This Simple Hack Decodes Laundry Care With the Click of a Button—and All You Need Is an iPhone

Doing laundry isn’t necessarily a difficult task, but when you have an item that requires special care, it can be a little more complex. And some of those laundry symbols can be confusing (aka that triangle with an X through it that no one knows what to do with).

Thanks to a built-in functionality on your iPhone, you can now take a photo of your clothing tags and easily find out how to take care of each garment. First introduced with the iOS 17 update, this helpful laundry hack gives a full explanation of what each laundry symbol means, so there's no need to decipher them on your own anymore.

The best part is, you don’t need a special app to download or purchase for this feature. It’s already built right into your camera app, making this one quick and easy laundry hack everyone with an iPhone can try. And we put it to the test.

How to Find Laundry Care Information on Your iPhone

To start, simply take a photo of the laundry care label for the clothing item you want to clean. You know this tag because it will have the information on how to properly care for your garment (with instructions that can include “hand-wash only” or “wash on a delicate cycle”) and will also feature several symbols.

Once you have snapped a photo, click on the “i” symbol at the bottom of the photo next to “edit.” From here, you’ll see information that includes the date the photo was taken and the option to add a caption. However, you’ll also notice there is the option to “Look Up Laundry Care.” Click on that and you’ll instantly be supplied with an explanation of what every symbol on the tag means, letting you know whether or not you need to line dry this item or if ironing is allowed.

Does It Really Work?

Yes! We tried it and this laundry hack does work most of the time. It’s super easy once you have the proper steps to follow. Take a photo, click on the “i” symbol, and voilà! Gone are the days of trying to figure out what the laundry care symbols mean on the labels. But if for some reason it doesn't quite work for you every time, we also have a laundry tag symbols guide to keep handy.