Iron on high (three dots)
Three dots allow ironing up to 210°C under ISO 3758:2023 or 200°C under ASTM D5489.
What to do
Use the three-dot high setting. Stay at or below 210°C on a current ISO label or 200°C on a US ASTM label.
What to avoid
The ISO 210°C and ASTM 200°C limits are maxima. If you cannot identify the standard, stop at 200°C.
How to spot it on a label
The iron comes fourth in the standard care-label order, after the drying square. Look inside the iron body for a row of three dots, with none of those dots below the outline. Make sure two diagonal strokes do not cross over the complete iron. Three dots allow up to 210°C under ISO 3758:2023 or 200°C under ASTM D5489.
Easy to confuse with
- Iron on high (three dots)Iron on medium (two dots)
Check the mark
Count all the dots inside the iron body: three for this symbol, not the two used for medium temperature.
- Iron on high (three dots)Iron, any temperature
Check the mark
Tilt a faint tag toward the light and inspect the iron's center. This symbol has three dots; the any-temperature iron is empty.
On a real label
Linen button-down shirt
Read together: Machine wash at up to 40°C, do not bleach, line dry, use no more than the three-dot iron setting, and do not dry clean.
Cotton tablecloth
Read together: Machine wash at up to 50°C, use any bleach if needed, tumble dry at moderate heat, use the three-dot iron setting, and do not dry clean.
- Category
- Ironing
- Appears on
- US and international labels
Related symbols
Common questions
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What temperature is three dots on an iron?
- Three dots permit a maximum sole-plate temperature of 210°C under ISO 3758:2023 or 200°C under ASTM D5489. Do not go hotter than the applicable ceiling.
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Can I iron linen?
- If the linen item's tag shows three dots, you may iron it up to 210°C under current ISO or 200°C under ASTM. Follow that item's label rather than treating the fiber name as the instruction.
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What is the difference between two dots and three dots on an iron?
- Current ISO sets two dots at 160°C and three at 210°C. ASTM sets them at 150°C and 200°C. In either system, the extra dot raises the permitted maximum.
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Do three dots mean I must use the hottest setting?
- No. The upper limit is 210°C under current ISO or 200°C under ASTM, not a required setting. A cooler setting is still allowed.