Decode the label. Save the shirt.
LaundryCode turns care-label symbols into plain instructions — every ISO 3758 symbol explained with the standard's documented meanings — then covers the six stains that actually ruin clothes, with methods cross-checked against university extension and cleaning-industry sources.
The six everyone Googles
Tap any symbol for its exact meaning. All 31 main symbols live in the decoder.
Start here
The reference shelf: one pillar chart, one decoder, one printable page.
The complete laundry symbols chart (explained)
Every tub, triangle, square, iron and circle in one printable-friendly table.
ToolInteractive symbol decoder
Search or click any of the 31 main ISO 3758 symbols for its exact meaning.
PrintableOne-page cheat sheet (no download)
Press Ctrl+P and the whole system fits on one sheet for the laundry room wall.
Symbols, explained one question at a time
Each guide takes one confusing piece of the system and finishes it.
What the dots on the tumble-dry and iron symbols mean
The exact temperature per dot — and why references honestly disagree by 10 °C.
BarsOne bar vs two bars: what the lines mean
Bars dial down agitation, not temperature — here's the machine translation.
TemperatureCold, warm, hot: what the numbers really mean
30/40/60/95 as maximums, the ~90% energy fact, and when hot is worth it.
DryingCan I tumble dry this?
The 10-second check: circle = yes, cross = never, lines = air-dry only.
Stain guides
Fabric-safe steps, what not to do, and when to hand it to a professional. Methods cross-checked between Cornell Cooperative Extension's lab-derived guide, the American Cleaning Institute and appliance-maker care guides — where the authorities disagree, we show both sides.
Coffee
Cold water, detergent + vinegar, enzymes for the set-in — plus the milk-and-cream variant.
DyeRed wine
The blot-flush-soak sequence that works, and an honest look at the salt myth.
InkPen ink
Paper towels and rubbing alcohol — and why hairspray stopped working in the 90s.
OilGrease & oil
Absorb, work in detergent, wash warmest-safe — and never tumble the shadow.
ProteinBlood
Cold water always, enzymes, peroxide — plus the bleach disagreement explained.
ProteinYellow sweat stains
Ammonia for fresh, vinegar for old, oxygen bleach for the yellow itself.
How LaundryCode is written
Three rules, no exceptions.
Standard-verified meanings
Symbol meanings are checked against GINETEX, the body that owns the ISO 3758 care-labelling standard — not against other blogs. Every page carries its verification date.
Lab-tested stain methods
Stain advice is cross-checked between university extension protocols and the cleaning industry's own institute. Where they disagree, you see both methods and the reasoning, not a confident guess.
Our own drawings
The official care symbols are a protected trademark, so every glyph on this site is our own simplified drawing — clear enough to decode by, original enough to own.