Delicates: Low heat, so drying time will be longer. It is best to use this setting to use for delicate fabrics.
The less heat the gentler it is on your clothes. 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.
The “permanent press” or “wrinkle-resistant” setting is a great choice for many of your everyday clothing items — from slacks and dresses to outerwear and jackets. This setting generates a medium heat. It will dry your clothes without inflicting the damage high heat can cause.
Heat pump condenser dryers take a little longer to dry a typical load of laundry because they use lower temperatures than a vented dryer, but this means they're gentler on your clothes.
Delicates or Less Dry
This dryer setting uses a low temperature to dry and help prevent your clothes from shrinking. This is best used for lightweight shirts and pants, delicates and athletic wear.
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. Air Fluff: Not used for drying.
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.
Use low heat – You'll use less energy with a longer dry cycle at a lower heat setting than with a shorter cycle at a higher temperature.
A heat pump dryer uses clever tech to create and evenly distribute warm air to dry your clothing. It continuously reheats and recycles the same air back into the drum. They naturally dry at lower temperatures so they're gentler on clothing.
For polyester and mixed fabrics, use the synthetics cycle, which operates at medium heat. Delicate items benefit from the low heat of the delicates cycle. If you're in a hurry, many dryers offer a quick dry cycle for small loads or items you need fast.
“Tumble dry low” means to dry your item in the dryer on a low heat setting or Delicate cycle. Low heat is usually around 125 degrees Fahrenheit and is designed for delicate items like knitwear or sheer fabrics, as well as workout clothes made of high-performance fabric like spandex and lycra.
This cycle protects delicate textiles by using less agitation. It is ideal for "hand wash only" products or anything that requires extra care to extend its lifespan. Overall, the gentle cycle is intended to gently clean while preserving the material's integrity.
The regular cycle is your go-to cycle for towels, sheets, sweats, and jeans. Whether you choose automatic dry, which uses a moisture sensor to determine if your clothes are dry, or select the amount of time you feel the clothes need, the regular cycle is going to use the highest heat setting available on your dryer.
As you might've guessed, the delicate (or gentle) cycle is for your most delicate items. This dryer setting uses the lowest heat and a longer time to dry items. “The lower heat is good for more delicate fabrics, like rayon and chiffon, or items with embellishments or embroidery,” says Wang.
Vary the heat levels: Not every fabric should be dried using a hot setting. Excessively high heat contributes to shrinkage and over-drying clothing causes damage to fabrics. Never overload the dryer: Your clothes need room to tumble freely for efficient drying and to prevent wrinkles.
We've already established that overnight is the cheapest time to do your laundry. However, that's not the only factor to consider.
Benefits of the Air Fluff Cycle
Consumes less energy compared to heated cycles: Utilizes only air circulation, helping to reduce energy consumption.
A dryer Delicate cycle is typically a tumble dry cycle that uses low heat. Low heat helps protect heat-sensitive fabrics from fraying, fading, shrinking, stretching and warping. Depending on the make and model of your dryer, the cycle may be labeled Delicate, Gentle or Tumble Dry Low.
STEP 1: Consult the care guide on clothing tags
If your garment is missing the care tag, a good laundry tip to help prevent shrinking in general is to wash on cold, delicate cycles and dry with low or no heat.
“A good general rule of thumb is to stick to cold and delicate cycles,” says LaLonde. “Cold cycles are the way to go to prevent shrinking. Most fabrics are much more susceptible to shrinking when exposed to high heats.”
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.
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.
Use Automatic Dry for best drying results. Use Timed Dry for the occasional damp load that needs more drying time.