Can Bamboo Bedding Go in the Tumble Dryer?

Short answer: Bamboo bedding can go in the tumble dryer, but only on low heat and only briefly. High heat is what destroys the fibre, and a set tumbled hot many times loses the smooth surface that was the whole reason for choosing it.

The short answer

Yes, it can, but it should not become the habit. Low heat and a programme that ends while the set is still slightly damp is the only way to tumble bamboo without it costing the fabric something.

What the heat does

Bamboo viscose is a fibre that weakens when it is wet and warm at the same time. That is why tumble drying wears it more than washing does. The fibres break in small amounts each time, and after many times you can feel it.

How it feels afterwards

A set tumbled hot many times feels dry and slightly rough rather than smooth. That is not dirt, and it cannot be washed out again. It is the fibre surface that has worn, and it does not come back.

The right setting

Choose the lowest heat the machine has and set a short time. A set has to come out while still lightly damp, and then hangs for the last twenty minutes. That way it goes smooth without having been warm for long.

Why air drying is better

Hung up while wet, the set smooths itself out, and it rarely needs ironing afterwards. It takes longer, but it is the single thing that most clearly decides whether a set lasts three years or ten.

When you are in a hurry

If you only own one set and need it the same evening, a short run on low heat is better than sleeping in a damp set. That is why most people keep two sets and avoid the choice entirely.

Signs of too much heat

The fabric creases more than it used to, the colour has gone slightly dull, and the cover feels thinner in the middle than at the edges. If all three apply, the set has been through the dryer too hot too often.

Shrinkage

A set shrinks one to two per cent in the first wash and can shrink slightly more with hot tumbling. That is why a cover should be bought with a centimetre to spare rather than fitting the duvet exactly from day one.

See the other sets

If you only have one set, you end up tumbling it, because there is no time for anything else. Two sets solve that. See the range under bamboo bedding and choose two in the same quality. See also washing and caring for bamboo clothing and bamboo and economics.