The do not wring symbol
No twisting the water out. Press, roll in a towel, lay flat — the shape you save is the garment’s own.
Do not wring: Don't twist or wring the water out — press it out flat between towels instead.
What it means
The symbol is a garment twisted like a candy wrapper, crossed out. It appears next to hand wash and drip dry instructions on knits, silks, and anything loosely woven, and it forbids one specific reflex: twisting the garment to squeeze water out.
Why twisting is the one move that ruins it
Wringing loads the fabric along a spiral, which is a direction no garment is built to resist. Knits stretch along that spiral and keep the corkscrew memory; silk fibers weaken when wet and can break along the twist line. The damage is shape damage — it survives every attempt to iron or wash it back.
Getting the water out anyway
Press the garment flat against the side of the basin, then lay it on a dry towel and roll the two up together like a sleeping bag, pressing as you go. The towel takes the water without the twist. From there, follow the tag’s drying symbol — usually lay flat.
Related
Reading a whole tag, not one symbol? Tap everything you see into the decoder — it gives the careful combined plan.