Decoding the icons on automatic washing machines

Modern automatic machines have a full range of different functions in addition to the standard rinsing and spinning. Every year all manufacturers release a large number of new and interesting models, which are sometimes not very easy to understand. The icons on the washing machine are also sometimes a mystery, especially for inexperienced users, which is why it is worth finding out the meaning of the most common ones.

Different types of icons

As a rule, standard automatic machines have several groups of symbols that are included in the main functionality. This is a set of popular washing modes, options available for customization by the user, in which time, temperature and other parameters can be set, as well as separate control buttons and indicators. Each designation should be differentiated according to the group, but it must be taken into account that the specific set completely depends on the brand and model of the washing machine.

Main group icons

• standard wash;
• pre-cycle;
• rinsing;
• rinse plus spin;
• drying clothes;
• spin option;
• draining.

Washing modes

• cotton;
• wool;
• Kids' things;
• synthetics;
• handwash;
• delicate fabrics.

Adjustable Modes

• hand and quick wash;
• cold water;
• turbo mode;
• economical;
• spin and rinse.

Separate control buttons

• drying and smoothing wrinkles;
• adding water;
• number of drum revolutions;
• temperature.

Since each washing machine manufacturer develops devices with a certain set of options, it makes sense to take a closer look at the most famous brands and find out how the functionality of some automatic machines differs from others, and then find out what the most famous symbols on washing machines mean.

How to decipher signs on clothes

All existing badges on clothing can be divided into basic and additional. Basic icons are divided according to the method of processing the product:

• drying and spinning;
• whitening;
• wash;
• ironing;
• professional cleaning: dry,
• wet (water cleaning).

Basic icons indicate the method of processing the product, and additional icons call for special caution or prohibit certain actions.

Additional characters include:

• delicate operation mode;
• especially delicate operation mode;
• prohibition of operation.

Today, symbols placed on textile products are established by the international standard “ISO 3758:2012. Textile products. Care labeling using symbols."

The symbols on clothing labels are international designations, that is, they are the same for residents of different countries

Drying and spinning

The basic icon in the form of a square, which can be filled inside with various additional symbols, carries information about the correct methods of drying the product. There may be options here:

• The square icon with a circle inside means that you can use the spin function in the washing machine, as well as dry it in a special dryer. Certain restrictions when drying the product will be indicated by additional elements. If there is a small black dot in the center of the circle, you must beware of drying at high temperatures; it is permissible to use water no higher than 40 degrees. More delicate drying will be indicated by the lines at the bottom of the symbol (1 or 2). The more lines, the softer setting should be used for drying.
• Warmer air can be used when drying the product from moisture if you see an icon in the form of a square with a circle inscribed in it, and in the center of the circle there are 2 horizontally located dots. The lines at the bottom of the symbol will indicate the degree of delicacy of such drying. In any case, this icon allows you to select drying at 60 degrees.
• High air temperature can be used if the product is accompanied by a label in the form of a square with a circle, and in the center of the circle there are 3 horizontal dots. This symbol allows for regular drum drying and spinning at high temperatures - up to 80 degrees.
• Conventional drum drying by blowing, without heating and spinning at normal temperature is indicated by a black circle inscribed in a square.
• Separately, the icon may indicate a recommendation to dry the product in a vertical or horizontal position. Drying in a vertical position is indicated by a square with a vertical stripe inside (or a square in the form of a pocket).

It is important to dry textiles correctly, otherwise it may lead to deformation of the fabric

Whitening

The rules that should be followed when resorting to bleaching are indicated by a triangle icon. Here are the possible options:

• Can be bleached. In this case, the tag will have a triangle icon. Bleaching is permitted with any oxidizing bleaches.
• A triangle with two diagonal lines inside on the right warns against chlorine bleaching. Bleaching is permitted only with oxygen-containing, non-chlorine bleaches.
• If the triangle on the label is crossed out, then when washing and soaking you cannot use not only bleaches, but also bleaching and chlorine-containing washing powders.

Proper bleaching will help preserve the original appearance of the product for a long time.

Wash

If you are thinking about how to wash an item correctly (which mode to choose, whether you can use boiling, whether you should choose a soaking mode), look for an icon that looks like a bowl of water. This symbol contains recommendations for washing the product:

• Washing at a certain temperature. In this case, the symbol will be equipped with numbers inside indicating the maximum water heating. The possible options here are: 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 95 degrees.
• The hand wash icon contains an additional symbol of a human hand. This means that the product cannot be machine washed.
• If the item cannot be washed, only dry cleaning is possible; the wash icon will be crossed out.
• Delicate washing is indicated by underlining the washing symbol with a dotted line at the bottom.
• A single line underlining the icon indicates the need for moderate washing; the mode should be selected especially carefully.

