Laundry Care Symbols — JIS L0001 / ISO 3758 guide
Look up washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional-care symbols from the new JIS L0001 standard (identical to ISO 3758) — around 30 core symbols with plain-language meanings and instant search.
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Washing
Bleaching
Drying
Ironing
Professional care
Symbols follow the new JIS L0001 standard, which is identical to ISO 3758 — the temperatures and treatments shown are maximums. Always follow the care label sewn into the garment itself; fabrics and trims vary by item.
About this tool
Ever stared at a care label wondering what a circled letter or a crossed-out triangle allows? This laundry symbol reference decodes the current international care symbols (ISO 3758, adopted in Japan as the new JIS standard): washing tubs with temperatures and gentleness bars, bleach triangles, tumble-dry and natural-drying squares, iron dots, and the circles for professional cleaning. Browse by category or look up a specific symbol before you ruin a favourite sweater. The whole chart is built into the page and works in your browser — nothing is sent anywhere, and it stays usable offline next to the washing machine.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Japanese care labels change in 2016?
In December 2016 Japan replaced its old domestic care symbols with JIS L0001, which adopts the international ISO 3758 set. The old system, with katakana and Japanese-specific pictograms, meant imported clothes and exported Japanese garments needed different labels. The switch unified labelling with most of the world, but it also grew the symbol count from 22 to 41 and changed some meanings — the tub now shows the water temperature as a number, and hand-wash and dryer symbols look different — so older charts no longer match.
What are the most commonly misread symbols?
Three big ones. First, the number in the wash tub is the maximum water temperature in °C — "40" means up to 40°C, not "wash at 40". Second, a cross through any symbol means that treatment is prohibited: a crossed tumble-dry square is not a suggestion. Third, the bars under a tub or square mean gentler: one bar is a mild cycle, two bars very mild — many people miss them entirely. Dots also scale intensity: more dots on an iron or dryer mean higher heat allowed.
Do I have to follow the label exactly?
The label states the harshest treatment the maker has verified as safe for that specific garment — fabric, dye, trims and construction included. You can always be gentler than the label (cooler water, a milder cycle, line drying), and that is often wise for dark colours and knits. Going harsher is the gamble: shrinkage, bleeding and felting are usually irreversible. Note that identical-looking garments can carry different labels because of different dyes or linings, so check each item rather than assuming.