The square with a circle inside is the general symbol for tumble drying. If you see it on a laundry label, your item can be tumble-dried , and it's safe to put it in the dryer . If a laundry item should not be tumble-dried, you will see the same square with a circle, but it will be crossed out.
You should never put bras, gym clothes, and swimwear in the clothes dryer. Spandex and other elastic materials are great for wearing comfort, but they often don't do that well in a dryer. The high temperatures can damage the material, breaking it down and ruining the shape of your clothes.
The Redditor noted that "Yes, you can put dry clothes in a dryer. It's a good way to bounce the wrinkles out without a steamer or having to break out an ironing board." But, they advised that by doing this, certain fabrics can be prone to shrinkage, which is, of course, a problem.
Drying Symbols
A square with a large circle inside that is crossed out means do not tumble dry. A square with circle inside symbol and a single dot indicates normal machine drying on a low setting. A square with three vertical lines inside indicates to drip dry, usually by hanging a dripping wet garment on a line.
Not all clothes or accessories are safe to dry in a clothes dryer; instead, they should be air-dried. Items that have spandex, elastic, or rubber can break down. Other things can melt, shrink, warp, or crack.
You should avoid placing soaking wet clothes in most dryers. If you pack your dryer with soaked clothes, you run several risks. First, the clothes might not get fully dry, causing a musty smell. Second, you might damage the bearings on your dryer.
High heat might dry everything faster, but it's also a surefire way to damage certain types of fabrics beyond repair. So once you understand your machine's settings, it's important to get the temperature right.
“Tumble dry no heat” means to dry in the dryer with zero heat. This setting may also be labeled “air only” on your dryer. It's meant for very delicate items that cannot withstand any heat, but is most often used to freshen, fluff or remove hair and other debris from dry items between washes.
Drying symbols
A square with a circle within it shows an item can be tumble dried. If there's a single line under this symbol, this indicates permanent press. Two lines below means delicate or gentle. A square with a circle within it with a cross over it means do not tumble dry.
A circle in the square symbolizes a clothes dryer. One dot requires drying at reduced temperature and two dots for normal temperature. The crossed symbol means that the clothing does not tolerate machine drying.
Place clothes near a fan or a heat vent to air-dry more quickly. Lay sweaters and other stretchy garments flat on a drying rack to help retain their shapes. Turn them at least once to allow them to dry evenly. Hang fleece garments from a rod to dry.
Clothes that have the “Do not tumble dry” symbol are made from more delicate materials and/or are more susceptible to damage. Tumble drying clothes over time will cause them to degrade faster than air drying. However, some clothes are more resistant and can be tumble dried safely.
What Can – and What Cannot – Be Tumble Dried? Any clothing that displays the tumble dry symbol can safely be dried in the tumble dryer, while it's best to dry clothing with a do not tumble dry symbol naturally, either outside on the washing line, indoors on a clothes horse, or laying flat on thick, absorbent towels.
There are a number of fabrics that are safe to be placed in the dryer, including acrylic, cotton, denim, linen, microfibre, nylon and polyester. However, it's always best to read the label of each particular clothing item before putting in the clothes dryer to avoid damaging any of your favourite pieces.
When you dry your laundry, you can choose between a couple of dryness levels. This determines how dry your laundry will be. The 4 most common dryness levels are iron dry, cupboard dry, cupboard dry plus, and extra dry.
If your garment isn't suitable for dry cleaning then you will see a circle with a cross through it. If dry cleaning is permitted, then the label will also provide instructions on which solvent should be used.
So, what does a circle with a 'P' in the middle signify? The circular symbol you see on clothes tags means that the item of clothing should be dry cleaned by a professional dry cleaner. And the 'P' in the centre of the circle informs the dry cleaner what solvent and method to use to clean the item.
What do tumble dry laundry symbols mean? If your garment can be tumble dried, the laundry care label will indicate that with a dryer symbol (a square around a large circle). Laundry labels with a dryer symbol with an “X” drawn through it show that the item should not be dried using tumble dry.
Most dryers have a setting listed as "air dry," "air fluff," or "no-heat," which indicates the program adds no additional heat while spinning your garments. Instead of adding hot air, this cycle blows room-temperature air onto your clothes as it tumbles them.
Most dryers get rid of moisture by venting it to the outside. The best dryers are capable of drying your clothes quickly at a temperature that is hot, but not so hot that it scorches or damages them. Temperatures under 150°F are gentle enough to get the clothes dry without causing harm.
Avoiding heavy duty cycles, fast spins and high-heat drying can also prevent shrinkage. Use delicate cycles instead, and place delicate clothes in a mesh laundry bag for added protection. When drying, consider a low-heat or air dry setting. When in doubt, always follow the instructions on your garment's care tag.
The study confirmed some common knowledge. Drying shrinks clothing twice as much as washing, and tumble-drying shrinks twice as much as air-drying.
1. Don't overload your tumble dryer. You may be tempted to fit as much laundry as you can in your dryer to avoid putting on more than one load. In reality, dryers work by circulating hot air so filling it up too tightly will make it take longer and use up more energy.