What clothes can go in the tumble dryer (and at what temperature)?

Almost all cotton clothing can go in the tumble dryer, but not every garment: wool, silk and some delicate fabrics can shrink or be ruined. The foolproof rule is on the label: the circle inside a square tells you whether it is dryer-safe, and the dots tell you at what temperature. Here is a quick guide to what to put in, what to leave out and at how many degrees.

What clothes you CAN dry without any worry

• Hard-wearing cotton: towels, sheets, bedding, T-shirts and cotton underwear.
• Jeans and thick fabrics: they hold up well, though they may shrink a little the first time.
• Duvets, quilts and blankets: yes, as long as they fit loosely; they need a large dryer.

What clothes you should NOT put in (or only with great care)

• Wool and silk: they shrink and clump up. If the label allows it, only on cold or a specific programme.
• Garments with elastane, lace or lycra: the heat damages the elasticity.
• Prints, screen prints and delicate garments: high heat cracks them.
• Anything bearing the crossed-out circle symbol: those do not go in the dryer, full stop.

At what temperature should you dry your clothes?

The heat is set with a temperature programme, which on the label is marked with dots inside the circle:

• Low temperature (one dot): synthetics, delicate garments and clothes with prints.
• Medium temperature (two dots): most everyday clothing.
• High temperature: hard-wearing cotton, towels and sheets, which dry faster and come out fluffy.

Wool, blankets and duvets: special cases

Blankets and duvets can indeed be dried, but they need room to tumble around: a small domestic dryer just will not cut it. For feather duvets, add a couple of dryer balls so the filling does not clump together. And wool, unless the label says otherwise, is best dried flat and in the open air.

The trick: always check the label

Before drying, take two seconds to look at the label. The circle symbol tells you whether it is dryer-safe and at what temperature, and it saves you the upset of pulling out a shrunken garment. When in doubt, use low temperature: it will take a little longer, but you are not taking any risks.

With the right dryer, you choose the temperature

At our self-service launderettes you can choose the drying programme and temperature according to what each garment calls for, and use large-capacity machines (up to 22 kg) for duvets and blankets. That way you dry everything just right, without cramming it in and in a single session.

Quick summary

• Cotton, towels and sheets: into the dryer with no fear.
• Wool, silk, elastane and prints: with care or not at all.
• Crossed-out circle on the label: no to the dryer.
• When in doubt: low temperature.