Do not dry
Do not use any standard drying method.
Prohibition: this is a “do not” symbol
What to do
Do not use a standard drying method. Follow the rest of the label for permitted care.
What to avoid
This is broader than do not tumble dry because it rules out every standard drying method.
How to spot it on a label
Look for the drying square in the third position of the standard care row. A circle inside a drying square normally marks machine tumble drying, while lines inside it mark air drying. This ASTM prohibition is an otherwise empty square crossed by two full diagonal strokes, with no circle or drying lines inside.
Easy to confuse with
- Do not dryDo not tumble dry
Check the mark
Check behind the cross: do not dry has an empty square, while do not tumble dry still shows a circle inside it.
- Do not dryDry flat
Check the mark
Trace the marks across the square: do not dry has two long diagonal strokes forming an X, while dry flat has one horizontal line.
- Do not dryDry in the shade
Check the mark
Check how far the diagonal marks run: this cross spans the whole square, while shade uses short parallel strokes in one corner beside a vertical line.
On a real label
Structured velvet blazer (US label)
Read together: Do not wash, bleach, dry, or iron; take it to a cleaner for P-process professional dry cleaning.
- Category
- Drying
- Appears on
- US (ASTM) labels
Related symbols
Common questions
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What does a crossed empty square mean?
- On an ASTM label, it means do not dry by any standard method. Follow the garment's other care symbols rather than choosing a drying method from this prohibition alone.
-
Is a crossed square the same as do not tumble dry?
- No. The broad ASTM do-not-dry mark has no circle inside the crossed square. Do not tumble dry keeps a visible circle behind the cross.
-
Why don't international labels use the do-not-dry symbol?
- ISO does not define the empty crossed-square glyph. It uses do not tumble dry plus natural-drying symbols to state the applicable drying limits.
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Does do not dry mean dry clean only?
- Not by itself. Read the separate professional-cleaning circle and the garment's other symbols to find what care is permitted.