What the triangle symbol on your clothes label actually means - and it's not what you think

You might not realize it, but there's a wealth of information available to you when sorting through your clothes for the wash.

Every piece of clothing has up to five key symbols printed on its label , but most people haven't a clue what many of them mean - potentially exposing their favorite outfits to harm and reducing their lifespan with every wash.

Some symbols, like the bucket of water with a temperature on it, are quite straightforward, indicating the maximum temperature at which the item should be washed in the machine. However, many people would struggle to explain the meaning of the triangle symbol .

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The white triangle on clothing labels can appear in four forms; an empty triangle, a triangle with a cross through it, a triangle with two diagonal lines through it, or a triangle with 'CL' inside and a cross through it.

These symbols all relate to bleach. An empty triangle means the item can be bleached.

A triangle with a cross through it indicates that the clothing should not be bleached. A triangle with two diagonal lines inside or a triangle with 'CL' inside and a cross through both suggest that non-chlorine bleach should be used.

Salah Sun, Head of Product Marketing at Beko Plc UK and Ireland, warns: "Throwing a pile of laundry in your washing machine isn't uncommon; we've all done a quick drum dash without looking to see what we're putting inside but this can damage your clothes."

"Everything you need to know about your clothes is on their labels. Knowing your symbols and clothing inside out can help you avoid laundry mishaps and keep your favorite clothes lasting longer."

The first symbol you'll typically see on a care label is the washing symbol, easily recognized as a bucket filled with water think of it as your traditional washing drum. Inside the 'bucket', you might spot various dots.

These dots, or sometimes numbers, guide you to the temperature at which to wash your items.

The symbols' numbers directly match the temperature setting on your washer, so sorting your laundry by temperature can be an incredibly efficient way to manage your washing cycles. Dots in place of numbers also indicate temperature: one dot signifies 30 degrees Celsius, and six dots mean you should crank it up to 95 degrees.

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Salah advises: "Washing your clothes at the right temperature is important for the long-lasting quality of your favorite items. Following the care label instructions can keep your outfit looking new and lasting longer, getting you more wear for your money."

Be on the lookout for unique symbols too: a hand denotes hand-washing only, while a bar across the symbol signals that the garment is not suitable for machine washing. A line beneath the washing symbol suggests machine washing under permanent press conditions, and two lines imply the necessity for a gentle, delicate cycle.

The ironing symbol is a doddle to spot as it's designed to look exactly like an iron. There are only six versions of the ironing symbol that you can find on your clothing label to help you know the best ways to keep your items crease-free.

An iron symbol simply means you can iron your clothing. This can be found on most items.

However, a few materials don't do well with pressure or heat, so an iron symbol with a cross-through means you shouldn't iron these items. You might also see an iron with a cross below it.

This means you shouldn't steam your item, but ironing without steam is fine. As with the washing symbol, your iron symbol can also indicate the heat level you should use. This symbol uses the dot method.

One dot inside your iron symbol suggests a low temperature, two indicate a medium temperature, and three recommend using a high temperature.

Salah says: "When it comes to chores, ironing isn't everyone's favorite. But you could be ironing items you don't even need to. Check your clothing labels first to ensure you're not adding unnecessary items to your chore list or damaging your clothing with a too-hot iron."

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Your drying symbol will look like a square on your clothing tag. This is important if you want to know the best way to dry your clothing, especially if you have a washer-dryer.

An empty square indicates that you can tumble dry your item on any heat setting without worry.

Salah explains: "There's a handful of drying symbols you'll want to know to keep your clothes looking their best. If it isn't simply an empty square, knowing the right method of drying for your specific clothing is important for the longevity of your clothes. Wool, for example, should typically be air-dried flat to prevent it from shrinking, or on a gentle dry cycle."

A square with a cross through signifies 'do not dry', and if there's a circle in the middle (resembling a tumble dryer) with a cross through it, that means 'don't tumble dry'. A square encasing a solid black circle indicates 'tumble dry without heat'.

Similar to washing symbols, a drying symbol underscored by a single line suggests a permanent press; two lines below call for a delicate cycle.

Drying symbols also provide guidance on how to position your items for drying. For instance, a square bisected by a single horizontal line means lay the item flat like woolen goods, while one with two diagonal lines in the top left corner is advising drying in the shade.

If you see a semi-circle on top of the square, this indicates hang drying. Meanwhile, drip drying represents three vertical lines within the square.

For professional cleaning suitable for more valuable or bulky garments, or those with sentimental value look for a care label featuring a circle.

Salah notes: "There are 10 professional cleaning labels that you might come across, but most won't apply to your home laundry. The most important two for non-professional cleaners are quite self-explanatory and the rest your local dry cleaners will be able to decipher."

"You'll need to be able to recognize the empty circle which indicates that the item is fine to be professionally cleaned, while items that cannot be professionally cleaned will be a circle with a cross through it."

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