What do people get wrong about using a tumble dryer?
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
Tumble dryers are often avoided in Japan as things that "shrink and damage clothes", but since tumble-dry symbols were added to Japanese care labels in 2016 the label itself tells you which garments can go in. Note too that the gas dryers at coin laundries (コインランドリー) behave quite differently from a household washer-dryer.
Tumble-dry symbols (JIS L0001)
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Square with circle, one dot | Tumble-dry allowed, exhaust temperature up to 60°C (low) |
| Square with circle, two dots | Tumble-dry allowed, exhaust temperature up to 80°C (high) |
| Square with circle, crossed out | Do not tumble-dry |
| Type | Character | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Household drum washer-dryer (heat pump) | Low heat, around 60°C, low electricity cost, takes longer | Everyday cotton and synthetics, towels, sheets |
| Household drum washer-dryer (heater type) | High heat, higher electricity cost, more shrinkage | As above, on the low setting |
| Coin-laundry gas dryer | High heat, strong airflow, fast (around 80°C) | Cotton towels, sheets, futon. Synthetics and prints on the low setting |
- The dryer's advantage: dust mites are generally described as dying after 20–30 minutes at 50°C, and faster above 60°C, so dryers are recommended by the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan and local authorities for futon, blankets and soft toys.
- Typical items that must not go in: wool, silk, rayon, polyurethane blends (swimwear, leggings), transfer prints, leather, and down (where the label allows it, low heat only).
- Clean the dryer filter after every load. If you do not, the result is longer drying, higher electricity bills and, occasionally, fire (accident reports from NITE, Japan's product-safety agency).
[Verify] Check the symbols against the Consumer Affairs Agency's care-labelling guide, the dust-mite conditions against Tokyo Metropolitan Government and National Consumer Affairs Center material, and the accident cases against NITE.
Misunderstanding 1｜Cotton does not shrink in the dryer
Cotton can shrink by a few per cent in the first few cycles (relaxation shrinkage of the fabric). If the label carries the tumble-dry symbol, this is within what the maker expects. If you are going to tumble-dry a T-shirt, do it from the first wash; start halfway through its life and the shrinkage all comes at once.
Misunderstanding 2｜The dryer wears clothes out
High heat and over-drying are the culprits. Use the low setting and take things out before they are bone dry and the wear drops sharply. The fluff in the lint filter is fibre abraded from the fabric, and it will never be zero.
Misunderstanding 3｜With a dryer you never need to iron
Take things out and fold or hang them as soon as the cycle ends and creases are few, but leave them sitting in the drum and the creases set. The standard trick for shirts is to take them out slightly damp and hang them.
Misunderstanding 4｜A coin-laundry dryer is the same as the one at home
Gas dryers run hot and fast, and synthetics and prints can shrink or melt. Use the low setting if there is one; if not, cotton items only.
Misunderstanding 5｜The filter only needs cleaning now and then
Every load. Blocked lint lengthens drying time, raises the electricity bill and occasionally catches fire. The makers also advise having the exhaust duct checked about once a year.
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Sources
- Consumer Affairs Agency, "Care labelling (from 20 August 2024)", drying symbols [洗濯表示（令和6年8月20日以降）乾燥記号]
https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/representation/household_goods/guide/wash_02.html
- National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE), "Clothes-dryer accidents" [衣類乾燥機の事故]
https://www.nite.go.jp/jiko/chuikanki/
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Public Health, "Dust-mite measures (drying futon)" [ダニ対策（布団の乾燥）]
https://www.hokeniryo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/kankyo/eisei/yokuaru_shitsumon/gaichu/
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
About this article
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
Follow the care label and the maker's instructions for any garment, shoe or bag. For expensive or sentimental items, ask a specialist cleaner or repairer.
Sources
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