Laundry Symbols and Tips
Caring For Your Fabric
Caring for your clothing, understanding the fabrics which the clothes are constructed from, laundry symbols, and general laundry best practices will increase the longevity and enjoyment of your clothing.
We've put together guidelines on laundry tips, common fabrics, and laundry symbols that will help you care for your new purchase. These are general guidelines and tips, please always reference the care instructions on the garment you are about to wash for best results.
Related Reading: Denim Care Guide
Basic Laundry Tips
- Always check and follow the care label on the item you are about to wash. Follow our laundry symbol guide at the bottom of this article
- Machine wash on a delicate cycle in cold water
- Use a mild detergent
- Tumble dry on low heat setting or if possible, air dry the garment
- Wash clothing inside out to prevent fading and protect any print or design on the clothing
- Wash heavier items like denim or towels separately from more delicate clothing
Care Tips for Common Fabrics
Cotton
- Machine washable and bleachable if white
- Wash with like colours
- Wash in warm or cold water to prevent shrinking and fading. Use hot water carefully, as washing cotton in hot water can cause it to shrink.
- Tumble dry on cool setting or air dry to avoid fading and shrinking.
Linen
- Cool water hand wash or gentle cold water machine wash
- Use lukewarm to cold water as higher temperature can cause shrinkage and damage the linen
- Wash colors separately. We recommend turning the garments inside out and avoid washing them with heavy items such as denim, hoodies, or towels
- Air dry or tumble dry on cool setting
Rayon/Viscose
- Machine wash with cold water or hand wash with cool to luke warm water
- Wash inside out to avoid the garment fading
- We recommend to air dry rayon/viscose so the fabric maintains its shape and does not shrink. Drying the fabric with heat will often dramatically shrink the garment
Tencel/Lyocell
- Cold machine wash on delicate cycle or hand wash
- Tumble dry on low heat or hang to dry
Nylon/Polyester/Spandex/Acrylic
- Cold machine wash
- Tumble dry on low heat setting or hang to dry
- Avoid washing or drying with high heat as that can break down the fabric and cause damage to your clothes
Acetate
- Machine wash in cold water on delicate cycle or hand wash with cold water
- If your garment is mainly composed of acetate, we recommend a delicate hand wash in cold to lukewarm water or to dry clean the garment.
- Hang to dry
When to Dry Clean
These fabrics should be dry cleaned for best results:
- Laces/Jacquards - Note that some of these fabrics are delicate so be careful around rough surfaces to avoid damage or snagging of the fabric
- Silk
- Wool
- Cashmere
Laundry Symbol Guide
Laundry symbols may be like learning a new language but they serve an important role in keeping your clothes looking their best. Following the laundry symbols on your garment will help you protect it from shrinking, fading, and other kinds of damage.
In the graphics below you will find the descriptions of common laundry symbols used on your clothing's care label. We have included washing symbols, drying symbols, ironing symbols, and bleaching symbols. Save these graphics for future reference.
