by Look, Wash-Together Conditions, Old-to-New Symbol Chart for searches like these:

I want to look up laundry symbol meanings by how they look
I want to know which washing machine cycle a tub with 2 lines means
I want to know whether a garment with a square, a circle and 1 dot can go in the dryer
I want to know whether I can use oxygen bleach on a garment with a triangle and slashes
I want to know whether a garment with a hand-wash symbol can be machine washed
I want to check whether garments with different laundry symbols can be washed together
I want to know the meaning of wet line dry and wet dry flat
I want to know the difference between a circle with P, F and W
I want to read old laundry symbols as the new ones

FAQ

What do the 2 lines under the tub in a laundry symbol mean?: They mean “very gentle washing is possible”. 1 line means “gentle” and no line means normal washing. Garments with 2 lines should be washed in a laundry net on the washing machine's gentlest cycle (hand wash, dry, soft and so on, named differently by model), with a short spin of 30 seconds to 1 minute. The number in the tub (such as 40) is the maximum water temperature.
Can a garment with a hand-wash symbol be washed on the washing machine's hand wash cycle?: On many washing machines, the “hand wash cycle” or “dry cycle” is designed for garments with the hand-wash symbol. However, which garments it supports differs by model, so check your washing machine's manual. The hand-wash symbol means water up to 40°C, with no rubbing or scrubbing; pressing the garment in the water is the basic method.
What does the square with a circle and 1 dot mean?: It means “can be tumble dried at a low temperature (maximum exhaust temperature 60°C)”. You can use the dryer's low-heat or soft setting. 2 dots means a maximum of 80°C, so the dryer can be used at a normal temperature. A square with a circle and a cross means a dryer cannot be used (tumble drying prohibited). Gas dryers at laundromats tend to get very hot, so avoid them for 1-dot garments if you cannot set a low temperature.
Which bleach can I use on a garment with a triangle and 2 slashes?: Only oxygen bleach can be used: powdered sodium percarbonate (such as OxiClean) or liquid oxygen bleach. Chlorine bleach (the kind with a “do not mix” warning) cannot be used. A plain triangle (empty inside) allows both chlorine and oxygen bleach, and a triangle with a cross allows neither.
What is “wet line dry” (a square with 2 vertical lines)?: It means you hang the garment on a hanger or similar while it is still wet, without spinning it in the washing machine or wringing it by hand. It is meant to prevent wrinkles and loss of shape from spinning, and because water drips, dry it in the bathroom or outdoors. 2 horizontal lines mean “wet dry flat”, where you spread it out flat while wet. A slash in the upper left means dry it in the shade.
What do the circle with P and the circle with F mean?: They are symbols for dry cleaning at a cleaner. A circle with P means dry cleaning with perchloroethylene and petroleum solvents is possible, and a circle with F means petroleum solvents; a line underneath means a gentle treatment. A circle with W means wet cleaning (professional water washing) is possible. None of these says whether you can wash the item at home; that is decided by the tub symbol.
Can I wash garments with different laundry symbols together?: Yes, if you match the lowest water temperature limit and the gentlest water flow among the garments you wash together. For example, a 40°C normal garment and a 30°C gentle (1 line) garment can go together in water up to 30°C on a gentle-flow cycle. If you separate only the garment that sets the strictest conditions, the rest can be washed thoroughly on the standard cycle. Wash garments with a cross on the tub, garments with a “wash separately” note, and dark colors that tend to transfer color separately.
Which new symbol matches the old “弱 30 中性”?: It means water up to 30°C, gentle water flow and a neutral detergent, so the guide in the new symbols is “tub with 30 and 1 line (gentle)” or “2 lines (very gentle)”. The old “手洗イ 30” corresponds to the new hand-wash symbol (up to 40°C), but washing in lukewarm water of 30°C or below, as on the original symbol, is safer. The old symbols were used until November 2016.

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