Tumble Dry Low Mean (A Complete Guide for Drying Clothes)
Do you feel besieged with piles of laundry in your room? And want to figure out how to wash them, especially some brand new clothes. Then, you have to look at the clothes care label first to do tumble drying if you are washing them first time. So, it is better to tumble dry on low heat as they are new clothes.
Tumble drying is the best option for your very delicate clothes compared to line clothing because it provides many choices concerning heat, cycles, and timings. According to your need, choose the drying option like low, medium, or high heat, or you may also choose the no-heat option like soft fabrics don’t need of heat dryer. One key point to remember is that every clothes depend on the fabric.
Thus, it is essential to take care of clothing and fabric items correctly to make them look best till last. Therefore, let’s move to the next section to learn the guide about tumble dryers for optimized results and keep away from damage.
The Introduction of Tumble Drying
Tumble dry is the term used for drying clothes in a washing machine rather than hanging them on line or laying them flat. The advantage of tumble drying- is the speed where airflow and heat dry the clothes quickly in an hour or less. Whereas using the method of line drying takes a lot of days. Moreover, it takes less place than clotheslines or rakes. The tumble dryer technique is suitable for apartments and small houses. Furthermore, you don’t need to rush when it rains; just take all the wet clothes into the dryer, and you get the dry clothes with few creases and toasty warm.
Tumble Drying Symbols
Although, not all types of fabrics are used for tumble drying. So, it is better first to check the laundry care tag of the cloth as it shows the tumble dryer symbol. You will observe the square inside the circle where the circle indicates the heat level. But there are different designs with this symbol according to the fabric. As more dots show in symbol indicating the hotter be the fabric. So let’s learn the symbol’s meaning:
- Solid circle à Dry with no heat
- Circle with one dotà Low heat
- Solid circle with two dots à Medium heat
- Circle with three dots à High heat
- Solid circle with X à Do not use a machine dryer
Otherwise, it could damage your clothes by placing them in a tumbler. Some of the Do Not Dry label fabrics are silk, wool, and polyester.
Tumble Dry Settings for Temperature
Unfortunately, there are no possible rules to regulate specific temperatures due to a lack of guidelines (e.g., low, medium, and high). Mostly, manufacturers provide the standard range of temperatures between 125o F-145o F. The medium and high settings are actually the same in some dryers but due to control of other presets to make the dryer run longer to attain the same result. One point to note is that it is not difficult to find dryers with an excessive limit of 175o F, but not worth it as some garments may get damaged at 150o F.
1. High Heat Drying
The term dry high represents that you are drying an item on high heat, which is approximately 145o F or 75o C. High heat is the best option for heavy items like swimsuits in summer, jeans, hoodies, or towels in winter. Or else it takes a longer time to dry.
Examples of High Heat for Clothes
- Jeans
- Towels
- Cotton items
- Hoodies
- Swimsuits
2. Tumble Dry with Medium Heat
Suppose you notice the medium-dry symbol on the clothes label. In that case, It means that you should dry the item on medium heat, which is typically 135o F or 65o C. Medium heat is best for professional clothing like polyester and nylon. Moreover, it is beneficial for light clothes like T-shirts to reduce shrinkage and helps to prevent wrinkles while shielding synthetic fibres that make ripples in high heat.
Examples of Medium Heat for Clothes
- Trousers or slacks
- Light cotton items
- Button-up work shirts
3. Low Heat Drying
When you see the dry low symbol, it means to dry your item at a low heat setting. Low heat protects heat-sensitive materials from fading, stretching, fraying, wrinkling, and warping. It is usually around 125o F or 55o C. It is designed for fragile items like knitwear or sheer fabrics, along with workout clothes, which are made of high-performance fabrics such as Lycra and spandex.
Examples of Low Heat for Clothes
- Lingerie
- Embellished fabrics
- Knit sweaters
- Winter coats and jacket shells
- Clothing with sheer fabrics
- Workout clothes
4. Tumble Dry with No Heat
The symbol tumble drying no heat shows that item with zero heat in the dryer. It means that very fragile items cannot endure any heat and are often used to fluff, freshen or remove hair and other wreckage from dry items between washes. This setting may also be labeled air only on your dryer. But keep in mind that tumble drying with no heat will take some time, not as long as line drying, because the air movement in the dryer is likely to speed things up.
Examples of Low Heat for Clothes
- Fluffy pillows and blankets
- Refreshing clothes that have hair, dust, and other messes on them
- Drying very fragile items that are not wrinkled-prone
- Fluffy winter coats
Tips for Tumble Drying
It is not even enough to know the temperature only to dry an item. So, it is better to follow a few tips for the best possible results:
- Keep light-weight or fast-drying items together, and don’t overdry. Additionally, don’t place towels with delicate items.
- Washed clothes are soaked but not dripping or fully dry. Furthermore, to wick away surplus moisture, leave them in the washer for another spin cycle.
- Avoid overflowing drums and tightly balled-up clothes so that it reduces wrinkled results and slow dry times also.
- Follow the recommendations of the dryer sheet and keep away from trying more than the recommended amount as it may create a waxy layer on the screen. To maintain good air circulation for fast drying times, clean the screen after every load.
FAQs
Q1: Can I tumble dry any clothing?
Ans: No, some fabrics would not handle the heat or movement of a dryer. You may hang them either with items or lay them flat to dry. However, some clothes cannot be dried in the dryer, including wool, cashmere, silk lace, leather, or suede. It is obvious that anything labeled “dry clean only” should be considered a professional cleaner.
Q2: Can I dry clothes labeled “do not tumble dry” on a no-heat setting?
Ans: No, it is best not to dry your clothes even with zero heat. Therefore, the tumbling movement will create wrinkles which can be hard to remove without heat and cause shrinkage after washing. Remember, if your clothes are stiff after air drying them, add any fabric softener to wash them next time.
Final Words
It is best to tumble dry on low heat for a gentle drying cycle, which saves your time drying and damaging clothes and offers different temperatures for different fabrics. So, it is good to go through the guide for a better result of your clothes after drying. Hopefully, the above knowledge regarding tumble drying is pretty helpful, and we would like to see your thoughts that much of the above article is fruitful for you.