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Bettesworth Construction
care labels

How to Read Rug Care Labels Before Machine Washing

Before machine-washing a rug, confirm which component the instructions cover and check the permitted cycle, temperature, bleach, and drying directions.

By Bettesworth Construction Team 3 min read

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Machine-wash a rug only when its own label or the maker’s instructions allow it—and first confirm whether those instructions apply to the whole rug or just a removable cover. Check the wash method, cycle, temperature, bleach, drying directions, and warnings before loading anything into the washer.

First, check which part of the rug the instructions cover

Find the complete care label or the manufacturer’s care page, then identify the item it describes: the whole rug, a removable cover, or another component. Do not assume that a symbol on a cover’s tag also permits washing a separate pad or backing.

Ruggable illustrates why the distinction matters. Its guide says its all-in-one rugs are machine-washable, but for its two-piece system, “Only the Rug Cover goes in the washing machine”; its separate pad must not be machine-washed. Those instructions apply to the products Ruggable identifies, not to rugs generally. Read Ruggable’s rug wash and care guide.

How to read the wash and care directions

Read the written instructions as well as the symbols. The Federal Trade Commission says warnings are appropriate when a care procedure could harm a product. Words such as “do not,” “only,” and “wash separately” can limit what a symbol appears to permit. The FTC’s rule defines machine washing as “a process by which soil is removed from products in a specially designed machine using water, detergent or soap and agitation”; that definition is not a guarantee that a particular rug is machine-washable. See the FTC Care Labeling Rule, 16 CFR Part 423 and its guidance on care-labeling requirements.

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Wash tub: method, cycle, and temperature

A tub symbol refers to washing. Check for a temperature number or other temperature marking, and for bars beneath the tub that indicate a gentler cycle. The FTC-hosted ASTM chart includes normal, permanent-press, delicate or gentle, and hand-wash instructions, along with maximum water temperatures. Use the chart to interpret a symbol, but do not treat it as proof that an entire rug is washable. Consult the ASTM Guide to Care Symbols.

Triangle: bleach

A triangle or written bleach instruction governs whether bleach is allowed and what kind. Follow restrictions such as “non-chlorine bleach only” or “do not bleach”; do not substitute a general detergent or cleaning recommendation for the label’s direction.

Square: drying

A square-based symbol gives drying instructions. A crossed-out tumble-dry symbol means not to tumble-dry. Follow any stated heat setting or instruction to dry flat or on a line. If the label prohibits machine drying, a permitted machine wash does not override that restriction.

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Can the rug fit and work in your washer?

A label that permits machine washing does not establish that a rug will fit or wash appropriately in your household machine. Check the maker’s instructions for the specific rug and the washer’s capacity. Ruggable, for example, advises checking washer capacity for some larger sizes; that guidance is specific to its products and is not a universal size rule. Check the maker’s care guidance rather than inferring capacity from the care symbols.

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Example: Ruggable’s product-specific directions

Ruggable’s Striated Border Blue Flatwoven Rug page says: “Machine wash rug cover separately in cold water using a mild, non-bleach detergent. Tumble-dry on air fluff mode or lay flat to air-dry.” These directions apply to that product page, not to all rugs. See the Striated Border Blue Flatwoven Rug instructions. Ruggable’s guide also distinguishes between its all-in-one rugs and its cover-and-pad system; follow the directions for the exact product and component.

If the label is missing or unclear

Look up the maker and model and get product-specific care instructions before machine-washing. If the maker’s directions are unavailable or do not clearly say which component may be washed, do not rely on generic textile symbols alone. The FTC rule covers textile wearing apparel and certain piece goods; it should not be read as a rug-specific promise that a given rug can go in a washer. For a broader symbol reference, ISO publishes ISO 3758:2023, Textiles—Care labelling code using symbols.

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