New Wool Dryer Balls (Photo credit: Dazed81)
Dryer balls: something I’ve come across time and time again when perusing cloth-diapering blogs, yet not something I’ve ever used. Here’s the little I do know about them.
Plastic Dryer Balls: I’ve seen these at the grocery story in the laundry section. They come in a package of two, they’re blue and they look like they belong in the aisle with the pet toys. Seriously. The package says they naturally soften clothes (by pummeling them around, I suppose?) and will decrease drying time up to 25%. I’ve never even been moderately tempted to buy any, maybe because I don’t use fabric softener and I’m perfectly happy with the softness of my clothes without it and maybe because I’m skeptical.
Wool Dryer Balls: I’ve also come across dryer balls in green living blogs because they also supposedly soften clothes, require less drying time and decrease static electricity. Living in a dry climate we do have some static once in a while but it seems to go away after I fold the clothes. I’ve never dealt with “fabric cling” but that could be because I wear jeans and yoga pants and uh, little else. Since I can make them myself or maybe because they look like giant colorful Christmas ornaments or toys, I am tempted to try wool dryer balls. I’m not sure if they do anything different or better than the plastic balls but they are more earth friendly and cost-efficient if I make them myself.
Aluminum Dryer Balls: When searching “dryer balls” I also came across a site that claims that aluminum dryer balls are the way to go: easy to make from heavy duty aluminum foil and a great way to cut down on static cling. I can see how aluminum might help to cut down on static electricity and apparently they aren’t any more difficult to make than balling up some tinfoil into some tennis-ball sized forms.
Because I use only Thirsties Duo Fab Fitteds with Cooper right now, if I am using the dryer, it takes about an hour. In the summer, thanks to the hot sun and dry air in Colorado, my diapers actually dry faster outside, especially if I turn them inside after about half an hour. If dryer balls can help cut down on the time my diapers are in the dryer, that would be great. And from what I understand, they soften clothes and diapers by the motion and gentle pounding they create.
Do you use dryer balls? Which kind do you use and how well do they work? Should I give them a try. Tell me what you think and Happy Holidays!
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Elizabeth,
I use some EverydayLiving brand dryer balls. They do work well with sheets, towels, and fluffy items such as comforters. I think you’re on the right track that they do pummel as the items dry. I use the dryer balls in combination with unscented fabric softener and I will often use dryer sheets anyway to encourage the sheets and towels to be soft. I would agree with you that the fabric softener and dryer sheets would not be ideal supplements to the dryer balls with the Thirsties diapers because of the reduced absorbency and warranty voiding that it would cause. I just purchased 2 of the Thirsties Duo Diapers for my son, who is due on 1/28. I will try the dryer balls per your suggestion as I will need to wash these a number of times before he arrives.
Thanks for the blog entry!
Kathryn
Thanks for this article! We just got inspired to make our own wool dryer balls, realizing $7 each is a bit ridiculous compared to how easy and cheap they are to construct DIY style.
I have always worried they would come apart in the dryer and shed all over my clothes…
I bought a set of wool dryer balls when I started with cloth diapers and I do like them… I just liked the idea of wool better than plastic – like you said, better for the environment and more natural.
I don’t have any issues with static since I started using them. I really notice the shortened time, no static and softer feeling fabric with my sheets and towels, although sometimes it’s like a treasure hunt trying to find them when I’m pulling stuff out of the dryer. I hang my diapers outside weather permitting but when I have to dry them inside I always use the balls.
I haven’t heard of aluminum ones but with my luck I’d end up with sharp edges that would snag my clothes.
And even with the velcro on bibs and other clothes I haven’t had any problems with the balls coming apart or shedding on anything
I use wool dryer balls for all of my laundry and LOVE them. There’s an etsy store that sells them for $3 each:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/111339048/set-of-8-eco-friendly-100-wool-dryer?ref=sr_gallery_6&ga_search_query=dryer+balls&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_ref=auto1&ga_search_type=all
And, no, I have no connection with the store… I just agree with the poster above that $7 each is too much for how simple they are.
I really love them, though… quiet and clothes dry faster and come out soft.
I love using wool dryer balls and haven’t used dryer sheets in over a year! They are great for fluffing diapers that are line dried and make them nice and soft if used on the air fluff setting for about 25 min.
I have wanted to dry wool balls for a while but heard 4-6 work best, and that’s a pretty hefty start up cost!
I just started using dryer balls because my little one’s super sensitive skin. Her skin has gotten so much better! I’ve never thought about making my own though. Anyone have any idea how to go about making them?
i just got a set of woolzies dryer balls yesterday to do a review on! so far im loving them! my clothes come out nice and soft, dry faster and no chemicals? hello! love it!
I have always wanted to try the wool dryer balls. I have heard that the plastic ones leave a nasty smell on your clothes.
I stopped using dryer sheets a few months ago, but I would love to replace them with something more eco-friendly. I love the idea of using wool dryer balls, but I can’t decide if I want to make them or buy them from etsy!
I bought a five pack of wool balls from JSB when I began my adventure in cloth diapering. At that time I started reading and educating myself on many things that I could do to get my wash routine safer and more natural. So I used 2 balls first, then added one more and I am now just keeping the five of them in the dryer to be used with whatever load comes…. No static and clothes dry faster! I also stopped drying in high heat.
I use wool dryer rounds in all of my laundry. I love that I don’t have to worry about chemicals and that it’s not a throw away product.
I just made my own and am excited to use them!
I’ve heard of these, but never tried them out. Might have to look into it further. Thanks for the info!
I am interested to try dryer balls as I am just getting into cloth diapering with my first little one due in 4 weeks!
Thanks for this post and a special thanks to the commenter above who shared the link for $3 wool dryer balls!!!
Thanks for this! I’ve been dryer ball curious since I started CDing 2 years ago and gave up dryer sheets. I’m seriously considering picking some up now.
I have used wool dryer balls for over a year. I had previously tried the plastic version, but they are noisy and any hard plastic on the ends breaks off after a while. I much prefer the wool dryer balls. They are an investment, but so is anything worth while. They do help with dry time. I don’t typically have static cling, so can’t say if they help or not. I have used the Woolzies Dryer Balls for about 5 months, and they are holding up wonderfully! I previously used a homemade farmers market dryer ball, but they did not hold up for very long. I think the quality is very important when choosing the brand. You can find out more about where to buy them and how to make them on my article: http://www.thirstiesbaby.com/blog/detergent-additives-softeners-and-cloth-diapers/
I have never tried them, but I have thought about it. I do have a sensitivity to wool (I know, not very common, but I do), but I’m okay if it doesn’t touch my bare skin. I’m wondering if it would be okay to try the wool ones or not? I might just have to try and see.
We just started using them, but I think I need more to see the impact on dryer time though. I definitely love them though and love that there is alternative for cloth
I made my own with a couple of thrift store sweaters and a bit of yarn. They’re not as pretty as ones made with bright wool roving, but it only cost $6 to make a set of ten. They’re fantastic; not noisy like tennis balls and they really seem to get rid of wrinkles.
We use LooHoo (formerly “Wooly Rounds”) Wool dryer balls. They are FANTASTIC! Even people with wool sensitivities that can’t wear wool clothes don’t have any issue with wool dryer balls! They reduce drying time and they are great for cutting down on static. The more you have in the dryer, the better! We have 8.
As others have confirmed, dryer balls really do work! It’s just through mechanical action rather than chemical action. For the user who made her own, how did you do it?
I have never heard of dryer balls. Thanks for sharing. I’m gonna try to make some
I just had a friend tell me about how she uses dryer balls with her cloth diapers. I am going to give them a try.
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