What Is Perm Press on a Dryer? When to Use It and When to Skip It
What Is Perm Press on a Dryer? When to Use It and When to Skip It
You’re doing laundry and looking at the dryer dial. You see settings for Cotton, Delicates, Timed Dry, and Perm Press. You’ve always used Cotton or Timed Dry and never touched Perm Press. You wonder if you’re missing out on something. Perm Press is a specific setting designed for synthetic and blended fabrics, and using it correctly can extend the life of your clothes and reduce wrinkles. But using it on the wrong fabrics wastes time and energy.
Perm Press (permanent press) on a dryer is a cycle setting that uses medium heat followed by a cool-down period. It’s designed for synthetic fabrics and blends that are prone to wrinkling under high heat. The medium heat dries the clothes, and the cool-down period prevents wrinkles from setting in as the fabric cools.
To use Perm Press on a dryer, select it for synthetic fabrics, blends, and wrinkle-prone items. The cycle uses medium heat and ends with a cool-down period that prevents wrinkles. Don’t use it for heavy cottons, towels, or bedding, which need high heat to dry fully. Don’t use it for delicates, which need low heat or air drying.
How Perm Press Works
A Perm Press cycle has three phases:
Phase 1: Medium heat drying. The dryer runs at medium heat (about 140F) for most of the cycle. This is hot enough to dry synthetic fabrics but not so hot that it causes wrinkles or damage.
Phase 2: Cool-down. In the last 5 to 10 minutes of the cycle, the heat turns off and the dryer continues tumbling with unheated air. This gradual cooling prevents wrinkles from setting in as the fabric cools.
Phase 3: End of cycle. The dryer stops tumbling. Because the clothes cooled down gradually while tumbling, they have fewer wrinkles than if they had been dried on high heat and left sitting.
The key difference between Perm Press and a regular cycle is the cool-down period. A regular cycle stops tumbling while the clothes are still hot, which causes wrinkles to set as the fabric cools in a pile. Perm Press tumbles without heat at the end, letting the clothes cool while still moving.
When to Use Perm Press
Use Perm Press for:
- Synthetic fabrics (polyester, nylon, acrylic)
- Fabric blends (cotton-poly blends)
- Wrinkle-prone items (dress shirts, blouses)
- Permanent press garments (check the care label)
- Lightweight items that dry quickly
Don’t use Perm Press for:
- Heavy cottons (towels, jeans, bedding) - they need high heat to dry fully
- Delicates (silk, lace, lingerie) - they need low heat or air drying
- Wool - it should be air dried, not machine dried
- Activewear - high heat can damage elastic, but Perm Press may still be too warm for some synthetics. Check the care label.
- Items labeled air dry or line dry only
Perm Press vs. Other Dryer Settings
| Setting | Heat Level | Cool-Down | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton/High | High (150F+) | No | Towels, bedding, heavy cotton |
| Perm Press | Medium (140F) | Yes (5 to 10 min) | Synthetics, blends, dress shirts |
| Delicates | Low (110F) | Yes | Delicate washables |
| Air Fluff | No heat | N/A | Fluffing, freshening |
| Timed Dry | User-selected | Varies | Any fabric, user controls time |
The Perm Press Symbol on Care Labels
On clothing care labels, the Perm Press symbol is a square with a circle inside (the tumble dry symbol) with one line underneath. The line under the symbol means use the permanent press cycle.
- Square with circle, no lines: Normal cycle
- Square with circle, one line under: Permanent press cycle
- Square with circle, two lines under: Delicate cycle
- Crossed-out square with circle: Do not tumble dry
If you see the one-line symbol on a care label, use the Perm Press setting on your dryer.
Tips for Using Perm Press
Don’t overload the dryer. Perm Press relies on clothes tumbling freely for the cool-down to work. Overloading prevents the clothes from moving, which causes wrinkles.
Remove promptly. Even with the cool-down period, clothes left sitting in the dryer after the cycle ends will wrinkle. Remove them as soon as the cycle finishes.
Use dryer balls. Wool dryer balls help separate clothes and reduce wrinkles during the Perm Press cycle. They also reduce static.
Sort by fabric type. Don’t mix heavy cottons with synthetics in a Perm Press cycle. The heavy items won’t dry fully on medium heat, and the synthetics will overdry.
Shake out before drying. Shake each item before putting it in the dryer. This prevents tangling and helps the Perm Press cycle work effectively.
Products That Complement Perm Press
For maintaining your dryer: Clean the lint screen before every load. A clogged screen reduces efficiency and can cause overheating, which defeats the purpose of the medium-heat Perm Press cycle.
For maintaining your washer: Use affresh Washing Machine Cleaner monthly to keep your washer running efficiently. Clean clothes going into the dryer means better results from any dryer cycle.
For reducing static: Use wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. Dryer sheets can leave a residue on the dryer’s moisture sensors, which can affect the Perm Press cycle’s automatic shut-off.
FAQ
What is Perm Press on a dryer? Perm Press is a dryer setting that uses medium heat followed by a cool-down period. It’s designed for synthetic fabrics and blends that are prone to wrinkling. The medium heat dries the clothes, and the cool-down period prevents wrinkles from setting in.
When should I use Perm Press? Use Perm Press for synthetic fabrics, fabric blends, dress shirts, blouses, and wrinkle-prone items. Don’t use it for heavy cottons, towels, bedding, delicates, or items labeled air dry only.
What is the difference between Perm Press and regular dry? Perm Press uses medium heat and ends with a cool-down period where the dryer tumbles without heat. Regular dry uses high heat and stops tumbling while the clothes are still hot, which can cause wrinkles. The cool-down period is the key difference.
Can you dry cotton on Perm Press? Lightweight cotton items can be dried on Perm Press, but heavy cottons like towels, jeans, and bedding need high heat to dry fully. Drying heavy cottons on Perm Press may leave them damp.
What temperature is Perm Press on a dryer? Perm Press typically uses medium heat, around 140F. This is hot enough to dry synthetic fabrics but not so hot that it causes wrinkles or damage. The cycle ends with a cool-down period of unheated air.
Does Perm Press reduce wrinkles? Yes. The cool-down period at the end of the Perm Press cycle is specifically designed to reduce wrinkles. The dryer tumbles without heat for 5 to 10 minutes, letting the clothes cool gradually while still moving, which prevents wrinkles from setting in.
What is the Perm Press symbol on clothes? On clothing care labels, the Perm Press symbol is a square with a circle inside and one line underneath. This means use the permanent press cycle on your dryer. Two lines under the symbol means use the delicate cycle.
References
- Whirlpool. “What Is Perm Press?” whirlpool.com.
- Tide. “Dryer Settings Explained.” tide.com.
- The Spruce. “Dryer Settings Guide.” thespruce.com.
- Maytag. “Dryer Cycles Explained.” maytag.com.
