Written by Angela Reviewed by Daniel

Can You Tumble Dry Velour? (what the experts say)

In many cases velour can be dried in a tumble dryer but only ever on the no heat setting to avoid damage.

Always check the care label on your velour garments but in the absence of a care label you should take note of the following.

You should never expose velour to heat because it can cause damage to the fibres and in extreme cases burn the material.

This applies to the washing machine which should be set to a delicate wash using cold water, and tumble dried on the no heat setting.

Before tumble drying you should give your velour clothing a gentle shake to move the velour around which will help it to dry thoroughly.

Table of Contents

What The Tumble Dryer Symbols Mean On Velour

All clothes, blankets etc should carry a wash care label which gives advice on the correct way to wash and dry your garments.

Below we’ve listed all of the relevant symbols for tumble dryers, even the ones you’re unlikely to find on velour.

Square With White Circle: This symbol indicates that the item can be tumble dried. This is almost certainly one of the symbols you could find on the care label of your velour items.
Square With White Circle, One Black Dot In Circle: This symbol indicates that the item can be tumble dried on a low heat setting. It is unlikely to find this symbol on velour.
Square With White Circle, Two Black Dots In Circle: This symbol indicates that the item can be tumble dried on a medium heat setting, you won’t find this symbol on velour.
Square With White Circle, Three Black Dots In Circle: This is the symbol that indicates that the item can be tumble dried using the high heat setting, you’ll never find this on velour.
Square With Black Circle: This is the symbol used to indicate that the item can be tumble dried using no heat, this is the symbol that you’re most likely to find on velour.
Square With White Circle And A Black X On Top: This is the symbol that indicates that the item cannot be tumble dried. You could sometimes find this on velour.

How To Dry Velour Without A Tumble Dryer

If you don’t own a tumble dryer or the care label advises against tumble drying your velour items, you’ll need to find an alternative way to get them dry.

The best way to dry any garment is to air dry, which includes;

Air Drying Velour Using A Clothes Horse (Airer)

The beauty of a clothes horse is that it can be used indoors or outside in the fresh air.

Simply drape your velour items on the racks or over the bars until fully dry.

An Electric Fan Can Reduce Indoor Drying Times

Velour dries relatively quickly, but you can reduce the drying time even further by using an electric fan when drying indoors.

Just point the fan at the drying velour and open a window to increase the airflow through the room.

SEE ALSO: Top Bladeless Fans We Recommend

Drying Velour On A Washing Line

Air drying outdoors on a washing line, retractable clothesline or rotary line is the best way to dry velour outside of a no heat tumble.

However, you should always try to keep your velour items out of direct sunlight. The heat from the sun can cause damage to velour while it is drying.

Use A Dehumidifier For Faster Indoor Drying

If you have to dry your velour indoors, you can speed up the drying process using a dehumidifier.

The dehumidifier will pull moisture from the air which allows the velour to release moisture faster.

Why You Should Always Read The Wash Care Label On Velour

Care labels are there for a reason, which is to prevent damage to the garments during the washing and drying process.

If you decide to ignore the wash care label, you can expect;

Velour Garments Can Shrink

Washing your velour on a cycle that uses water that is too hot or drying on a drying cycle using any heat, will result in the velour garments shrinking.

Velour Can Burn

If you were to put velour into a tumble dryer on a cycle that uses any heat, you could cause the velour to burn.

The Velour Can Wrinkle

By not treating velour correctly when washing and drying, you could cause the velour to wrinkle.

Velour should never be ironed either so you’d have to find an alternative way to remove any wrinkles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to put velour in a tumble dryer?

You should always check the care label but in most cases it is safe to put velour in a tumble dryer using the no heat setting.

How do you Unwrinkle velour?

The safest way to unwrinkle velour is to use a clothes steamer. Hang the velour item on a padded hanger and suspend it from a shower curtain rod. Then move the steamer up and down the velour maintaining at least ½ inch distance from the material at all times. Ensure the nozzle keeps moving and never concentrates on one spot for too long.

How can I dry velour without a tumble dryer?

Without a tumble dryer, the best way to dry velour is to air dry. This can be done using a washing line, retractable clothesline or a rotary line, or indoors on a clothes horse (airer).

Can velour be ironed?

You should never iron velour.

Does velour shrink?

If velour is exposed to high temperatures during the washing or drying process, it is likely to shrink.