Amazing Dryer Balls!

November 12, 2006 5:28 PM

"Amazing Dryer Balls"...anyone use them? Do they work (as a replacement for chemical-y dryer sheets)?

Because these dryer balls are an "as seen on TV" thing, all the warning flags for "useless, over hyped, under performing product" are up. I'm skeptical? If you need to say a product is "amazing," i'm tempted to believe it is not-so-amazing.

That said, i'm curious about using these to replace dryer sheets. We don't use dryer sheets in the loads of laundry we do that contain baby clothes (to avoid chemicals), and I think i'd just as soon avoid the chemicals of dryer sheets all together. Is a product like a "dryer ball" a good alternative (or would I be better served simply not using dryer sheets)?

The only discussions i've found about them tend to be fairly neutral/across-the-board (from total waste to wow!...from what i've read, the "reduced drying time" claim is pretty bogus (or at least hard to judge)

posted by tpl1212 to home & garden (14 comments total)

my mom uses them, and shes big on soft laundry, so while i've not done much personal paying attention to it since its been while since shes washed stuff for me, i do know that if they didn't work at least alright, they would have been trashed and dryer sheets would be back.
posted by teishu at 5:33 PM on November 12, 2006

A dryer ball is merely impacting the cloth and breaking/loosening fibers. Save your money and throw an old shoe into the dryer. You'll get the exact same effect.
posted by frogan at 5:34 PM on November 12, 2006

Yeah, I've always heard tennis balls do the trick - especially for things like comforters/dry-clean-only stuff.
posted by jbickers at 5:40 PM on November 12, 2006

Works for me, though not enough to get worked up about. Towels come out fluffier than without, but it's not like anyone's going "wow, your towels are SO soft!" More cat fur shows up in the trap, but plenty still comes out firmly attached to the clothes. But it's nice for what it does, and for doing it without coating everything in obnoxious perfumes.

I'd recommend one if it's for home use, though not for the neighborhood laudromat. Those big drums make the balls bounce around hard enough to shove open the door mid-cycle, causing the ball and damp clothes to be flung out onto the floor. (Not a problem in ordinary residential dryers. I guess they don't generate as much velocity.)
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 5:41 PM on November 12, 2006

You could also throw a 1/2 cup or so of vinegar into the washer with the baby clothes. It's a fabric softener and neutralizes ammonia (pee). Cheap and safe, then ball can do its extra bit in the dryer.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 5:51 PM on November 12, 2006 [1 favorite]

My mom uses them and likes them; when I go home, I notice that stuff is definitely softer. I'm a little concerned that in softening, they may break too many fibers, which would make clothes wear out faster. (By the way, I don't think the effect's the same with tennis balls -- these dryer balls are really spiky.)

Oh, and be aware that they make a ton of noise -- enough that I don't use them in the laundromat, because everyone would be wondering what'd broken. My mom's okay with the noise because the laundry area is kind of separate from the rest of the house.
posted by booksandlibretti at 7:12 PM on November 12, 2006

I use them instead of dryer sheets. In my experience, they work as claimed. I use this brand which have a diff shape than the ones you linked to but I doubt that makes any difference. Mine cost C$12, I believe. I also use that company's detergent and it's wonderful.

My only complaint is that they can be a bit loud.
posted by dobbs at 8:54 PM on November 12, 2006

Reviews at InfomercialRatings.com
posted by IndigoRain at 9:03 PM on November 12, 2006

I bought these on a lark at Bed, Bath and Beyond while buying sheets. I found that there's maybe a marginal difference in softness/fluffiness, but that my jeans do take less time to dry. Used to be when I put in N pair of jeans into the dryer, I'd have to crank it to 50min (the max), then still do a touch up run. Now, with the dryer balls, I don't have to do the touch up.

I haven't noticed a difference with other fabrics, like shirts/sheets/towels- just with the jeans. But I at least anecdotally saw an improvement. Does it justify the price? Eh, maybe, maybe not. It seems to make a difference, so... how valuable that is to you is up to your wallet.
posted by hincandenza at 1:34 AM on November 13, 2006

I have found that the clothes tend to dry faster with these balls in the dryer. I think they agitate the clothing so that whatever is in the dryer doesn't wad up up so much. The only thing they definitely don't work with are fitted sheets or duvet covers as they just get stuck in the corners or work their way into the duvet cover.

Also the ones we use start off clunking around in the dryer but as they heat up they get softer and the noise decreases. No idea what they are called, but if it's any use they are knobbly and we got them in Bed, Bath and Beyond for like a few bucks.
posted by 543DoublePlay at 4:05 AM on November 13, 2006

Yeh OK, I just looked at the link (should've done that first) and ours look exactly like that and seem to work in the same way as advertised.
posted by 543DoublePlay at 4:07 AM on November 13, 2006

Thanks, all, for the replies. I saw the knobby things in a Bed Bath & Beyond circular for $10...I think i'll give them a go.

I guess i'm more interested in them as a way to keep at least one chemical-coated item off my clothes (dryer sheets) and not so worried about the cost...if they fluff my clothes and take less time to run the dryer, then hey, extra benefit.
posted by tpl1212 at 6:28 AM on November 13, 2006

they don't reduce static cling very well for towels/sheets, but they work fine for clothing.

Mine seemed to fail yesterday after a load of towels- later loads were staticy. Has anyone else had them stop working?
posted by Four Flavors at 11:57 AM on November 13, 2006

Four Flavors, how can you tell?

I don't know if you're aware of it but you're not supposed to use Bounce or other softener sheets with towels. They will reduce the absorbancy of the towels. Instead, you should put a tablespoon or so of baking soda in the washing machine with the towels. This will help keep them soft. The balls will help them dry faster. Also, I have no problem with static cling but that may be the baking soda doing it.
posted by dobbs at 8:23 AM on November 15, 2006