Laundry · Towels & Drying
Can I Put Towels in a Clothes Dryer?
Something else…
What else can go in the clothes dryer?
YES, WITH LIMITS
Safe only under specific conditions. The conditions are the answer.
Yes, most towels can go in a clothes dryer when their care label allows tumble drying. Match the label’s heat setting, leave enough room for the towels to tumble, and clean the lint screen before the load. Air-dry towels marked “do not tumble dry,” “line dry,” or “dry flat,” and never machine-dry towels contaminated with cooking oil or flammable solvents.
Compatibility summary
- Can I use them together?Only under conditions
- Main riskFabric damage
- What gets damagedThe towels
- InsteadAir-dry per label
The conditions
Fine to do
- The care label permits tumble drying, either in words or with a circle inside a square.
- Set the dryer to the heat shown inside the tumble-dry symbol: no dots allows any heat, one dot means low, two medium, three high, and a solid circle means no heat.
- Shake out the towels, load them loosely, and use a towel or sensor cycle if your dryer manual recommends one.
- Clean the lint screen before the load and remove the towels when they are dry.
Never do
- Do not use the dryer if the care label shows a crossed-out circle inside a square.
- Do not tumble-dry a towel labeled line dry, drip dry, or dry flat, even without a separate crossed-out dryer symbol.
- Do not choose a hotter setting because the dryer has a Towels or Heavy Duty cycle; the towel’s care label controls.
- Do not tightly pack the drum because the towels need room to separate and tumble.
- Never dry towels exposed to cooking oil, gasoline, dry-cleaning solvent, or another flammable substance.
Why those conditions exist
Air carries moisture away
Dryer airflow passes through the towel loops as the drum turns, carrying away evaporated water. Packed towels cannot separate and tumble freely, so they dry more slowly and unevenly.
Heat changes the fibers
Heat speeds evaporation, but towel fibers, trims, and finishes do not all tolerate the same setting. Excess heat or overdrying can cause shrinkage, roughness, or other fabric damage.
Residual oil can ignite
Cooking oil can remain in a towel after washing. During heated drying, the oil can react with air and build enough heat for the load to catch fire.
Read the Dryer Symbol
The tumble-dry symbol is a circle inside a square. No dots means any heat; one dot means low, two mean medium, three mean high, and a solid circle means no heat or air only. An X over the symbol means keep the towel out of the dryer.
A label that says line dry, drip dry, or dry flat is also directing you away from tumble drying. Microfiber, decorative borders, bonded layers, and special finishes can need less heat than plain cotton terry. If the label is missing or unreadable, choose a lower setting or air-dry instead of guessing high.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission — Care Labels
- Whirlpool — How to Wash & Dry Towels to Keep Them Soft
- Maytag — Electric or Gas Dryer Use and Care Guide
Reviewed 1 September 2026 · Reviewed for towel tumble-drying compatibility, care symbols, heat selection, loading, lint control, and oil contamination using FTC and manufacturer guidance.