Drip dry
An ISO 3758 square with two vertical lines inside it, indicating the garment should be hung up soaking wet and allowed to drip dry without spinning or wringing.
What it means
The two vertical lines mean drip drying: the item is hung immediately after washing, still full of water, so it dries under its own weight. This prevents the set creases and distortion that spinning or wringing would cause in certain synthetics and easy-care shirts.
What to do
Skip the spin cycle, lift the dripping item straight onto a hanger over a sink, bath or drain, and let it dry undisturbed. The water weight helps pull wrinkles out as it dries, often removing the need to iron.
How to use this term
Use this drying symbol before choosing tumble heat, line drying, flat drying or shade drying.
- Read drip dry with the other symbols on the same care label; the strictest symbol wins.
- Match the instruction to the garment's most fragile part, including trims, lining, prints and finishes.
- If the label, fabric behaviour and stain method disagree, test a hidden area or choose the lower-risk route.
Common mistake
Do not treat drying as a harmless final step; heat and hanging tension can shrink, stretch or set a remaining stain.
For the broader method, use the Beginner laundry guide and then return to this term when the label changes the safe option.
Related terms
Sources
- ISO 3758:2012 Textiles — Care labelling code using symbols — International Organization for Standardization