Can You Tumble Dry A Cotton Shirt? (will it shrink or is it ok)
The answer to this depends on how much cotton the shirt is made from. 100% cotton shirts should never be tumble dried because they will shrink.
Blended cotton should be OK to dry in the tumble dryer on a low heat setting. This is the reason why we always recommend checking the care label. The care label will give you specific washing and drying instructions on that particular garment.
Even cotton blends can shrink if they’re subjected to too much heat for too long. Even if the care label indicates that it’s OK to tumble dry a blended cotton shirt, it should be removed from the dryer immediately that it finishes and hung up to help prevent shrinking.
We recommend removing cotton blends from the tumble dryer before they are fully dry. This will definitely help to prevent shrinking. It should then be ironed to remove the remaining moisture.
Again, check the care label first because there’s always the possibility the shirt can’t be ironed. The symbol for do not iron is a picture of an iron with a cross over it.
What The Tumble Dryer Symbols Mean On A Cotton Shirt
- Square With White Circle And A Black X On Top – This symbol indicates that the shirt cannot be tumble dried. This is the symbol you’re likely to find on a 100% cotton shirt.
- Square With White Circle – This symbol means the item can be tumble dried and you’ll probably find this symbol on shirts made from cotton blends.
- Square With White Circle, One Black Dot In Circle – This is the symbol that indicates the item can be dried in a tumble dryer on a low heat setting. This will usually be found on blended cotton shirts.
- Square With White Circle, Two Black Dots In Circle – this symbol indicates that the garment can be dried in a tumble dryer using a medium heat setting.
- Square With White Circle, Three Black Dots In Circle – This symbol indicates the item can be tumble dried on a high heat setting. It is unlikely you will find this symbol on cotton shirts.
- Square With Black Circle – This symbol indicates the item can be dried in a tumble dryer using no heat.
How To Dry A Cotton Shirt Without A Tumble Dryer
If you don’t have a tumble dryer, or your cotton shirt’s care label indicates do not tumble dry, you’ll need to find an alternative way to dry it.
Below we have listed several ways to dry cotton shirts without tumble drying. These are;
Air Drying On An Airer
Using an airer and laying your cotton shirts out flat is the recommended way to dry them. This can be done indoors or out in the fresh air (weather permitting) in indirect sunlight.
If you intend to use an airer indoors it should be placed in a well ventilated room (open a window to allow air to circulate). If cotton dries too fast it is likely to shrink which is why we don’t recommend using any heat when air drying cotton shirts.
Using A Dehumidifier To Lower Drying Times Indoors
Dehumidifiers help to remove excess moisture from the air. The dehumidifier should be placed in the room where the cotton shirts are drying.
As the shirt exudes moisture into the air, the dehumidifier removes that moist air which speeds up the drying time.
- LOW ENERGY CONSUMPTION - This Energy Efficient 12L/Day Dehumidifier by Pro Breeze uses an ultra-efficient compressor, a 24-Hour on/off timer and an energy saving auto shut-off system - helping you to reduce power consumption and energy bills. It is ideal for damp, mould, condensation and moisture in homes, basements and bathrooms. Running cost as low as 7p per hour (October 2022).
- QUIET DEHUMIDIFICATION - This powerful dehumidifier for home uses the latest ultra-quiet compressor technology to combat damp without disturbing you in the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, conservatory or garage.
- 【High-efficiency Energy-saving Dehumidifier】Our dehumidifiers use Peltier technology and semiconductor condensation, can remove up to 450ml of water per day at 86℉ and 80%RH (actual dehumidification capacity varies depending on the environment). In addition, 22.5w rated power and automatic power off function can save you a lot of power. The dehumidifier will work better when closing doors and windows.
- 【Auto-Defrost】When the temperature in the cooling zone of the portable dehumidifier reaches below 0°C, the automatic defrosting function will be activated, and the defrosting indicator light will be on at the same time. When the temperature in the cooling zone has risen above 3°C, it will continue to dehumidify and the defrost indicator light will go out.
- REMOVES 25L WATER PER DAY - This air dehumidifier has an extra-large water tank and absorbs up to 25L of water from the air. Unlike other interior dehumidifiers, it quickly and efficiently sucks moisture to keep your home fresh and dry.
- ULTRA-QUIET & ENERGY EFFICIENT - The Cosi Home silent dehumidifier uses an ultra-efficient compressor which operates at a low noise level and has a low power consumption for optimised energy usage. The auto sensor allows you to track room humidity and will switch the dehumidifier off once the target humidity is reached.
Using An Electric Fan To Speed Up Drying Times
Placing an electric fan in the room with the cotton shirt will simulate a gentle breeze which can speed up drying times.
You should always open a window to allow the air to circulate freely when using a fan to dry cotton shirts.
SEE ALSO: The Top Bladeless Fans On The Market Today
Air Drying Your Cotton Shirts On A Clothesline
You can air dry your cotton shirts on a clothesline, rotary line or retractable clothesline.
Cotton shirts should be hung on hangers and the hangers suspended on the washing line or the shirts can be hung to the line using pegs.
If you have limited space indoors or out, a retractable clothesline could be the answer. These can be extended from one wall to another when needed and then retracted into the wall mounted box when not in use.
SEE ALSO: Our Recommended Retractable Clotheslines
What Happens If You Tumble Dry A Cotton Shirt
The Cotton Shirt Will Shrink
If the shirt is made from 100% cotton it is a definite possibility that it will shrink. However, even many cotton blends will also shrink if subjected to too much heat. Or even allowed to over dry in a tumble dryer.
The Cotton Shirt Will Stretch
Subjecting cotton shirts to the heat and rough treatment of a tumble dryer could cause the fabric to stretch in width as it shrinks in length.
This will give you a cotton shirt which is too short and far too wide to wear.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to ensure that 100% cotton shirts dry without shrinking is to dry them flat on an airer in indirect sunlight.
It is generally safe to put a cotton shirt in a tumble dryer on a low heat setting unless it is 100% cotton which should never be tumble dried. You should always check the care label before tumble drying any cotton shirt.
Cotton shirts can be dried on an airer, on a clothesline, rotary line or retractable clothes line. Using a dehumidifier indoors will speed up drying times considerably.
It is not recommended to tumble dry 100% cotton clothes as they are likely to shrink in a tumble dryer.
Many cotton items can be tumble dried but you should always consult the care label as some cotton items, including 100% cotton, should never be tumble dried.
