I just have a symbol guide printed out and laminated next to the laundry machine. After referencing it enough times eventually you memorize it. No big deal.
I don't do this yet but this was my first reaction to seeing this page.
The originals are a bit cryptic when you don't know them, but simple and easy to memorize and even easier to match against a printed sheet next to your washing machine.
I will go and make one sheet for me now.
In fact, this is the stuff that should be part of a high-school curriculum!
I can totally get behind the value of a design exercise in revisiting popular symbols, but one thing I rarely (and unfortunately) see is an admission that the originals are better. Tags wear out and tag print size varies, which the originals account for in their simple distinguishable shapes. And the learning curve is negligible, as you allude to.
This post reminds me of when a junior dev refactors a bit of code that they now find to be well-crafted and intelligible simply because it came from their own mind. However, the result is often just as esoteric and convoluted, or it's even worse!
I will go and make one sheet for me now.
In fact, this is the stuff that should be part of a high-school curriculum!