YOU might look at the label on your clothes before washing to see which temperature is recommended.
But are you able to identify the other symbols?
People are only just realising what the triangle symbols on laundry labels are – and their minds are blown[/caption]
The laundry care symbols on labels include several small images: a tub filled with water, a circle inside a square, and an iron, for example.
They provide instructions and guidelines on everything from the best washing temperature to ironing and drying.
Put it simply, the UK washing symbols help you decide if your clothing is safe to wash in your washing machine, which setting, and what temperature you should use.
But it’s not something we are ever taught, instead, learning the meanings from others.
Someone on Reddit was baffled by the list of laundry care symbols on their label.
There was a 40 degrees washing symbol, a triangle with lines in, a tumble dryer, iron, the letter F in a circle and a square with two lines in.
In fact, the triangle refers to bleaching.
And people are only just realising there is a bleaching symbol.
One wrote: “I didn’t know about the triangle. I thought it had something to do with the clothes hanger.”
Another person referred to the triangle as a “food pyramid”.
Washing symbols
The symbol looks like a bucket or tub filled with water – except for the ‘Do not wring’ symbol.
According to Ariel, If the garment is machine washable, you’ll either see dots or numbers inside the bucket symbol, representing the recommended maximum temperature: one dot means 30 °C (meaning that you have to wash your clothing in cold water), two dots 40 °C (warm water), and four dots 60 °C.
Ariel Care Label[/caption]
If there is a line drawn under the bucket, it means that your piece of clothing should be washed on a synthetic cycle. Two lines means a gentle or wool wash cycle.
If you find the hand wash symbol on your garment’s fabric care label, wash the item by hand at 40 °C or lower, or use your washing machine’s hand wash program.
Bleaching symbols
Before reaching for your bottle of bleach to make your white clothes sparkle, it’s worth taking a look at your garment’s fabric care label to see if the clothing can handle the harsh chemical.
Ariel Care Label[/caption]
Bleach is represented with a triangle – an empty triangle means you can safely use bleach on your piece of clothing when necessary.
Diagonal lines inside the triangle refer to the use of non-chlorine bleach; however, in the case when the triangle is crossed out by two lines, you shouldn’t use bleach at all.
Drying symbols
To stop clothes from shrinking or becoming misshapen when drying, there are several helpful symbols on the fabric care label, which tell you the best way to dry clothes, and not damage the fabric.
Ariel Care Label[/caption]
A square with a circle inside means that the item can be safely tumble dried, while the number of dots inside the tumble dryer symbol indicates what temperature setting to use: one dot stands for low heat, two dots for medium, and three for high heat setting.
Iron symbols
The little iron shows you if you can or can’t press the item, if so what temperature is best.
Dry cleaning symbols
Some clothes are better off being handled by a professional; that’s when dry cleaning comes into the picture.
Laundry tips
Catherine Green, sustainable cleaning expert at smol shared her laundry tips.
How often should you be remaking your bed?
When it comes to your bed, maintaining a hygienic sleep setup can actually improve your sleep quality, helping you start every day better.
Most people shed 500 million skin cells per day and a lot of that ends up in bed for dust mites to feed on. And those with asthma or allergies might see symptoms worsen by sleeping on dirty sheets!
You want to be washing your sheets once a week – or every 10 days if you don’t suffer from allergies and wear nightclothes. Bedding builds up with sweat, skin cells and oils quickly, even if it doesn’t look dirty.
Using an effective detergent like smol’s will still give you a great clean on a 20°C cycle – that’s better for the planet and your energy bills!
What temperature do smol recommend then?
For your regular weekly washes I recommend washing most loads at 20°C for 30 minutes. It’s gentler on fabrics, slashes energy use, and still delivers excellent stain removal with the right detergent. A colder wash can actually be more effective if you opt for a bio detergent as its enzymes need cooler water; too hot and they lose their ability to digest stains. A wash at 60°c (unless you have silk sheets) every now and again can help kill off dust mites and other nasties.
What’s the difference between bio and non-bio detergent?
Bio detergents contain enzymes, which are especially good at breaking down tough stains like food, grass, or sweat. It’s best used in mid to low temperature washes (ideally between 20-40°C) as anything hotter can cause them not to work effectively.
Non-bio skips the enzymes, which in turn makes it more suitable for those with sensitive skin or allergies. Although non-bio doesn’t contain enzymes, it’s still great at removing stains and keeping your clothes clean, you just may need to use a slightly higher temperature setting to aid with the cleaning process.
