What do the laundry symbols mean?

What do the laundry symbols mean?

You recently bought a wool sweater and have enjoyed wearing it. A wool sweater or cardigan doesn’t need to be washed after just a few wears, but eventually, you’ll want to freshen it up with a wash. Do you always have to wash a wool sweater or cardigan by hand? Or can you put your wool items in the washing machine, or do they require dry cleaning? Every wool garment has a care label that specifies exactly how it should be washed. Always follow the instructions on the label to extend the lifespan of your garment.

In this blog, we explain what the care labels mean.

Referring to washing machine suds.

30°C) very gentle wash

You can machine-wash the wool garment using a special wool cycle. Fill the washing machine drum only one-third full. Do not use fabric softener, and use a special wool detergent—preferably one containing lanolin.

Hand wash

If this symbol appears on your care label, you should hand-wash your wool garment in water between 30°C and 40°C. Fill a spacious basin with water and dissolve the wool detergent in it. Let the garment soak in the soapy water and gently agitate it—do not rub, pull, or wring it out! Afterward, rinse the garment thoroughly and gently press out the excess water by hand. Do not spin-dry or tumble-dry. Lay it flat to dry on a dry towel—shaping it first—but keep it out of direct sunlight.

Do not wash

It is best not to wash garments bearing this symbol on the care label. They are sensitive to wet cleaning methods or are unsuitable for washing in a standard household washing machine due to their size—for instance, a wool duvet or blanket. The best approach is to air these wool items regularly, hang them outside, or—in the case of a wool blanket—lay them out in the snow.

Do not bleach

This washing triangle with a diagonal cross—also known as a St. Andrew’s Cross—indicates that you must use a detergent without bleach.

Do not tumble dry

This symbol also frequently appears on the care labels of wool garments; it indicates that the item should not be tumble-dried, as it will almost certainly shrink.

Gentle drying process

Caution is advised when tumble drying. Select a gentle drying program with reduced heat and temperature, and a short drying time. We recommend not tumble drying your wool garment, even if the care label indicates that it is permitted.

Iron at a moderate temperature.

If this symbol appears on your care label, it means the garment can be ironed at a temperature of up to 150°C. On your iron, this corresponds to setting 2—the setting for wool, silk, polyester, and viscose. Ironing should be done lightly, using a slightly damp pressing cloth. In practice, you will rarely need to iron a wool cardigan or sweater, and we do not recommend doing so.

Have professionally dry-cleaned

It is best not to wash this wool garment by hand or in the washing machine. At a professional dry cleaner, this garment is cleaned using perchloroethylene or hydrocarbons.