Dry flat
Dry flat
Lay the item flat on a horizontal surface to dry.
What it looks like
A square with a single horizontal line drawn inside it.
What it means
Wet wool and cashmere have almost no structural strength — the fibres slide against each other under load — so a hanger or a line will lengthen a jumper by several centimetres and it will stay that way. Lay it on a towel, reshape the cuffs and hem by hand while it is still damp, and turn it once. This symbol and the do-not-tumble-dry symbol nearly always travel together, and on knitwear they are the two that decide whether the garment still fits next season.
Defined by ISO 3758. Where a symbol differs between standards, the difference is described above rather than resolved — both versions are in circulation on real labels.
Other laundry and care labels symbols
| Symbol | Means |
|---|---|
| Wash (plain tub) | The item can be machine washed. |
| Wash at 30 °C maximum | Machine wash at 30 °C (86 °F) or cooler. |
| Wash at 40 °C maximum | Machine wash at 40 °C (104 °F) or cooler. |
| Wash at 50 °C maximum | Machine wash at 50 °C (122 °F) or cooler. |
| Wash at 60 °C maximum | Machine wash at 60 °C (140 °F) or cooler. |
| Wash at 70 °C maximum | Machine wash at 70 °C (158 °F) or cooler. |
| Wash at 95 °C maximum | Machine wash at 95 °C (203 °F) or cooler — a boil wash. |
| Mild wash — one bar under the tub | Wash at the stated temperature but with reduced mechanical action — the permanent press or synthetics cycle. |
| Very mild wash — two bars under the tub | Wash at the stated temperature on the gentlest machine cycle, with a much reduced load and spin. |
| Hand wash only | Wash by hand at 40 °C (104 °F) or cooler. No machine washing. |
| Do not wash | Do not wash in water at all, by machine or by hand. |
| Do not wring | Do not twist the item to squeeze water out. |
| Any bleach allowed | Any bleach may be used, including chlorine bleach. |
| Non-chlorine bleach only | Oxygen bleach only — no chlorine bleach. |
| Do not bleach | No bleach of any kind, chlorine or oxygen. |
| Tumble dry (circle in a square) | The item may be tumble dried. |
| Tumble dry low — one dot | Tumble dry on a low-heat setting. |
| Tumble dry normal — two dots | Tumble dry at normal heat. |
| Tumble dry high — three dots | Tumble dry at high heat. |
| Tumble dry, no heat | Tumble dry with the heat off — the air-fluff or air-dry setting. |
Common questions
- What does the dry flat symbol mean?
- Lay the item flat on a horizontal surface to dry.
- What does it look like?
- A square with a single horizontal line drawn inside it.
Related pages
- Do not wring Do not twist the item to squeeze water out.
- Do not tumble dry Do not put this in a tumble dryer at any temperature.
- Line dry Hang the item up to dry after spinning.
- Wash (plain tub) The item can be machine washed.
- Wash at 30 °C maximum Machine wash at 30 °C (86 °F) or cooler.
- Wash at 40 °C maximum Machine wash at 40 °C (104 °F) or cooler.
- Wash at 50 °C maximum Machine wash at 50 °C (122 °F) or cooler.
- Wash at 60 °C maximum Machine wash at 60 °C (140 °F) or cooler.
- Wash at 70 °C maximum Machine wash at 70 °C (158 °F) or cooler.
- Wash at 95 °C maximum Machine wash at 95 °C (203 °F) or cooler — a boil wash.
- Mild wash — one bar under the tub Wash at the stated temperature but with reduced mechanical action — the permanent press or synthetics cycle.
- Very mild wash — two bars under the tub Wash at the stated temperature on the gentlest machine cycle, with a much reduced load and spin.
- Hand wash only Wash by hand at 40 °C (104 °F) or cooler. No machine washing.
Sources
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place