General washing and drying information
Sorting
Always sort loads for drying according to the type of textile (check the care labels) and how much you want to dry them. Load items loosely into the drum. Do up zip fasteners and tie loose ribbons, tapes or fabric belts. Close any tapes or fasteners on duvet covers and pillow cases to prevent smaller items from getting trapped inside.
Starched items
Laundry which has been starched can also be dried in a tumble dryer. For best results you should choose a drying time which ensures that the items are still slightly damp, e.g. by following the recommendations to achieve �damp dry (for ironing)�. After removing the load, wipe the drum clean with a damp cloth. Then dry the drum to remove any last traces of starch.
Spinning (water extraction)
Loads should be well spun. We recommend that you use a washing machine with a minimum spin speed of 800 rpm, or a separate spin-dryer (�Hydro-extractor�) if available. The higher the spin speed, the faster your tumble dryer will dry the load and the more energyefficient the whole process will be. Even permanent press garments such as shirts should be spun for 10 to 30 seconds before tumble drying.
Items which should not be tumble dried
Items which are especially delicate, such as curtains of synthetic fabric, woollen garments, silk, textiles with a metal component and nylon socks/ stockings. Garments made mostly from foam rubber or rubberlike materials must not be dried in the tumble dryer. Obviously, you must not dry garments in the machine which are unsuitable for tumble drying. These are usually labelled with this symbol. Garments which have been treated with flammable liquids (benzine, alcohol, stain removal products) should not be dried in the tumble dryer on account of the risk of fire. Always follow the recommendations of the garment/item manufacturer. Tumble drying beneficial Dry flat
Getting the load size right
An overloaded tumble dryer will cause creasing. Drying loads which are too small is uneconomical.
Fluff
The first time you use the tumble dryer, you will probably be surprised at the amount of fluff produced. This is perfectly normal, and does not mean that your tumble dryer is wearing out your clothes. When garments are worn and washed by hand or machine, fibres and fluff are released, but remain on the surface of the material. If dried outdoors on a line these fibres will be blown away by the wind. In a tumble dryer the fluff is collected in the filter and accumulates through the drying process. This is very significant to those who suffer from asthma or allergies.
Shrinkage
Depending on their quality, tricot fabrics in particular vary considerably in their tendency to shrink. To avoid shrinking, garments should not be overdried. Where it occurs, shrinkage can sometimes be rectified by stretching. We recommend that you bear possible shrinkage in mind when choosing the size of new tricot garments.
