Tumble drying
The step most likely to make a stain permanent, and the appliance whose maintenance instruction is printed under a fire heading rather than a cleaning one.
What not to do
Tumble drying may damage Microfibre
Best avoided
The available guidance advises against this.
Evidence
Supported
Sources
The dos and don'ts on how to wash microfiber cloths and mop heads
Unger Global · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That exposing microfibre to high heat in the washing machine or dryer can cause the fine fibres to melt or become damaged. (states this directly)
Tumble drying is unsafe on Trainers
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Direct heat is named separately from the wash. Air drying, out of direct sunlight, stuffed to hold the shape.
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Can I Put Shoes in the Washing Machine?
Altra Running (VF Corporation) · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That shoes must not be exposed to direct heat while drying, and that the maker's instruction is to air dry away from direct sunlight. (states this directly)
Precautions
- Check the manufacturer's instructions
In detail
A tumble dryer applies the highest sustained heat and the most continuous mechanical action of any domestic textile process, and both matter. Heat sets any residual protein or carotenoid stain irreversibly, which is why a garment must be checked before it goes in rather than after it comes out — a mark that survives the wash and then goes through a dryer is usually there for good. Heat also shrinks: the cotton trade's own bulletin treats dryer shrinkage as the dominant contribution rather than the wash. The appliance's own safety instruction is the one people skip and it is printed under a fire-hazard heading rather than under care and cleaning. Clean the lint filter BEFORE EACH LOAD to prevent lint accumulating inside the dryer or in the room, and do not operate the dryer without the lint filter in place; keep the area around and underneath it free of accumulated lint. The same manual carries two further prohibitions: do not dry fibreglass articles, because remaining glass particles are picked up by later loads, and do not dry anything cleaned or treated with combustible substances, naming cleaners and some spot removers.
What works
Tumble drying is safe on, in specific conditions, Pillow
Safe only in specific conditions
This is only appropriate within specific limits, and nothing is established outside them.
Only within these limits:
- on a low heat setting
- only for pillows that may be machine washed: cotton, down or synthetic
- the care label's own instructions take precedence
Air drying in a well-ventilated place, or outdoors in the sun, is the trade body's alternative.
Precautions
- Check the manufacturer's instructions
Evidence
Supported
Sources
How To Wash Pillows At Home Like an Expert
Bed Advice UK — The National Bed Federation · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That after washing pillows are tumble dried on a low heat setting or air dried in a well-ventilated area or outdoors in the sun, and that the care tag is always checked. (states this directly)
Why
- Tumble drying is explained by Protein denaturation
- Tumble drying is explained by Fibre swelling and shrinkage
- Tumble drying is explained by How care labels work
Sources for this page
Sources
Owner's Manual: Dryers DDE5207M, DDG5287M
GE Appliances · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That the lint filter must be cleaned before each load, that the dryer must not be operated without the filter in place, that the area around and underneath must be kept free of lint, and that articles cleaned or treated with combustible substances must not be dried. (states this directly)
Technical Bulletin ISP-1009: Guide to Improved Shrinkage Performance of Cotton Fabrics
Cotton Incorporated · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That tumble drying is a dominant contributor to shrinkage in cotton fabrics. (states this directly)