Do not bleach
Do not use bleach of any kind, including chlorine or oxygen bleach.
Prohibition: this is a “do not” symbol
What to do
Use no bleach during whatever care the rest of the label permits.
What to avoid
Don't use chlorine, oxygen, or color-safe bleach. The crossed triangle rules out all of them.
How to spot it on a label
Find the triangle in the second position and check for an X laid over it. Its two diagonal marks intersect and extend through the triangle's outline instead of sitting neatly inside it. At tag size, make sure you are not looking at the two short, parallel lines used for non-chlorine bleach.
Easy to confuse with
- Do not bleachAny bleach when needed
Check the mark
Check for an X laid over the triangle, with both diagonal marks extending beyond its border. The any-bleach triangle is blank.
- Do not bleachNon-chlorine (oxygen) bleach only
Check the mark
Check how the diagonal marks meet and where they end. The prohibition strokes intersect and cross the outline; the non-chlorine pair stays parallel and contained inside.
On a real label
Lined silk dress
Read together: Do not wash, bleach, or tumble dry; iron on low and have it professionally dry cleaned using a P process.
Waterproof shell jacket
Read together: Machine wash cold without bleach, line dry, and do not iron or dry clean.
- Category
- Bleaching
- Appears on
- US and international labels
Related symbols
Common questions
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What does a crossed triangle mean on a care label?
- It forbids all bleach. Do not use chlorine, oxygen, or non-chlorine bleach.
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Can I use color-safe bleach with a crossed triangle?
- No. The prohibition covers every kind of bleach, including products sold as color-safe or oxygen bleach.
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What should I use instead when the label says do not bleach?
- Use no bleach during whatever care the rest of the label permits. The crossed triangle does not name a substitute.
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How do I tell do not bleach from non-chlorine bleach?
- Follow both diagonal marks. On do not bleach they intersect and extend past the triangle's outline; on non-chlorine bleach they stay parallel and inside.