Drip dry
Hang this dripping wet. Don't wring or spin it out. Three vertical lines.
What to do
Hang it dripping wet, straight from the wash, and let it drain dry. Three vertical lines mean drip dry.
What to avoid
Don't wring it out, spin it, or tumble it. It goes up still dripping.
How to spot it on a label
The square in the third spot of a standard care row is the drying symbol. A circle inside the square points to machine tumble drying, while lines point to air drying. Three parallel vertical lines with no circle confirm drip dry.
Easy to confuse with
- Drip dryLine dry
Check the mark
Count the upright lines inside the square: drip dry has three, while line dry has one.
- Drip dryTumble dry, high heat
Check the mark
Look for a circle around the three marks: drip dry has three long lines and no circle, while ASTM high heat has three small dots inside a circle.
- Drip dryDry in the shade
Check the mark
Inspect the upper corner and center: drip dry has three central vertical lines with no corner stripes, while dry in shade has one vertical line plus short diagonal corner stripes.
On a real label
Sheer polyester curtains
Read together: Use the delicate wash cycle, do not bleach, hang dripping wet without wringing or spinning, iron on low (one dot), and do not dry clean.
Nylon rain shell
Read together: Wash at up to 30°C, use only non-chlorine bleach, hang dripping wet without wringing or spinning, do not iron, and do not dry clean.
- Category
- Drying
- Appears on
- US and international labels
Related symbols
Common questions
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Why does my label have three vertical lines?
- Three upright lines inside the drying square mean drip dry. Their full height separates them from the small dots used for tumble-dryer heat.
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What's the difference between drip dry and line dry?
- Drip dry has three vertical lines and calls for hanging the item still wet. Line dry has one vertical line and does not add the no-wring or no-spin instruction.
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Can I spin clothing before drip drying?
- No. Drip dry calls for hanging the item with its wash water still in it, without wringing or spin extraction first.
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Are three vertical lines the high-heat dryer symbol?
- No. The ASTM high-heat mark uses three small hollow dots inside a circle. Drip dry uses three long lines with no circle.