Here's what those mysterious symbols on your laundry tags really mean

To tumble dry or not to tumble dry: that is the question.

We've all been there, frantically searching our laundry tags to determine if we need to hand our new pants over to the dry cleaner - or if we can toss them in the wash with the rest of our things. And what about the weird dots and squiggles, suggesting some subtle variation in the standard wash instructions? It's a mysterious language of its own.

Not anymore. Now you can use this handy guide to decode those arcane symbols on your laundry tags. No more shrunken cashmere sweaters. No more rumpled khakis. Just clothes washed exactly the way they were intended to be washed, keeping them looking their finest for longer.

Your closet will thank you.

Check out the graphic below to see what those mysterious symbols are trying to tell you.

Dylan Roach/Business Insider