Wool dryer balls are one of those ingenious little hacks that save time and money, yet require only a small investment.
When I learned about them, I contemplated making them myself, but quickly remind myself that my attention span (Look! Over there!) meant it was a project that would quickly get sidetracked without completion.
As a wise man once said, “You’ll pay with your money or you’ll pay with your time.” I chose to invest a few bucks and just buy some wool dryer balls. They have saved me both time AND money in the long run. That’s a win-win for me.
Let me explain the simple magic behind dryer balls…
Wool dryer balls reduce the drying time by absorbing some of the moisture from clothing and linens.
In addition, all that bouncing around keeps the clothes from clumping together, creating better separation while drying clothes, which (again) reduces drying time.
The reduced drying time and the continuous fluffing from all the dryer balls make for static-free clothing and linens.
Bonus: Wool dryer balls are not loud or obnoxious. It’s not the thumping clamor you would hear with tennis balls. You can reduce the slight notice by layering the balls between the clothing rather than just tossing them on the bottom or top of drying loads…
How Many Dryer Balls Do You Need?
The number of dryer balls you use is determined by the size of the laundry load you are drying, but the more balls you use, the faster time your laundry will dry. Here are some general guidelines:
- For small to medium-sized loads, use 3-4 balls. Three should be the minimum amount used.
- For larger loads, you can use 4-6 balls.
- For extra-large loads, you may want as many as 6-10 balls.
Remember, these are just guidelines, and your drying time, heat setting, and fabric type will all be factors, so experiment to see what works best for you.
Don’t Be Shocked!
Nobody like static cling (except maybe that vengeful sibling who is holding a grudge about ‘that one time’.
Remember that using wool dryer balls can reduce drying time by up to 25%. In my experience, static cling is generally the result of OVER drying clothing.
If you find that static cling is an issue, do any one (or more) of these three things:
- Reduce the dryer heat and/or drying time to prevent overdrawing,
- Spray the balls with water before placing in the dryer to increase humidity, or
- Attach a safety pin to one of the dryer balls. The safety pin will diffuse the static electricity because it’s made of metal.
That’s it –that’s my spiel! Give them a try and let me know what you think.
