Bedding Laundry Symbols: What Each Care Label Mark Means
A bedding care label uses five kinds of symbol: a washtub for washing, a triangle for bleach, a square for drying, an iron for ironing and a circle for professional care. Read them in that order. The number in the tub is the hottest wash the item should have, and any bars beneath a symbol mean a gentler programme. This guide shows how to read each mark on sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases. It also covers what 30°C really means and how to keep lint off your linen.
Key Takeaways
- The five symbol groups are washing (tub), bleaching (triangle), drying (square), ironing (iron) and professional care (circle).
- The number in the tub is the maximum wash temperature in Celsius. Choose that setting or a lower one.
- Bars under a symbol mean reduced agitation: select a gentler machine programme.
- A cross through any symbol means that treatment is not allowed.
- Washing like with like, and cleaning machine filters, helps keep lint off sheets.
Table of Contents
- The five symbol groups on a bedding label
- Washing symbols: the tub, the number and the bars
- Is 30°C a cold wash?
- Bleaching symbols: the triangle
- Drying symbols: the square
- Ironing symbols: the iron
- Professional care: the circle
- Reading a full label: a worked example
- Machine symbols are different from care labels
- How to get lint off sheets
- Our perspective
- Bedding that makes care labels easy to follow
- FAQ
- Sources
The five symbol groups on a bedding label
Every care label follows the same order. Official guidance in Australia lists the groups as washing (the washtub), bleaching (the triangle), drying (the square), ironing (the iron) and professional care (the circle). Bedding labels use the same system as clothing labels, so once you can read one you can read all of them.
On sheets, the label is usually a small sewn-in tag at a seam, often on the corner of a fitted sheet, along the hem of a duvet cover or inside a pillowcase opening. Duvet cover sets often carry one label per piece, so check each item. Fabrics differ, and a silk pillowcase may carry different marks from a cotton or linen sheet in the same set.
| Group | Shape | What it governs |
|---|---|---|
| Washing | Tub | Maximum temperature and programme |
| Bleaching | Triangle | Whether bleach is allowed |
| Drying | Square | Tumble drying and natural drying |
| Ironing | Iron | Maximum soleplate heat |
| Professional care | Circle | Dry cleaning and wet cleaning |
A cross over any shape means that treatment is not allowed. A shape with no cross and no number is allowed in its standard form.
Washing symbols: the tub, the number and the bars
The tub is the symbol to read first. It shows the maximum washing temperature in Celsius and the maximum process severity, according to the Australian care labelling guide.
What the number means
The figure inside the tub is a ceiling, not a target. A washing-machine manufacturer’s instructions state that the number in the care-label tub is the maximum temperature at which the item may be washed. Where no temperature is given, they advise the cold setting. A tub marked 40 means wash at 40°C or below. Washing cooler is always within the label.
Common values on bed linen:
- 30°C: a cool wash, well suited to delicate fabrics, deep colours and embroidered pieces.
- 40°C: the usual setting for everyday sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers.
- 60°C: found on robust, plain-dyed items. Match your machine to the label.
What the bars mean
Bars under the tub show how gently the machine should treat the item. The Government of Canada guide to textile care symbols lists the cycle setting as normal, permanent-press or delicate. In practice:
- No bar: normal programme.
- One bar: a milder programme with reduced agitation.
- Two bars: the gentlest programme, often labelled delicates or wool on the machine dial.
The same manufacturer guidance explains the practical rule: choose a setting at or below the labelled maximum, and pick a gentler programme when the label shows bars.
A hand in the tub, or a crossed tub
A hand in the tub means hand wash only. A crossed-out tub means do not wash, which is rare on bedding but possible on some decorative pieces. For silk, our guide to washing silk sheets by hand or machine walks through both methods step by step.
Is 30°C a cold wash?
In the UK, effectively yes. Ariel UK says most washing machines treat 30°C as their cold-wash setting, although some machines offer colder settings such as 20°C. Other guides use a different scale: the Government of Canada guide calls 30°C “cool”, and a tub marked 30 means water not exceeding 30°C.
So a 30°C tub on a pillowcase tells you the water should stay at or below that figure. On your dial, the 30°C or cold option is the right choice.
Bleaching symbols: the triangle
The triangle tells you whether bleach may touch the fabric. Per the Australian guidance, the marks mean:
- Plain triangle: any bleach is allowed.
- Triangle with diagonal lines: only oxygen or non-chlorine bleach.
- Crossed triangle: no bleach.
For coloured, printed, embroidered or silk bedding, a crossed triangle is common. Where a label shows it, use a colour-safe detergent and skip bleach entirely.
Drying symbols: the square
The square covers every way of drying the item. The Australian guide lists tumble drying at low or normal temperature, do not tumble dry, and natural methods: flat, drip-flat, line and drip-line.
Tumble drying
A circle inside the square means tumble drying is allowed. Dots inside the circle show the heat: one dot for low, two for normal. A crossed-out circle in the square means do not tumble dry. A filled circle shows a no-heat or air-only cycle.
For duvet covers and sheets, drying on low and removing them while still very slightly damp makes ironing easier and keeps the fabric smooth. If the label permits tumble drying, shaking items out before they go in helps them dry evenly, and tucking the corners of a fitted sheet in stops it bunching.
Natural drying
- Line inside the square: hang to dry on a line.
