Machine wash, any temperature
North American symbol: machine wash at any water temperature on a normal cycle. An empty tub with no number and no dots sets no temperature limit.
North American symbol
What to do
Any programme and temperature is within the label; choose by how dirty the item is (hot for towels and bedding, cool for everyday loads).
- Maximum temperature
- None stated by this symbol
- Family
- Washing (tub)
- ISO 3758 name
- None — this is a North American (ASTM D5489) symbol with no ISO 3758 equivalent
- Distinguishing mark
- empty tub · US
Where this symbol comes from
This is a North American (ASTM D5489 / Canadian guide) meaning. On ISO labels the tub always carries a temperature, a hand or a cross; GINETEX's list has no empty-tub instruction.
Often confused with
The item can be machine washed in water up to 95 °C on a normal, full-agitation cycle. It is the hottest wash any care label allows — in practice a boil wash for sturdy whites.
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 barDo not washcrossDo not wringcrossed twist · US
Sources
- Government of Canada, Office of Consumer Affairs — Guide to Apparel and Textile Care Symbols (North American system) — checked 2026-09-22
- US Federal Trade Commission — Clothes Captioning: Complying with the Care Labeling Rule — checked 2026-09-22
Meanings are paraphrased from these sources, not quoted, and checked on the date shown.