What does the machine wash icon (basin with water) mean: interpretation and care recommendations

If the item is machine washable, the icon on the label will confirm this. This symbol looks like a schematically depicted basin filled with water. Its presence means that the manufacturer allows the product to be washed in water of any temperature, on any mode. If there are three dots in the center of the image, a machine wash program with water heated to 50° C is acceptable. There are other variations of this symbol.

Recommendations

To ensure that the item does not lose its brightness of color, shape and other properties, it must be washed in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. The necessary information is present in the form of symbols placed on a special tag sewn into the side inner seam. By deciphering the icons, you can understand whether the item can be washed, bleached, ironed, or dry-cleaned.

The icon located on the left edge (first in the row) will indicate whether washing in the washing machine is allowed. This mode is not always suitable for delicate items. Machine wash is acceptable for different types of clothing. Automatic washing machines have special modes for synthetics, cotton, and wool.

The given program regulates:

• heating water;
• washing time;
• drum rotation speed;
• number of revolutions during spinning.

The frequency of washing depends not only on the type of fabric, but also on the purpose of the item.For example, it is not recommended to machine wash jackets frequently, even if the label on the clothing allows it. Due to spinning in the drum, the filler may break through or clump together. Be sure to pay attention to the maximum permissible temperature at which the item can be machine washed. This parameter can be indicated by numbers or the number of dots inside the icon.

What does the icon look like?

The machine wash icon looks like a basin with waves along the top edge. If the symbol does not contain any other elements, the housewife can choose any mode convenient for herself, apply soaking and pre-wash, and set the desired water heating.

The symbol designation will be different if:

1. A straight line is depicted under the basin. In this case, the product is subjected to gentle washing only.
2. There is a dotted line below the symbol. This means that a gentle wash is recommended.
3. The basin with water is crossed out by two lines - machine washing is prohibited.

Temperature parameters are set in the form of numbers (30°, 40°, 50°, 60°, 70°, 95°). Instead of numbers, there may be dots from one to six inside the symbol, where one means heating up to 30 ° C, and six - up to 95 ° C. If the sign depicts a basin of water in which the hand is lowered, this means that the item can only be washed in hand wash mode. Sometimes the labels indicate a rectangle enclosed in a circle - it is prohibited to wash the product in a machine.

Olga

Question to the expert

What not to do

Washing in an automatic machine makes the housewife’s work much easier. In order for things to be washed efficiently and the equipment itself to serve for a long time, you must adhere to the general rules for using a washing machine. The following things should never be done:

1. Overload the washing machine by filling it with too much laundry.Typically, the equipment manufacturer indicates what loading weight a particular model is designed for. These numbers must be adhered to without going beyond the limits. If the drum is overloaded, the machine may break during washing.


2. Different types of fabric absorb different amounts of water. If this is not taken into account, the quality of the wash will decrease and the unit will operate under increased load. With woolen items, fill the drum one-third full, with synthetics – half-fill; for cotton, you can use a full load.


3. Use hand washing powder. Powders intended for automatic machines contain special substances - defoamers. Hand washing products have a completely different composition and produce abundant foam. As a result, things will not be washed properly, and the foam, despite the seal, will penetrate outside. As a result, you will have to spend time cleaning and washing clothes. If this happens by accident (the powder is mixed up), you must immediately turn on the rinse and spin mode.


4. Change the selected program during washing. A sudden change of mode can damage the electronics. As a result, the unit will freeze for a long time or require repair.


5. Open the hatch of the front-loading machine during the process. In such a situation, water will rush to the floor, creating a small flood. If we are talking about a unit with vertical loading, this rule can be ignored.

After the running process is completed, the machine must be disconnected from the network, otherwise the household appliance may break. You cannot wash items of different colors together; they are sorted before washing.

What can you do

A label that allows machine washing, but says nothing about the use of detergents.To wash things, it is not necessary to use loose powder or gel. You can use grated laundry soap and soda ash. Both products cope well with stains.

Soda is used only for natural fabrics (cotton, linen) at a heating temperature of 50-70° C. It is better to load large items at the same time as small items of clothing, then the laundry will be distributed evenly in the drum. Very small and delicate items are first placed in a special mesh bag.

For everyday clothes made from different types of fabrics, it is better to use warm water heated to 30-40° C. This washing mode can be considered universal. The boiling program allows you not only to wash things well, but also to disinfect them if necessary. Washing at 95° C is used for bed linen on which a sick person slept, things for newborns, and medical products.

The symbols on the labels help you better understand what care is suitable for a particular item. The symbols are standard, so they are easy to decipher. Following the recommendations will extend the life of textile products and keep them looking fresh for a long time.