The most heavy duty and hot of setting, the regular/heavy mode on your dryer will get things dry the quickest, but should be used sparingly as it is rough on fabrics, will raise your utilities bill, and set in any stains not caught on the shift from washer to dryer.
Regular/Timed Cycle
Since this is the hottest dryer setting, it should be reserved for only the toughest fabrics, like sheets and bedding, towels, jeans, and sweatpants.
Usually, a setting called “cottons” would typically mean a high temperature. Air fluff probably means no heat is added to the drying cycle. A setting called “casuals” could mean something in between high heat and no heat.
Modern tumble dryers offer various cycles to suit different fabric types and drying needs. The cotton cycle uses high heat and is perfect for towels, bedding, and sturdy cotton items. For polyester and mixed fabrics, use the synthetics cycle, which operates at medium heat.
High heat tumble dryer setting
The high heat setting on a tumble dryer should be used for items such as towels and sturdy cotton items. The temperature will vary between appliances, but as an example Samsung's high heat setting is around 140 to 145ºF (60 to 63ºC).
If your laundry care label has instructions that read “tumble dry high,” you can dry using the high heat setting or the Heavy Duty/Sanitize cycle to dry your garments. Depending on the model, these cycles can reach temperatures up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit to dry items that may take longer to dry.
Regular, Automatic, or Timed Dry
When you see “regular cycle,” “automatic,” or “timed dry,” keep one thing in mind — this setting uses the highest heat of all the dryer temperatures.
HOW HOT DOES A CLOTHES DRYER GET? Your dryer temperature can vary depending on your dryer type and available settings, but the temperature typically falls somewhere between 120° and 160°F. Select commercial dryer temperatures may get as high as 176°F.
Next, we have the acrylic synthetic button. This feature is for reducing the heat level whenever you're drying synthetics, acrylics or any other delicate items you don't want to suffer heat damage. When you press this button, the red light above will light up to show that the tumble dryer is in a low-heat setting.
Dryer - Use the medium or low setting to dry your luxury sheet sets. Using a setting that is too hot may cause the sheets to wear out faster. In addition, the high temperatures may also cause shrinking of the fabric of the sheets, so this is important to note.
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.
Cotton clothes can generally survive being machine-dried, but pay close attention to their size and blend. Those made of 100% cotton may shrink in a dryer so it's better to air-dry them. Heavy items like beddings and towels can be tumble dried at medium to high heat to ease the process.
It has been shown that bed bugs in all stages of life die at a minimum dryer temperature of 113 degrees Fahrenheit — as long as that temperature is consistent for at least 30 minutes.
If you pull your clothes out of the dryer and notice that there are burn marks on them, your dryer is running far too hot. If your dryer is hot to the touch, that may be another sign of too much heat. Naturally, the dryer will be a little warm to the touch while it's running, but it shouldn't be significantly hot.
IS PERMANENT PRESS A LOW HEAT SETTING? Dryers with a Permanent Press cycle typically use medium heat and longer cool down periods, so clothes are less likely to settle in the drum and develop wrinkles.
Regular/Heavy: Fastest and hottest setting of your dryer. It's best to use this setting when you're drying white or light-colored clothing. Delicates: Low heat, so drying time will be longer. It is best to use this setting to use for delicate fabrics.
A condenser tumble dryer uses high temperatures to dry your clothes, reaching a maximum temperature of 70-75 °C. In comparison, the maximum temperature reached in a heat pump tumble dryer is 50 °C.
As a general rule, higher temperatures are best used for heavy items, like towels, jeans and jackets. Low to medium heat settings are ideal for sheets, blouses and undergarments, while no-heat settings are designed for heat-sensitive fabrics or garments containing rubber or plastic.
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. Washing and drying your clothes according to their care instructions is essential to avoid shrinkage, damage, and color bleeding.
After washing, choose a low heat setting on your dryer or opt for air drying to prevent damage and fading. Air drying is particularly effective in preserving the colour of black clothes.
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.
Normal and timed dry are probably both high heat and will dry clothes faster. Delicate cycle is low heat. Air dry is no heat and will take a very long time to dry.
Understanding tumble dry settings: high, low & no heat
To keep your clothing in the best condition, it's important to understand the different temperature settings for tumble dry and when to select them. Read on below to learn more about high, low and no heat tumble dry settings.