Life Hack: What are dryer balls and how can I use them in my laundry?
You may have noticed dryer balls for sale in shops and supermarkets becoming more readily available in recent years. There are two styles usually available, plastic and wool, both offering different benefits.
I love a super-easy hack that takes almost no effort to do, but delivers really impressive results.
Anything this easy feels like it shouldn’t work but some of them are well worth trying. One great example is adding dryer balls to your tumble dryer.
You may have noticed dryer balls for sale in shops and supermarkets becoming more readily available in recent years.
There are two styles usually available, plastic and wool, both offering different benefits.
When used correctly, they can replace the need for products like fabric softener and dryer sheets, offering a pocket-friendly solution that is also more environmentally friendly.
A soft option that is quiet when bouncing around the drum, wool dryer balls are made of felted wool which is tightly woven into a ball. They are usually biodegradable.
It is recommended to use up to four wool balls per load in your dryer for the best results. The balls will bounce around the dryer drum while it is running and also bounce against the fabrics being dried.
This allows the air in the dryer to circulate easier, preventing pockets of moisture from lingering and reducing overall drying times.
As well as this, the repeated contact of the balls to the fabric can help to soften clothes as the fibres in the fabric are loosened and it also knocks out any wrinkles, saving you time with the iron after you unload the drum.
Just make sure you remove them from the drum as soon as the cycle ends as letting them sit there as they cool down could allow wrinkles to form.
To create a steaming effect to further reduce wrinkles, spray some water on the dryer balls to make them slightly damp before adding them into the drum.
For added effect, you can spray wool dryer balls with a bit of water to make them slightly damp before placing them in the dryer cycle. This will add a steaming effect.
To add an extra level of fragrance to your washing, you can add a few drops of your preferred essential oil directly to the dryer balls.
This will imbue a pleasant scent upon your laundry. However, do not add perfume or any fragrance with an alcohol base, as this can become a potential fire hazard given the high temperatures the items in your tumble drier can reach.
Typically, wool dryer balls will last for up to 1,000 cycles in a dryer. They need to be replaced when the outer layer of felt starts to come apart. You should wash wool dryer balls every four to six months — or after 100 uses in the dryer.
If they do not seem to be working as effectively as normal, it’s time for a refresh. Remove debris with a lint roller and wash the balls on a gentle cycle in a mesh bag, using just hot water and no detergent and softener. Pop them into the dryer on high heat or let them air dry.
While wool dryer balls are more environmentally friendly, plastic dryer balls are more durable. Unlike wool balls, they won’t shed fibres onto the fabric over time.
Some plastic dryer balls have a bumpy or spiked surface which can help to separate clothing more, allowing more hot air to circulate and improve your dryer’s overall performance.
If you would like to try using dryer balls but do not have any to hand, you can substitute tennis balls in their place. Only use new tennis balls for this as used ones could transfer dirt onto your freshly washed laundry.
And keep in mind that tennis balls are brightly coloured so the dyes used on them could run and stain clothes. Check they won’t run before using them in your dryer.
Like plastic dryer balls, tennis balls can be louder in the laundry than wool dryer balls as they bounce around the drum.
