Choosing the right drying cycle 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.
- Use a low heat or delicate setting. High heat can cause shrinkage, especially for cotton and other natural fibers. - Choose the delicate or gentle cycle if your dryer has this option. This cycle uses lower temperatures and is more gentle on fabrics. - Avoid over-drying.
TUMBLE DRY MEDIUM
Medium heat will dry fabrics slower and gentler than high heat, helping prevent wrinkles from setting while protecting synthetic fibers which can ripple under high heat.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Load the dryer: Don't overload – clothes need room to tumble freely. Select the appropriate cycle: Use the right setting for your clothes. Start the cycle: Close the door and press start. Remove clothes promptly: This reduces wrinkles and makes ironing easier.
Some dryers can leave brown stains on clothes due to the clothes rubbing across or getting caught in loose felt drum seals. Use a white cloth or rag to rub the inside perimeter of the dryer drum at the front and back to see if you get brown marks on the cloth or rag.
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.
"Tumble dry" on an LG dryer means drying clothes by spinning them in the machine, avoiding shrinking or damage. Settings include Normal for cotton, Damp Dry for easy ironing, Low Temperature for delicates, and Energy Saver for heavy fabrics.
Extra Dry –The extra dry setting means a longer cycle time, to ensure bulkier items are completely dry. This setting is perfect for drying items like bedding and towels. Cupboard Dry– This setting ensures your laundry is dry enough to be put away immediately, once the cycle is complete.
Tumble dry is when you put your laundry items into the dryer instead of air-drying them. Every setting you choose when using your dryer is considered a tumble dry setting. Pretty simple, right?
On top of this, off-peak electricity is also available between the hours of 10pm and 8am, which can make all the difference when running your tumble dryer. However, it is important to keep in mind that you shouldn't leave your tumble dryer running for hours during the night unattended as this could become a fire risk.
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 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.
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.
The alternative to tumbling dry in an automatic dryer is hanging the clothes on a clothesline or rack to air dry. Dryers have multiple cycle and temperature settings. If you use the same cycle and temperature setting for every load, your clothes and linens will suffer.
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.
Tumble Dry Medium Heat Symbol
A box with a circle and two dots inside the circle means dry on medium heat.
Square with circle in it
Two dots means it can be dried on a high heat. If there is a cross through it, this is the do not tumble dry symbol, so the item is not suitable to be tumble-dried.
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.