Do not wash
Do not wash the item in water at all, by hand or by machine. It may be damaged by any wet treatment, or be too large for a household machine.
What to do
Look at the circle symbol on the same label — usually it allows professional dry cleaning (P or F). At home, limit yourself to airing and brushing.
- Maximum temperature
- None stated by this symbol
- Family
- Washing (tub)
- ISO 3758 name
- Do not wash
- Distinguishing mark
- cross
On US and Canadian labels
Same drawing in North America. There it may sit next to a crossed-out empty square, a separate 'do not dry' symbol meant to accompany 'do not wash'.
Often confused with
No professional wet cleaning. It says nothing about home washing — that is the tub symbol's job.
Other washing symbols
Wash at 95 °C95Wash at 70 °C70Wash at 60 °C60Wash at 60 °C, gentle cycle60 + 1 barWash at 50 °C50Wash at 50 °C, gentle cycle50 + 1 barWash at 40 °C40Wash at 40 °C, gentle cycle40 + 1 barWash at 40 °C, very gentle cycle40 + 2 barsWash at 30 °C30Wash at 30 °C, gentle cycle30 + 1 barWash at 30 °C, very gentle cycle30 + 2 barsHand washhandHand wash in cool waterhand + 1 barMachine wash, any temperatureempty tub · USDo not wringcrossed twist · US
Sources
- GINETEX — Care symbols (existing care symbols under ISO 3758:2023) — checked 2026-09-22
- Government of Canada, Office of Consumer Affairs — Guide to Apparel and Textile Care Symbols (North American system) — checked 2026-09-22
Meanings are paraphrased from these sources, not quoted, and checked on the date shown.