Very mild / delicate wash
Two bars mean an ISO very mild wash. ASTM/US calls it a delicate or gentle cycle with slow agitation and reduced time.
What to do
Use the ISO very mild process or the US delicate/gentle cycle, according to the label.
What to avoid
Don't overload the drum or add heavy items. The two bars call for strongly reduced mechanical action.
How to spot it on a label
The washtub comes first in the care row, and the key marks sit just below it. Confirm two separate horizontal bars under the tub, outside its outline, with no hand inside; dots or a printed number inside the tub are temperature marks instead.
Easy to confuse with
- Very mild / delicate washMild / permanent-press wash
Check the mark
Count the bars directly under the tub: this one has two, while the one-bar mild symbol has one.
- Very mild / delicate washMachine wash, warm (40°C / 2 dots)
Check the mark
Check the pair's position and shape: these are horizontal bars below the tub, not two round dots inside it.
- Very mild / delicate washHand wash only
Check the mark
Look inside and below the tub: this one has an empty tub with two bars underneath, not a hand inside.
On a real label
Lace blouse
Read together: Use a very mild machine-wash process. Do not bleach or tumble dry, keep the iron on low, or use professional P-solvent dry cleaning.
Fine-gauge knit cardigan
Read together: Choose the two-bar very mild process. Do not bleach, lay flat to dry, keep the iron on low, or use professional P-solvent dry cleaning.
- Category
- Washing
- Appears on
- US and international labels
- Commonly seen on
- Often appears on lingerie, knits, and silk blends.
Related symbols
- Hand wash only Hand wash, not machine wash. ISO has an ambient-water variant (20-30°C) and another marked up to 40°C. An unqualified ASTM/US instruction does not itself mean cool water.
- Mild / permanent-press wash One bar means an ISO mild wash with reduced mechanical action. On ASTM/US labels it means permanent press, including a cool-down or cold rinse before reduced spinning.
Common questions
-
What do two lines under the wash tub mean?
- They require the most restricted machine-wash process in this family: very mild under ISO, and delicate or gentle under ASTM/US. Count both bars below the tub.
-
Do two lines under the tub mean 40C?
- No. Bars below the tub change the washing process. On an ASTM label, two dots inside the tub set a 40°C maximum.
-
Is delicate wash the same as hand wash?
- No. Two bars still permit a very mild machine process; the hand-in-tub mark specifies manual washing instead.
-
Can I use permanent press instead of a two-bar delicate cycle?
- No. One bar requires a mild process, while two bars require a more restricted very mild process. Use the cycle called for by the label.