Delicates and silk
A gentle, low-temperature programme with a light drum action and slow spin for fragile fabrics such as silk, satin, lace and viscose.
What it is for
Silk shirts, lingerie, lace, sheer curtains and viscose. Miele splits it in two: Delicates for synthetic, mixed-fibre and viscose garments (cold–60 °C, 3 kg) and Silks for silk and other hand-washable fabrics without wool (cold–30 °C, 1 kg). Hotpoint advises turning garments inside out and using liquid detergent.
Makes differ, check your machine’s manual: the same drawing can mean different things on different brands, and only your model’s manual says exactly what a programme does, how hot and how long.
- What it looks like
- A butterfly: two pairs of rounded wings either side of a thin body.
- Names makers use
- Delicates (Hotpoint, Miele); Silk (hOn); Silks (Miele); Silk & Curtains (Hotpoint)
Where makes differ
Hoover says the butterfly is “for silk and delicate garments”; hOn uses it for Silk only. Hotpoint has both a Delicates cycle and a Silk & Curtains special; Miele both Delicates and Silks. Wool is a separate programme on all four.
What the makers tie to the care label
The maker’s own words, quoted from the manual cited below — not our advice. The care label on the garment comes first.
“Silks and other handwashable fabrics with no wool content, e.g. satin, lace and silk”
— Miele’s manual (source). What the hand-wash label means →
Often confused with
A very gentle, cool programme for machine-washable wool: little drum movement, low temperature and a slow spin so the fibres do not felt or shrink.
Other symbols with the same shapes
Sources
No single published standard defines washing-machine or dryer programme icons, so this meaning is taken from 4 makers’ own guides and manuals, each fetched and read on the date shown:
- Hoover: Hoover UK — What do the symbols on your washing machine actually mean? — “A butterfly, for silk and delicate garments.” Checked 2026-09-25.
- hOn (Haier Europe): hOn — Washing Machine Symbols: how to interpret them with hOn — “Silk: represented by a butterfly symbol.” Checked 2026-09-25.
- Hotpoint: Hotpoint washing machine Quick Guide (GB, PDF) — Delicates: very delicate garments, turn inside out, liquid detergent (40 °C, 1000 rpm). Silk & Curtains: silk garments or curtains, curtains in a pillow case or mesh bag. Checked 2026-09-25.
- Miele: Miele — Operating instructions for washing machines, WWV 980 WPS Passion (PDF) — Delicates, cold to 60 °C, 3.0 kg: synthetic, mixed fibre and viscose. Silks, cold to 30 °C, 1.0 kg: silks and other handwashable fabrics with no wool content, e.g. satin, lace and silk. Checked 2026-09-25.
Written in our own words; quotations are the makers’ wording.