- Line with drips: hang while dripping wet, without wringing.
- Horizontal line: dry flat.
- Horizontal line with drips: drip dry flat.
Linen and silk are often marked for line or flat drying. Our guide to washing linen bedding at 30 to 40°C explains how to preserve its texture through repeated washes.
Ironing symbols: the iron
Dots inside the iron set the soleplate heat. The Australian guide says ironing marks specify low, moderate or hot temperatures, or no ironing at all.
| Marks | Heat | Typical bedding use |
|---|---|---|
| One dot | Low | Silk, synthetic blends |
| Two dots | Moderate | Many blends |
| Three dots | Hot | Cotton and linen |
| Crossed iron | No ironing | Items finished by tumble drying |
The dot count is the maximum. Ironing while the fabric is still slightly damp, on the reverse side of embroidered or printed areas, gives crisp results at a lower heat.
Professional care: the circle
A circle means professional cleaning. A plain circle shows the item may be professionally cleaned, and letters inside refer to the process. A crossed circle means do not dry clean. This is not about home laundering. Bulky items such as duvets and bedspreads sometimes carry a circle, so check the label before using a coin-operated machine.
Reading a full label: a worked example
Take a label showing a tub with 40 and one bar, a crossed triangle, a square with a circle and one dot, and an iron with two dots.
- Wash: machine wash at 40°C or cooler on a milder programme.
- Bleach: none.
- Dry: tumble dry on low heat.
- Iron: moderate heat.
That is all four instructions, in the order the symbols appear.
Machine symbols are different from care labels
Symbols on your washing machine are not the same as symbols on the bedding. On the Samsung UK support page, icons on a machine show what it is doing or give extra information, and their availability and appearance vary by model. Care-label symbols guide washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional cleaning. Match the label to the programme on the dial, not the other way round.
A bedding or bulky programme is useful for duvet covers and larger sheets. One manufacturer’s manual lists a bedding and towels programme with a 30 to 90°C range, but the correct setting within it still depends on the care label.
How to get lint off sheets
Lint on sheets shows as small fuzzy balls, or as fibres picked up from other laundry. Both are easy to deal with.
Removing it
According to Mattress Clarity, pills can be removed with a razor, a lint roller or a battery-operated fuzz remover. Work lightly on a flat surface so the fabric is not cut or damaged. For loose lint, a lint roller across the sheet is quickest.
Keeping it away
- Wash like with like. A Hunker guide suggests washing by fabric type, weight, colour and care instructions to avoid lint and colour transfer. Keep towels out of the sheet load.
- Follow the label. The same Mattress Clarity guide advises washing and drying sheets gently at low temperatures to help prevent pilling. That is the same instruction a tub with a bar gives.
- Do not overfill the drum. Sheets need room to move and rinse.
- Clean the filters. Empty the dryer lint filter after each load and check the washing machine filter regularly.
How often you wash also matters for the life of the fabric. Our guide to washing sheets weekly covers frequency, and the tips in our bedding lifespan guide help linen stay soft for longer.
Our perspective
Care labels are the maker’s instructions for keeping a fabric at its best. We treat them as part of the product. Cotton, linen, lyocell and mulberry silk each have their own handling needs, and the label is the quickest way to match your wash to the fabric.
Our range covers sheets, duvet cover sets, pillowcases and silk bedlinen in a variety of weaves, weights and thread counts. Richly woven, higher thread count sheets reward careful care with a smooth, soft, luxurious feel night after night. Washing at the labelled temperature on a suitable programme is the simple habit that keeps that feel.
Our advice is short. Read the tub first, choose a setting at or below the number, follow the bars, and dry gently. Do that and every piece in the set keeps its comfort and appearance.
Roomie Design
Bedding that makes care labels easy to follow
If you are replacing worn linen, our sheets collection offers cotton, linen and lyocell options in a range of sizes, with size guides and customer reviews to help you choose. For a smooth, luxurious finish, see our mulberry silk bedlinen. Each product page gives its care details, so the symbols in this guide apply straight away.
For a matched look, our duvet cover sets pair covers with pillowcases in plain dye, floral, minimal and reversible styles.
FAQ
What are the five most common laundry symbols?
They are the washtub, the triangle, the square, the iron and the circle. The Australian care labelling guide names them as washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional care. They always appear in that order on the label.
What does the number in the washtub mean?
It is the maximum wash temperature in Celsius. A tub marked 40 means wash at 40°C or lower. If a label shows no number, machine manufacturer guidance advises using the cold setting.
What is the symbol for tumble dry?
A circle inside a square. One dot inside the circle means low heat, and two dots mean normal heat. The same square with a cross through the circle means do not tumble dry.
How do I remove lint from sheets?
Use a lint roller for loose fibres, and a battery-operated fuzz remover or a razor, used lightly, for small pills, as Mattress Clarity suggests. To reduce it, wash sheets apart from towels and dry them gently at a low temperature.
Sources
- Care labelling on clothing and textiles guide, ACCC Product Safety Australia
- Guide to Apparel and Textile Care Symbols, Government of Canada
- Washing machine operating instructions WWD 380
- Washing machine user manual
- What is a cold wash temperature? Ariel UK
- What do the symbols on my washing machine mean? Samsung UK
- Why are my sheets pilling and how do I get rid of it? Mattress Clarity
- Is it okay to wash towels and sheets together? Hunker
