What does one horizontal line in a square mean?

It means dry flat. The horizontal line is an air-drying mark and tells you to support the item on a flat surface.

What's the difference between a vertical and horizontal drying line?

A vertical line means line dry by hanging. A horizontal line means lay the item flat to dry.

Can I tumble dry an item with the dry-flat symbol?

The horizontal-line mark calls for air drying flat and does not permit tumbling. A tumble-dry instruction would show a circle inside the square.

Do I need a special rack to dry flat?

The symbol does not name a particular piece of equipment. Use a clean, flat drying surface that supports the whole item.

Dry flat

Lay this flat to dry so it keeps its shape. One horizontal line.

What to do

Lay it flat on a rack or towel to dry. One horizontal line marks it.

What to avoid

Don't hang it. The horizontal line means flat drying, so it keeps its shape.

How to spot it on a label

Find the drying square in the standard third position on the label. A circle inside sends you to the machine tumble-drying group, while lines send you to the air-drying group. This mark has one horizontal line across the square, with no circle or vertical strokes.

Easy to confuse with

Dry flat
Line dry

Check the mark

Check the line's direction: dry flat has one horizontal stroke, while line dry has one vertical stroke.
Dry flat
Dry in the shade

Check the mark

Inspect both the center and corner: dry flat has one horizontal line and no corner stripes, while dry in shade has a vertical line plus short diagonal corner stripes.
Dry flat
Do not dry

Check the mark

Count the diagonal strokes: dry flat has one level horizontal line, while do not dry has two long diagonals forming a cross.

On a real label

Merino wool sweater

Read together: Hand wash, do not bleach, dry flat, iron on low (one dot), and use P-process professional dry cleaning when needed.

Cotton knit baby blanket

Read together: Use the delicate wash cycle, use only non-chlorine bleach, dry flat, iron on medium (two dots), and do not dry clean.

Category: Drying
Appears on: US and international labels
Commonly seen on: Often appears on wool sweaters and other knits.

Related symbols

Common questions

What does one horizontal line in a square mean?: It means dry flat. The horizontal line is an air-drying mark and tells you to support the item on a flat surface.
What's the difference between a vertical and horizontal drying line?: A vertical line means line dry by hanging. A horizontal line means lay the item flat to dry.
Can I tumble dry an item with the dry-flat symbol?: The horizontal-line mark calls for air drying flat and does not permit tumbling. A tumble-dry instruction would show a circle inside the square.
Do I need a special rack to dry flat?: The symbol does not name a particular piece of equipment. Use a clean, flat drying surface that supports the whole item.

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