Guide to Washing Symbols (so you can do your mum’s laundry for a change!)

Mothering Sunday is this weekend, LaundryRevolutionaries!

Originally an important event in the Christian calendar, now it’s become a day for honouring our mothers and showing them how much we love them. And if you’re anything like us, your mother may have done a fair amount of your laundry in her time…

If you’re visiting home this weekend, why not return the favour? Here’s our handy guide to washing symbols, so you can do your mum’s laundry with confidence (and without ruining her favourite cashmere jumper!).

It’s not just for Mothering Sunday, of course – our care label guide applies all year round!

laundry hanging

Most people know you should separate your whites from your colours, but what about washing temperature? Have a look at the label to make sure the clothes are suitable for machine washing, and use the symbols below to work out which wash you should use:

Some clothes can’t be washed, or need to be washed by hand. If you’re not comfortable with hand-washing, you could always send your clothes to us, and we’ll take good care of them! Look out for these symbols:

So, your clothes are super clean and soaking wet. What next?

Look for these symbols to see if your clothes can be tumble-dried:

Once your laundry is clean and dry, you’ll want to give it that crisp, crease-free finish with an iron. Use the symbols below to work out if your garments can be ironed, and at what temperature!

Cotton and linen clothes can usually be ironed at quite a high temperature, while wools and cotton have to be pressed on a medium heat. Silk, nylon and polyester clothing can be damaged if the iron’s too hot, and will need a low temperature (as will beaded garments – see our tips on caring for embellished garments).

That’s the basics! Some clothes can be bleached as a part of washing, especially when you’re after those extra-dazzling whites. These symbols will let you know if bleaching is an option:

With this handy guide, you should never ruin another jumper again!

You should always look out for the symbols below, though – if you see any of these, your clothes should be professionally cleaned. Just send them to us and our experienced team will take care of them!

Live long, and launder, LaundryRevolutionaries!

Photo credit: Judith Doyle

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