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!
I’ve been contemplating making some wool dryer balls. We use hemp prefolds that take FOREVER to dry. I’ve also noticed some static cling without softener (since i’m afraid of fabric softener accidently dispensing on my diapers). The shortened drying time sounds promising!
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 have never heard of dryer balls. Thanks for sharing. I’m gonna try to make some
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!
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