Welcome to The Information, a collection of the very best advice pulled from a decade's worth of Esquire's Big Black Book—plus even more new, indispensable guidance delivered regularly. Life is complicated. We're here to uncomplicate it.
Those labels on your clothes mean something, you know. The can tell you whether something is too delicate to toss in the washing machine, whether bleach will render it not stain-free but utterly destroyed, and whether you need to bust out the drying rack—maybe a clothesline, if you're feeling nostalgic—instead of reaching for the tumble dryer. In short, they can save your beloved garments from a bitter end. But only if you know how to read them.
WHAT IT MEANS: Hand-wash.
WHAT IT REALLY MEANS: Wash in warm water (between 90 and 105 degrees) mixed with detergent. Don’t scrub too hard.
WHAT IT MEANS: Do not iron.
WHAT IT REALLY MEANS: Use a steamer to work out the wrinkles, or take it to a dry cleaner.
WHAT IT MEANS: Do not tumble dry.
WHAT IT REALLY MEANS: Drape the washed garment over a clothesline or a dry, clean surface that won’t warp the garment’s shape. Let dry.
WHAT IT MEANS: Do not bleach.
WHAT IT REALLY MEANS: Check your laundry detergent’s ingredients for bleach’s chemical name, sodium hypochlorite.
WHAT IT MEANS: Dry-clean.
WHAT IT REALLY MEANS: Always take delicate fabrics like silk to a dry cleaner. You can hand-wash some stuff yourself, but it’s risky.
WHAT IT MEANS: Machine-wash.
WHAT IT REALLY MEANS: Number of dots indicates temperature. One is cold.
