Do you know that feeling where you spend a lot of time looking for a certain item and then you finally find it? At one point in space-time you find exactly what you were looking for and you simply fall in love with it and it seems like everything else loses its significance for a second. It’s a great feeling, isn’t it? This is the type of feeling I get everything time I go shopping for clothes. I don’t do it too often, but when I do, I know exactly what I want and I feel rather happy when I get it. But alas, the feeling doesn’t last long because after a few trips in the washing machine, your newly acquired attire loses its “shine” (I’m not sure how exactly to describe this aura new clothes have, but I like to call it shine because that’s what it seems to me). Lucky for you, there is a way to preserve your clothes’ good looks for a little while longer and even though they will lose their shine eventually, it doesn’t have to be that soon. All you have to do is understand how to take good care of them.
Just like with electronics instruction manuals, people who make clothes want to make sure that you won’t go off experimenting with their products, so they place a nice set of rules and guidelines you should follow. However, it’s sometimes problematic for people to follow those guidelines and they end up ruining their clothes anyway. This is why professional cleaners are here to help. I will tell you what these laundry symbols mean and will give you some tips on how to handle your clothes in order to keep them in the best of shape for as long as possible.
Washing
The washtub symbol shows you the way you’re supposed to wash your clothes. If it’s only a washtub, then you can clean your clothes via the use of a washing machine quite liberally. That doesn’t mean much, though, since you can still damage them if you go overboard. Just because it doesn’t say something on the label, doesn’t mean that’s not the case. If there are no other indications, then it’s advisable to use 30 or 40 degrees water with a medium programming and mild spin. This way you can almost be certain that the clothes won’t get damaged.
If there is a number in the washtub, then that is the temperature you are supposed to wash it at. The programming will be communicated to you via lines below it – one line for medium programming, and two lines for very mild programming. If there are two lines, that usually means we are talking about very delicate matter.
If there is a hand in the washtub, then we are talking about extremely delicate fabrics. Wash with cold water and by hand. If the washtub is crossed with two lines (or a triangle crossed with two lines), this means that you should not wash.
Drying
Washing is one thing, drying is another altogether. A box with a circle inside means that you can tumble dry the garments. If the same symbol is crossed with two lines, it means do not tumble dry. If it has a dot inside, you need to use the lowest possible settings. For the box with a line inside, you need to dry flat. If it has a curved line, you can simply hang it. If there is a P in a circle, this means that the clothes need to be professionally dry cleaned. If there is a line below it, this means that it needs milder processing and extra care.
Those are the more common symbols you will encounter. This should help you keep your clothes nice and clean until the next time you buy new attire.
