Do not wash
The item is not to be washed.
How to read it
A crossed-out washtub means the item is not suitable for washing in water, by machine or by hand.
Where a garment's own label or its manufacturer says otherwise, that takes precedence.
How well people know it
The washtub is one of the best-known care symbols. In a survey of 6,000 people in six European countries, carried out by IPSOS for GINETEX in December 2016, the washing and ironing symbols were the best understood: 91% of people read the washing symbol correctly.
Read next
More laundry symbols
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with crosses or curves and waves.
Sources
- Textiles — Care labelling code using symbols, ISO 3758, ISO, Abstract (ISO 3758:2023)
- Standard Guide for Care Symbols for Care Instructions on Textile Products, ASTM D5489, ASTM International, section 4.6 (ASTM D5489-25)
- Textile Care Symbols, GINETEX, the International Association for Textile Care Labelling, p. 5
- Guide to Apparel and Textile Care Symbols, CAN/CGSB-86.1-2003, Office of Consumer Affairs, Government of Canada, p. 2
- A barometer for textile care labelling in Europe, IPSOS study for GINETEX, December 2016, GINETEX, the International Association for Textile Care Labelling
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed September 24, 2026. How we research
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