An item that requires the delicate setting might require tumble drying with no heat (the square with a black circle within), tumble drying on low heat (the circle has a single black dot within it), or tumble drying on medium heat (the circle has two black dots at its center).
Tumble dry low (or Delicate/Gentle cycle) is ideal for loosely woven fabrics or anything with embellishment, like beading, sequins and iron-on decals (sports jerseys). It's especially important to dry spandex/exercise clothing on low heat because it helps retain the garment's fit and performance.
The Delicate cycle is typically a tumble dry cycle that uses low heat. Depending on the make and model of your dryer, the cycle may be labeled Delicate, Gentle or Tumble Dry Low.
Delicates: Low heat, so drying time will be longer. It is best to use this setting to use for delicate fabrics. Permanent Press: Medium heat while drying and is best used for colored fabrics.
Cold/low heat
A dryer symbol with a dot inside the circle means that you should only dry your item at low temperatures up to 60°C.
When you see "tumble dry low" on a care label, select the low heat temperature setting and the delicate or gentle cycle on the dryer. If the label is missing, here's a list of items that should always be tumble dried on low: Lightweight fabrics: lace, mesh or sheer fabrics, bamboo, rayon, microfiber, knitwear.
Drying Symbols
A square with a large, empty circle inside indicates tumble dry normal. 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.
On some washing machine models, the delicate cycle may be marked as "Gentle," but the setting functions the same: both the delicate cycle and gentle wash cycles are characterized by colder water temperatures and low agitation or tumbling speeds.
Delicate cycle:
This cycle uses the lowest temperature and the lowest tumble. Since delicate items and woolens should not be put in the dryer, we often use this setting for drying synthetics, lingerie, and other heat-sensitive everyday items.
Unlike heat-intensive drying cycles, the Air Fluff Cycle involves a no-heat, tumble-drying setting. It's a gentle, cool-air alternative designed to revive and refresh clothes without subjecting them to high temperatures.
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.
Read the Tags
"First, check the tags. Anything that says 'line dry' or 'lay flat to dry' can't tolerate the heat or the tumbling action of the dryer—or both," she says.
Use a Delicate cycle for lightly soiled sheer fabrics, lingerie, sweaters or blouses and pants made of wool, cashmere or silk. Lace, chiffon, beaded or embroidered materials should also be washed on a Delicate cycle along with anything recommending a “Gentle” cycle on the care tag.
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.
The term delicates is used to describe clothes and home textiles made out of very sensitive fibres that need to be gently washed. The wash programs are usually referred to as delicates or handwash. Below you will find a list of delicate materials: Silk.
The delicate cycle on a dryer is designed to help reduce wrinkling in fabrics that are prone to wrinkling when they are dried – such as cotton and linen.
How long should a dryer take to dry? A typical drying cycle takes about 45 minutes, but this time can vary depending on the cycle, heat setting and size of your load. Delicate cycles take roughly 15 minutes, while heavy cycles, like bedding, can take up to three hours to fully dry.
Delicate or Gentle Cycle
Activewear, loosely woven garments, silk, and items embellished with beads or embroidery are best dried on the delicate or gentle cycle. The low heat helps keep your clothes safe during the drying process, as these garments are prone to melting or stretching under high heat.
Delicate clothing is typically made from fragile fabric that may be easily damaged by normal wear and tear or machine-washing and drying. Some delicate fabrics include silk, satin, lace, and any sheer fabric, like chiffon. Care labels for delicates usually indicate "hand-wash only" or similar language.
Tumble dry refers to machine-drying, rather than letting your clothes air-dry. You can tumble dry laundry with low, medium, high, or no heat depending on the type of fabric.
The low heat setting can be used after washing a down comforter or to tumble dry a duvet (but do check the tags on the items to make sure this doesn't conflict with the manufacturers' recommendations). Low is around 120 to 122°F (49 to 50ºC) on Samsung tumble dryers, as an example.
An item that requires the delicate setting might require tumble drying with no heat (the square with a black circle within), tumble drying on low heat (the circle has a single black dot within it), or tumble drying on medium heat (the circle has two black dots at its center).
Square with circle in it
This being one of the most common of drying symbols means the item can be tumble dried. If there is a dot in the middle of the circle, it must be done on a low heat. Two dots means it can be dried on a high heat.
If the item is a sweater or other knitwear, lay it flat on a towel in a dry place out of the sun. Turn it over onto a fresh towel when partly dried. Other types of clothing and household linens can be hung to dry on a clothesline or a drying rack - again, out of direct sunlight if there's a chance of color damage.