Yes, those Dryer Balls do work. I’ve had the chance to test them out over the past few weeks, and they’ve really gotten a good workout, too.
See, since my happy little remarks about our first snowfall, we’ve had nothing but rain. Heavy rain. Rain with a strong wind, that makes an umbrella hopeless. So I’ve had a constant stream (forgive the pun) of wet jackets and mitts to try to get dried out in time for the next dog walk in torrential rain… it’s November on Canada’s east coast, what can I say?)
What the heck are Dryer Balls?
Dryer Balls, “as seen on TV” (only I haven’t seen them advertised, must not be on one of the two-and-a-half channels I can bring in with the old rabbit ears antenna), are a pair of nubbly little plastic balls that you put into the dryer with your wet laundry. They contain no harmful chemicals and are supposed to last for several years.
What are Dryer Balls for?
Dryer Balls help wet laundry to machine-dry faster, thus saving time and energy and money on the power bills. It works by mechanical action, keeping the clothes from clumping up together as they tumble in the machine so that the air can get circulate more efficiently. I did find that a large load of bedding dried in about 10 minutes less than the usual hour’s drying time. A load of smaller items (t-shirts and undies and such, which tumble about more freely) dried even faster — maybe as much as 25% savings with the Dryer Balls in play.
They also help the laundry to fluff up as it dries — you know how some washing instructions for ski jackets or down-filled vests will tell you to put a couple of tennis balls in the dryer with them? It’s the same concept.
So, does fluffy laundry mean soft laundry?
Dryer Balls are also said to make laundry softer, without triggering allergies the way that the chemicals in dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener can do — and for a much lower cost.
When I tested this theory, my laundry definitely turned out softer than it would be if I’d hung it on the clothesline as I most often do (not an option in this weather!), and softer than with either the Bounce dryer sheets or a slosh of vinegar in the final rinse water.
The dry clothes probably would be softer if I used liquid softener, but personally I don’t care for the feeling of fabric softener residue, or for the mysterious chemical contents, or for the cost of fabric softener and the hassle of dragging the plastic containers to the recycling depot.
Bottom line?
I’m a Dryer Ball fan.
And you now know far more than you ever wanted to know about my laundry.