Machine wash, warm (40°C / 2 dots)
Machine wash this in water up to 40°C. Two dots in the US.
What to do
Wash at up to 40°C (two dots).
What to avoid
Cooler is fine. Hotter than 40°C is more than this label allows.
How to spot it on a label
Find the washtub first at the left end of the label. This variant has 40 printed inside on an ISO label or exactly two dots inside on an ASTM label; make sure the two marks are inside the tub rather than two bars below it.
Easy to confuse with
- Machine wash, warm (40°C / 2 dots)Machine wash, cold (30°C / 1 dot)
Check the mark
Count inside the tub: this one has two dots or 40, while the colder mark has one dot or 30.
- Machine wash, warm (40°C / 2 dots)Machine wash, hot (50°C / 3 dots)
Check the mark
Count the dots before choosing a setting: this one has two, not three; the ISO version reads 40, not 50.
- Machine wash, warm (40°C / 2 dots)Very mild / delicate wash
Check the mark
Check where the pair sits: these are two dots inside the tub, not two horizontal bars underneath it.
On a real label
Polyester-cotton work shirt
Read together: Machine wash at no more than 40°C. Use only non-chlorine bleach if needed, tumble dry and iron at medium heat, or use professional P-solvent dry cleaning.
Reusable cotton napkins
Read together: Machine wash at no more than 40°C. Any bleach may be used if needed, tumble drying is allowed at medium heat, and ironing is allowed on high.
- Category
- Washing
- Appears on
- US and international labels
- Commonly seen on
- Often appears on everyday mixed loads and colorfast cottons or synthetics.
Related symbols
Common questions
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Is 40C the same as two dots?
- Yes. ISO writes 40 in the tub, while ASTM uses two dots. Both mean do not wash hotter than 40°C.
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Can I wash a 40C garment at 30?
- Yes. The 40°C mark is the maximum allowed temperature, not a required target, so 30°C is within the limit.
-
Do two bars under the wash tub mean 40C?
- No. Two dots inside the tub are the ASTM temperature mark for 40°C. Two horizontal bars underneath the tub identify a very mild washing process.
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Does a 40C label require an exact 40-degree wash?
- No. Do not go hotter than 40°C, but you may choose a cooler wash.