Tumble dry, permanent press
An ISO 3758 tumble-dry circle with two bars beneath the square in some chart variants, or the single-bar permanent-press drying cycle, calling for reduced action and a cool-down.
What it means
The permanent-press drying cycle combines moderate heat with a cool tumble at the end so that synthetics and easy-care finishes set without creasing. The bars under the square indicate the reduced mechanical action.
What to do
Select the permanent-press or easy-care dryer setting and unload as soon as it finishes, hanging shirts immediately. Leaving permanent-press items piled in a warm drum re-introduces the very wrinkles the cycle is designed to prevent.
How to use this term
Use this drying symbol before choosing tumble heat, line drying, flat drying or shade drying.
- Read tumble dry, permanent press 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
The trap is reading permanent press as the dryer's low-heat or "gentle" choice and using it to shield heat-sensitive loads. It is aimed mainly at limiting wrinkles rather than guaranteeing a low temperature, so elastane-rich activewear, printed or rubberized graphics, and shrink-prone synthetics can still be heat-damaged on it. When an item truly needs a cool dry, pick the dotted low-heat or air-dry symbol instead of this one.
For the broader method, use the Tumble dryer settings and heat 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