Despite nine in 10 of us owning a washing machine, 99% of Brits cannot recognise common garment care symbols, according to a survey by LG Electronics. When asked to identify a selection of symbols, less than 1% of us knew them all, while almost half admit to not even checking the label before washing. This lack of understanding, which is most evident in the 25-34 age range, can result in us ruining at least one garment per year. LG advises against just using the ‘quick wash’ on your machine, and making use of specialist programmes to ensure that clothes are cared for as well as clean.