People are only just realizing what the X symbol on clothing labels means

The symbols on our clothes can be a real head-scratcher, with X marks popping up over images of sweets, tubs of water, and even triangles on laundry tags and that's just the start.

You might have spotted an X slapped across a square icon, perched atop an iron illustration or lurking beneath one, and hovering over a circle on your clothing labels.

One puzzled Reddit user sought wisdom from the online masses, posting: "What does the black triangle with the X over it mean?." In another Reddit thread, users expressed their vexation, with one exclaiming: "We need simpler symbols than this."

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While another lamented: "This is confusing," reports the Express . A fellow Redditor observed: "I think these are not followed by most people because, save a few, most are not very intuitive."

They elaborated: "I mean, the iron, wring, hang dry and hand wash symbols, maybe even wash cold, warm and cold symbols as well, are easy to decipher... but a circle? A triangle? And a Japan flag-like thing?."

The same person argued for clarity: "If anything, these need to get slightly more detailed as being too abstract (and sometimes absolutely unrelated, like bleach [meaning] triangle) makes them really confusing."

They added: "[Like] if someone doesn't know two bars underneath intend to convey delicate instead of strong."

But never fear, Ariel, the laundry detergent brand, has come to the rescue, clarifying what these cryptic symbols with Xs signify. For instance, when you see a bucket brimming with water crossed out with an X, it's telling you to keep that garment out of the washing machine.

If you spot an X over the candy-like symbol, it's a sign not to wring out your clothes. An X over a triangle symbol indicates that bleach should be avoided on the garment with this label.

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An X over a square image with a circle inside is a warning against tumble drying the item. Moreover, an X over an iron symbol means do not iron, while an X beneath the iron suggests that steaming isn't permitted.

An X across a circle symbol is a directive against dry cleaning all these symbols on the laundry tag are there to safeguard your clothing. By following the laundry tag, you're likely prolonging the life of your garments. However, the final decision on how to wash your clothes is entirely yours.

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