Drying Symbols on Care Labels: The Circle in a Square for Tumble Dryers and Lines for Air Drying
Every square symbol on a care label is about how to dry the garment. A circle inside the square refers to tumble drying, and lines inside it refer to how to air dry. This article explains the difference between one dot, two dots and a cross in the circle, how to decide whether a washer-dryer or laundromat dryer is OK, the 8 ways to air dry shown by vertical, horizontal, double and diagonal lines, and how to drip dry.
Every square symbol is about drying
In current care labelling, the square shape stands for drying. What’s drawn inside decides whether it’s about tumble drying or air drying.
| Shape | Category | Number of symbols |
|---|---|---|
| Circle inside a square | Tumble drying (drying with warm air while tumbling in a dryer) | 3 (two dots, one dot, cross) |
| Lines inside a square | Natural drying (how to air dry) | 8 (vertical, horizontal, double, with or without a diagonal) |
Labels often show both. For example, a crossed-out circle in a square next to a square with one vertical line means “don’t use a dryer; hang it on a hanger to dry”.
Circle in a square: two dots, one dot and a cross
The circle-in-a-square symbol shows whether the garment can go in a tumble dryer and the temperature limit when it does. The temperature is set by the air leaving the dryer (the exhaust) and shown by the number of dots in the circle.
| Symbol | Official meaning | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Circle in a square, two dots | Tumble drying possible (exhaust temperature up to 80 °C) | Home dryers, washer-dryer drying and laundromat gas dryers are OK |
| Circle in a square, one dot | Tumble drying at a lower temperature possible (exhaust temperature up to 60 °C) | Dry on the dryer’s “low” or “gentle” setting |
| Circle in a square, crossed out | Tumble drying prohibited | Don’t use a dryer, a washer-dryer’s drying function or a laundromat dryer |
Putting crossed-out items in a dryer makes shrinking, losing shape and peeling prints more likely. Heat combined with tumbling takes its toll, especially on knitwear, stretchy clothes with polyurethane, and garments with prints or fusible interfacing. Once a garment has shrunk it’s hard to get it back to size, so if in doubt, air dry it.
What to watch with washer-dryers and laundromats
Home dryers and laundromat dryers produce heat differently. Whether a one-dot (low temperature) item can go in depends on the type of machine.
- Laundromat gas dryers: these machines dry quickly and tend to run hot. If you can’t set them to low, it’s safest to avoid them for one-dot items. Even for two-dot items, shorten the time for anything you’re worried might shrink.
- Heat-pump washer-dryers: many models dry with relatively low-temperature air and often suit one-dot items well, but check your model’s manual.
- Heater-type washer-dryers and dryers: they heat up easily, so only use them for one-dot items if they have a low-temperature mode.
Lines in a square: the 8 ways to air dry
The lines-in-a-square symbol shows the best way to air dry. Combining line direction, number of lines and a diagonal in the top left gives 8 versions. Here’s how to read them.
- Vertical line: hang to dry (line dry). Use a hanger or clothesline.
- Horizontal line: lay flat to dry. Found on knitwear and other items that stretch under their own weight.
- Two lines: dry while still wet (drip dry). Don’t spin in the machine or wring by hand.
- Diagonal in the top left: dry in the shade. This protects against fading and yellowing from sunlight.
| What it looks like | Name | How to dry |
|---|---|---|
| Square with 1 vertical line | Line dry | Hang to dry, in sun or shade |
| Square with 1 vertical line and a slash in the upper left | Line dry in shade | Hang in a place out of direct sunlight |
| Square with 2 vertical lines | Drip dry | Hang while wet, without spinning or wringing |
| Square with 2 vertical lines and a slash in the upper left | Drip dry in shade | Hang while wet, in the shade |
| Square with 1 horizontal line | Dry flat | Spread out flat on a drying rack or similar |
| Square with 1 horizontal line and a slash in the upper left | Dry flat in shade | Spread out flat, in the shade |
| Square with 2 horizontal lines | Dry flat while wet | Lay flat while wet, without spinning or wringing |
| Square with 2 horizontal lines and a slash in the upper left | Dry flat while wet in shade | Lay flat while wet, in the shade |
How to drip dry, and what no diagonal means
The two-line drip-dry symbol prevents the strong creases and loss of shape that spinning causes. You’ll see it on linen and rayon shirts, pleated skirts and the like. If you use a washing machine, stop it and take the item out once the rinse has finished.
- 1
Stop before the spin
Set the spin to “off” in the machine’s cycle, or pause it when the rinse finishes and take the item out.
- 2
Reshape it
While it’s still wet, gently pull the collar, front placket and hem by hand to smooth out creases and restore the shape.
- 3
Dry it where dripping is fine
Hang it or lay it flat somewhere dripping water won’t matter, such as the bathroom or outdoors.
A symbol without a diagonal in the top left means “sun or shade is fine”; it doesn’t mean you must dry it in the sun. On the other hand, items with a diagonal are often dark colours or materials easily damaged by sunlight, such as nylon or polyurethane, so drying them indoors is fine.
Check drying symbols with the tool
In the Laundry Care Symbols Meaning & Washing Guide Checker, you can find symbols with words like “square circle 1 dot”, “2 vertical lines” or “slash”. Choose the symbols on your label for each category and the “dry” step shows whether a dryer is OK and how to air dry, all together. For drip-dry items, it also warns you not to spin them in the machine.
How to read the washtub symbol before washing is explained in what the washtub symbol on care labels means, and the bleaching triangle in the triangle on laundry labels: chlorine vs oxygen bleach. The shirt-shaped drying symbols on old Japanese labels can be converted to the new symbols with the old Japanese care label chart.
FAQ
- What happens if I tumble dry an item with a crossed-out circle in a square?
- It may shrink, lose its shape or have its print peel. One time won’t necessarily ruin it, but the effects of heat and tumbling become more likely the more often it happens. Shrunk clothes are hard to restore, so next time stop after the spin and hang it to dry.
- Can a one-dot circle-in-a-square item go in a washer-dryer?
- One dot means a dryer is OK at a low temperature, with exhaust up to 60 °C. Many heat-pump washer-dryers dry at lower temperatures, but this varies by model, so check the manual to see whether it supports low-temperature items.
- Can I use a laundromat dryer for two-dot items?
- Yes. Two dots mean tumble drying with exhaust up to 80 °C is OK. But gas dryers tend to run hot, so for items you’re worried might shrink, shorten the time and take them out while still slightly damp.
- Does “drip dry” with two vertical lines mean no spinning?
- Yes. It means hang it while wet, without spinning it in the machine or wringing it by hand. The symbol prevents creases and loss of shape from spinning. It will drip, so dry it in the bathroom or outdoors.
- What does the diagonal in the top left of a care label symbol mean?
- A diagonal in the top left of a lines-in-a-square symbol means “dry in the shade”. It protects against fading and yellowing from sunlight, and drying indoors is fine too. Without a diagonal, the item can be dried in sun or shade.
Tools in this article
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