Decoding laundry symbols on a clothing tag can often feel like reading hieroglyphics. One Instagram user is showing others how to decode these symbols with the help of an iPhone.
The scoop
Brandon Pleshek (@cleanthatup), a janitor and self-described "clean freak," shared a video of this simple hack with his 700,000-plus followers.
🗣️ What motivates you to wash your clothes in cold water?
🔘 Saves money 💰
🔘 Saves energy 🌎
🔘 Gentler on clothes 👕
🔘 I wash my clothes in hot water 🙅
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
He notes that users can use their iPhones (with iOS17 software installed) to take a picture of the tag with their camera app. Then, swipe up, and you'll find an easy how-to guide with laundry care instructions.
"[The app] will tell you what [the symbols] all mean," Pleshek says. In the comments section, several Android users noted that Google Lens also offers a similar feature compatible for non-iPhone users.
This iOS 17 update also has other functionalities, including scanning and identifying plants or searching recipes for a dish based on a photo.
How it's helping
Pleshek's tip is valuable for anyone who does laundry — so, admittedly, all of us. Improper laundry care, like drying shrinkable sweaters or washing bleeding colors in hot water, can lead to destroying your favorite clothing pieces.
But with the help of an iPhone, it's all preventable.
Keeping your clothes in good condition rather than destroying them in your laundry cycle will decrease the need to purchase new pieces. Other social media figures also have shared ways to prolong the life of your clothing. This includes avoiding fabric softener, which can cause a gunky layer of film on the inside of your machine and break down the fibers in your clothing.
Other folks have even suggested using only one to two tablespoons of detergent for each load rather than filling the container up to the fill line. Not only does this reduce the amount of detergent you need to purchase, but it also will prevent a scratchy residue on your favorite pair of leggings.
What everyone's saying
Other users were impressed that their iPhone has this capability.
"This is life-changing. I have so many tabs open on just on the laundry symbols cause I forget so easily," one user shared.
"That is so cool, thank you," another user wrote.
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