How to read clothing care labels

Care labels use a set of symbols. Learning a few of them saves a lot of shrunken sweaters.

Washing

A tub symbol means machine wash. Dots show the temperature: one dot is cold, more dots are warmer. A hand in the tub means hand wash.

Drying

A square with a circle means tumble dry. A cross through it means do not tumble dry, so lay flat or hang.

Ironing

An iron with dots shows the heat setting. Fewer dots means lower heat.

Fabric tips

Wool and silk often need gentle cycles. Cotton can shrink in hot water and a hot dryer.