People only just realising 'true' meaning of washing machine symbols on clothes

Each symbol on your clothing labels has a specific meaning (Image: Getty)

People have been warned they could be washing their clothes, sheets and towels completely wrong by failing to read the laundry care labels on them.

For many people, taking the time to check each individual label isn't common practice.

Instead, it's more a case of throwing everything in the machine and hoping for the best.

However, consumer experts from Which? have now detailed exactly what each of these small, confusing symbols mean - and how it can end up damaging your clothes if you don't pay attention.

There's one that means you shouldn't be washing the item at all, and another which means it should be kept far away from any bleach-based stain removers.

Each item of clothing is fitted with a laundry care label (Image: Getty)

Taking to TikTok, the experts began by explaining one of the most common signs - which is the one that looks like a bucket of water.

This means it can go into the washing machine, and it sometimes has a number in it too, which indicates the maximum temperature it should be washed at.

Another similar symbol, which looks like the bucket of water but with one solid line underneath it, means it should be washed on a synthetic cycle which is a lower spin speed.

And that same sign but with two lines underneath indicates that it should be washed on a gentle or wool cycle.

If the label has the bucket of water symbol with a cross in the middle, this means it shouldn't be machine washed at all - not even on a delicate cycle.

And the bucket of water with the hand in it indicates a hand-wash only situation. However, modern washing machines tend to have a hand-wash cycle, so make sure to check yours.

When it comes to actually cleaning your clothes, you should never use bleach on anything that has a triangle with a cross through it on the label.

This means bleach is a no-go, including bleach-based stain removers like Napisan or Vanish.

And the plain circle symbol means the item can be dry-cleaned only.

Washing your clothes on the right settings will make them last longer (Image: Getty)

When it comes to the symbols regarding drying your clothes, there are a few key ones to look out for.

The most obvious is the square with the circle in it, with a cross through it, which means the item should not be tumble dried - so you will need to air dry these items instead.

The one that looks like a piece of fabric being twisted with a cross through it means you shouldn't wring out the item to dry, as it could cause the fabric to become damaged.