Skip to content
CHECK THE TAG / THE GARMENT CARE FIELD GUIDEEDITION 05 · REFERENCE SNAPSHOT 2026-11-01
Open decoder
Home/Fabric guide/Cotton

FIBRE GUIDE / PLANT FIBRE

How to wash cotton without damaging the garment.

Cotton is common in everyday clothing, but dye, print, shrinkage control, elastic trims and fabric construction determine the care instructions of the finished item.

FINISHED GARMENT FIRSTSOURCE-LED ADVICE
Decode the actual label
FABRIC FIELD NOTE / COTTONcottonDO NOT GUESS FROM THE FIBRE NAME

01 / BEFORE YOU START

Read the sewn-in care label first.

Use the temperature shown in the tub as an upper limit, not a goal. For dark or printed garments, separate by colour and turn inside out when the manufacturer advises it.

02 / DRYING & SHAPE

The step that can change a garment.

Do not assume every cotton garment may be tumble dried: cotton tees with elastane, graphics or special finishes may have a crossed dryer symbol.

03 / COMMON MISTAKE

What not to assume.

Bleaching, ironing and drying have separate symbols. A 60°C wash permission does not grant permission to use chlorine bleach or a hot iron.

04 / MATCH YOUR MARKS

Care symbols worth checking.

Only the garment's own symbols and manufacturer instructions can establish permitted temperatures, cycles or drying methods. This material article is not a personalized safety guarantee.

REFERENCE CHECK / 01 NOV 2026

Source notes and publication editions

Care marks describe permitted treatments for the finished article, not a guarantee of results. Some standards require purchase and the illustrations here are independent teaching representations. Read the evidence and licensing limits.