dry flat
One horizontal line: dry flat.
LAUNDRY CARE
Dry flat symbol: horizontal lines and modifiers
Read one or two horizontal lines inside the drying square and keep shade modifiers attached to the same instruction.
What the symbol means
A horizontal line inside a square means lay the item flat to dry. A second horizontal line adds “drip”: lay it flat while still dripping wet. A diagonal shade line means keep that same drying process out of direct sunlight.
What to do
- Lay the item flat on a suitable drying surface and shape it according to any written label instructions.
- If the square contains two horizontal lines, do not extract all the water first; the mark specifies drip-flat drying.
- If a diagonal shade line is present, keep the flat-drying item out of direct sunlight.
Read the line direction and modifiers
Use the whole mark, not only its outside shape.Drip dry flat
Two horizontal lines: drip flat.
dry flat in shade
Horizontal line plus a diagonal shade line: dry flat in shade.
line dry
Vertical line: line dry. The direction of the line changes the method.
Put it into practice
Prepare a supporting surface
For a wool sweater labelled dry flat, use a flat drying mesh or a clean, pale, lint-free towel. Support the body and sleeves instead of letting wet fabric hang over an edge.
Arrange the garment without stretching
Ease the sweater back into its shape and smooth folds gently. Keep any written reshaping directions with the label; do not pull the knit longer or wider.
Let it air dry in the right place
Keep wool away from radiators and direct sun. For any fabric, retain a shade modifier when shown. Two horizontal lines mean drip flat: do not add a spin or towel squeeze that removes the water the instruction says to leave in.
Match the rest of your label
Use this as a reading aid and follow the complete garment label, including any written instructions.
Symbol sets can include regional variants. Home Cues labels known US variants explicitly in the full reference.