A triangle containing two straight lines on a clothing care label means bleach should not be used, according to laundry experts, a detail that has surprised many people online.
The discovery came after one shopper bought a pair of trousers in Japan and found a symbol they did not recognise on the care label. Posting on Reddit, they described the label as showing the usual wash-at-40-degrees symbol, a square with a circle and a cross through it indicating no tumble drying, an iron symbol, and an F inside a circle.
What the Triangle Symbol Means
One user explained the symbols, saying: "These are clothing care symbols. 40 in a tub of water means wash at or below 40 degrees, the triangle means NO bleach allowed, crossed-out circle in a square means do not tumble dry."
They added: "The other square means it's safe to dry on a washing line, the iron with two dots means iron on medium temperature, and an F in a circle means petroleum solvent only for dry cleaning."
Laundry company Ariel said: "If you see an empty triangle, that means you can safely use bleach on your piece of clothing when necessary. Diagonal lines inside the triangle refer to the use of non-chlorine bleach, however in the case when the triangle is crossed out by two lines, you shouldn't use bleach at all."
Reaction to the Discovery
The revelation sparked discussion on the Reddit thread, with people sharing stories of past laundry mistakes and welcoming the information.
One user commented: "They should teach you stuff like this in school. I've definitely ruined clothes before." Another admitted: "I didn't know about the triangle! I thought it had something to do with the clothes hanger."
