Tumble dry, normal
An ISO 3758 square with a circle inside, indicating the garment may be dried in a tumble dryer on a normal cycle.
What it means
The square is the general drying symbol and the circle inside it specifically means a tumble dryer. With no dot or a higher dot count, normal heat is permitted; the dots that often accompany it set the maximum drying temperature.
What to do
Tumble dry on the cycle indicated by any dots inside the circle. Remove items while slightly damp to limit creasing and over-drying, which shortens fabric life and wastes energy.
How to use this term
Use this drying symbol before choosing tumble heat, line drying, flat drying or shade drying.
- Read tumble dry, normal 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
Readers fixate on the dots (heat) and miss that the underline bar, not the dots, marks a gentler, reduced-action cycle. A no-bar normal symbol permits the standard cycle, which tends to tumble more vigorously than a one-bar permanent-press symbol. That mechanical action, not heat alone, can pill knits and fray edges. Match the bar count, not just the dots.
For the broader method, use the How to Tumble Dry Clothes 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