What to Do When It Says ‘Tumble Dry Low’ on Your Clothing Tag

When you’ve finally found the perfect item of clothing, you want it to look good and fit well for as long as possible. Check the care tag; along with washing instructions, it may give instructions to “tumble dry low.” You’ve probably seen those same words on other labels for things like knitwear, silky bamboo sheets, and beaded items. But, what exactly does “tumble dry low” mean and why does it matter? Here’s what you need to know about these care label instructions and how you can pick the right settings on your dryer to keep your clothing and special items in good condition.

When and Why to Use Tumble Dry Low Settings

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
• Embellished items: beaded, embroidered, or sequined fabrics
• Screen printed items: T-shirts, sports jerseys
• Athletic wear: high-performance fabrics that contain spandex or Lycra for stretch

Other than air drying clothes on a rack, using the low heat setting and the delicate or gentle cycle are the safest ways to reduce excessive wrinkles, help prevent shrinking, and protect embellishments like beading, screen printing, and embroidery from damage caused by excessive heat and excessive tumbling action in other cycles.

Understanding Why It’s Called “Tumble Dry”

An important thing to understand is that every automatic dryer at home or in a laundromat uses a tumbling action to dry clothes. (So, “tumble dry” really just refers to using a dryer appliance.) Most dryer drums have propellers on the sides that lift and drop the wet laundry as the drum spins, creating a tumbling action. 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. Before you hit the start button, you should select both the temperature and cycle that is best for the items you are drying. The most common temperature (heat) settings are low (125 degrees F.), medium (135 degrees F.), and high (150 degrees F.).

Every manufacturer labels the cycle choices slightly differently, but here’s an easy guide:

• Automatic, Regular, or Timed Dry: The most commonly used cycle, select it for cotton sheets and towels, denim, or sweats.
• Delicate or Gentle: Use for knits, lightweight fabrics, activewear, and embellished garments. 
• Permanent Press or Wrinkle-Resistant: A good choice for most fabrics, this cycle uses medium heat and has a cool-down period at the end of the cycle to help reduce wrinkles.
• Air Dry or Air Fluff: A heat-free cycle used to remove dust and fluff up pillows or down-filled items like a comforter or coat.
• Steam: Uses high heat and water vapor to help remove odors and wrinkles from fabrics.

5 Tips for Getting the Best Tumble Dry Low Results

1. If you didn’t sort your laundry by fabric weight before washing, sort it before tossing the items in the dryer. Dry lightweight items using the delicate cycle or tumble dry low.
2. Don’t overcrowd the dryer drum. Trying to dry too much at the same time creates wrinkles and creasing.
3. Remove items from the dryer as soon as possible when the cycle is over. Hang or fold items to prevent excessive wrinkles.
4. Dryer sheets leave a filmy coating on the sensor that will distort drying times. Dip a cotton swab in isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol and clean the moisture sensor located in the dryer drum.
5. Clean the lint screen after every load. Even a little lint lengthens the drying time.