An icon in the form of a basin with water will help you figure out how to wash something correctly.

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Ironing and professional dry cleaning

Recommendations for proper ironing of the product are indicated by a symbol in the form of an iron, and the use of professional cleaning is indicated by a circle symbol. The decryption principle is the same as in previous cases:

• crossed out icons indicate that the product cannot be ironed or dry cleaned;
• uncrossed white signs indicate the possibility of such processing.

The ironing icons repeat the same patterns that are on the iron itself: ironing modes. One circle indicates the minimum heating mode, three - the maximum. Separately, it should be about, in this case, under the iron icon you can find a figure resembling an asterisk.

In relation to professional cleaning symbols, letters of the Latin alphabet are used to distinguish between modes:

• Latin F allows cleaning with hydrocarbon and trifluorotrichloromethane.
• Latin A allows you to use almost any type of cleaning.
• Latin P indicates the possibility of cleaning with hydrocarbons and chlorine-containing products.

The same signs, but underlined below with a horizontal line, warn that cleaning must be done in a gentle manner.

Icons in the form of a circle and an iron will help you navigate issues of ironing and using professional cleaning

LG

Popular LG washing devices are equipped with a convenient display and a full set of necessary buttons with special symbols, which are designed to switch between modes, allow you to select a washing program, and also set parameters yourself. Temperature and spin speed indicators are located on the right.

Some models add another row of function buttons at the bottom.

Miele

This brand rightfully belongs to the category of the most expensive, but at the same time it is very famous for its excellent quality. The functionality of the brand's washing machines is quite complex; it is worth considering that it contains all the programs and options that may be required when washing various fabrics. According to these designations, the brand’s devices can iron and dry clothes, remove various stains and perform other functions.

Which symbols are most often present?

Although every well-known brand strives to beat its competitors and constantly releases new models, replete with the number of buttons and indicators, the standard set of options is the same for each washing machine. It is thanks to knowledge of the features of the basic buttons that you can easily understand the operation of even the most complex device, especially if you already have experience using such equipment.

If you need to wash clothes by hand, you should pay attention to the presence of an icon with a basin and a hand placed in it; draining water from the drum during washing is indicated by an arrow pointing down. Two wavy lines located horizontally usually indicate the presence of a program for quickly washing heavily soiled items.

You can find out whether the machine has an ironing mode in the set of options by the presence of a button with an icon in the form of an iron.

The designation in the form of a lock, which is sometimes accompanied by a smile, allows you to find out whether the functionality of the device includes a child lock option. A dial or clock indicating another option indicates the presence of a delayed start or delayed start program. The types of fabrics that can be washed in a certain brand of washing machine are also presented in the form of simple and clear icons next to the buttons and indicators.

Some general care tips

If you follow all the recommendations on the label, problems usually do not arise, but there are also additional tricks:

1. Separate white, multi-colored, black and red - separately, these piles better retain their shade.
2. Wash synthetics, wool and cotton separately, even if they are specified at the same temperature - they need different wash times, and the cotton lint wraps around the synthetic fibers, causing both materials to form pills.
3. Be sure to check your pockets! Accidentally forgetting a notebook for notes after one wash will disfigure the entire load of laundry with small specks of paper crumbs, which will take a long time to clean off with a vacuum cleaner or clothes roller. And coins or nails will leave a legacy of rusty stains. The handles are not worth mentioning. These spots are unlikely to go away quickly.
4. It is better to turn tights, socks, knee socks and generally all knitwear, including T-shirts, inside out - this way there will be fewer pills or they will hide on the inside out.
5. Never wash clothes with shoes.
6. If the item is delicate and has accumulated a lot of dust, so that a short cycle will not cope, do not add either time or washing gel - this will damage either the item or the device. Throw special laundry balls or 3-4 white tennis balls into the drum.

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Instructions for the first washing of clothes from experienced housewives:

1. For color: soak the item for several hours in paint protectant or saline solution.
2. Dissolve the powder or gel well when hand washing.
3. Wash the item separately from others.
4. To check if the fabric is fading, wet a small area with warm water and wring it out. Sometimes the manufacturer includes a fabric sample along with the label, experiment with it.