The square with a circle and one dot

Short answer: One dot inside the circle means tumble drying at low heat. It is the setting that is safe for fabric with elastane and for anything that must hold its shape. Take the clothes out while they are still slightly damp.

One dot means low heat

If you see a square with a circle and one dot, the item may be tumble dried at low heat. It is the mildest of the permitted dryer settings, so it is the one to choose first. It is a clear signal to keep the heat down. Read the label on each piece before you start the programme, so you do not pick too much heat by mistake.

Under sixty degrees

Low heat means the air in the drum must not get warmer than about sixty degrees. That matches the gentle programme on most dryers. If you are unsure what your machine calls it, check the manual or choose the programme that uses the least heat. It is the right setting for men's bamboo undershirts.

The dryer's gentle programme

The gentle programme is what you need when the label shows one dot. It dries more slowly than a high heat programme, but it is the setting the fabric handles best. Leave room in the drum so air can circulate. The clothes then dry evenly, and no part gets more heat than necessary.

Why heat is decisive

Elastane goes soft and loses its grip at high temperature, and the damage cannot be repaired afterwards. So heat is the most important thing when you tumble dry clothes with elastic. It is not enough that the fabric looks fine right after drying. The damage shows later, when the waistband no longer sits firmly, and by then it cannot be fixed.

Waistbands and elastic

This also applies to the waistband of a bamboo jogging suit. The waistband is the part that loses its grip first if the clothes get too much heat. To keep the fit, choose low heat and do not run the programme longer than needed. The same care suits cuffs and other places with elastic.

Take them out while damp

Choose low heat, take the clothes out while they are still slightly damp, and let them finish drying in the air. The last part of drying causes the most shrinkage and wear, so that is where you spare the fabric most. Shake the clothes as you take them out and hang them up at once.

Let the air do the rest

The same method suits bamboo socks. Lay them out or hang them up so they can finish drying in the air. Do not leave clothes crumpled in the drum when the programme ends, because that gives creases and uneven drying. A quick shake and a place on the drying rack are enough.

Time and result

The dryer is faster than air, but the difference is about an hour once the clothes have been spun. That hour is all you gain by letting the dryer run to the end. In return you spare the elastic by taking the clothes out in time. At low heat you lose a little elastane, at high heat noticeably after ten washes.

Frequently asked questions

Why take the clothes out damp

Because the last part of drying causes the most shrinkage and wear. Take the clothes out while slightly damp and let them finish drying in the air.

How much elastane do you lose

A little at low heat, noticeably at high heat after ten washes. That is why low heat is the right setting for all clothes where the elastic must keep sitting firmly.

Is a dryer faster than air

Yes, but the difference is about an hour once the clothes have been spun. That is a small time gain compared with the extra heat the elastic receives.