Dryer Golf

December 30, 2009 8:31 AM

Will golf balls damage clothes if I put them in the dryer?

I want to dry my clothes a little more efficiently, but I don't have any tennis balls. While cleaning, however, I found some golf balls. Are those safe to put in with my clothes? Or will they melt and/or damage the clothes in some other fashion?

posted by ®@ to Home & Garden (13 answers total)

I don't know about damaging the clothes, but I'd be more worried about damaging my dryer.
posted by applemeat at 8:34 AM on December 30, 2009 [2 favorites]

I would bet golf balls to be heavy and hard enough to break buttons and clasps etc.. Also they are not porous of absorbent so I don't know how much dying power they would have.

I don't think a dyer would melt them, but it's still a bad Idea. (IMO)
posted by French Fry at 8:34 AM on December 30, 2009

I'd never heard the tennis balls thing, but I suspect if it's true then the fuzziness of the balls (heh) helps absorb the excess water. I don't think it would work with golf balls, and it would be a hell of a racket. (Trust me...I once washed a pair of jeans with several 10 and 20-sided dice in the pocket...)

Why not use a clean, dry towel?
posted by JoanArkham at 8:36 AM on December 30, 2009

Don't do this.
posted by amro at 8:37 AM on December 30, 2009 [3 favorites]

I remember the Mythbusters did a similar thing with steaks and metal ball bearings. The dryer's motor didn't have enough omph, so Jaime hooked it up to another motor. The dryer was pretty much demolished, IIRC.

I'd not put a hard ball in the dryer. Go to the dollar store and get some cheap tennis balls. They may not be great for actual tennis, but I'm sure they'll fit your needs.

Or, if you really want to be cheap, stop by a tennis club or YMCA and ask if they've got any old tennis balls they were planning on throwing out.
posted by mccarty.tim at 8:39 AM on December 30, 2009

Or, if you really want to be cheap, stop by a tennis club or YMCA and ask if they've got any old tennis balls they were planning on throwing out.

Wouldn't that get dirt all over your clean, wet clothes though?
posted by amro at 8:46 AM on December 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

Check to see if freecycle.org is active in your region and post a request for some tennis balls. I bet someone has some laying around.

Wouldn't that get dirt all over your clean, wet clothes though?

You could wash the tennis balls before doing this.
posted by rhizome at 9:04 AM on December 30, 2009

You'd essentially be creating a ball mill which is used to break down solid material for industrial processes. I'd be leery about the effect of tennis balls repeatedly pummelling my clothes as well.
posted by Mitheral at 9:17 AM on December 30, 2009

If you're not keen on putting used tennis balls in your dryer you can put them inside clean tennis socks and then put them in your dryer. I would absolutely not use golf balls.
posted by kate blank at 9:26 AM on December 30, 2009

I'd be leery about the effect of tennis balls repeatedly pummelling my clothes as well.

Nah, it works great. Tennis balls are the original of those "dryer balls" that people sell now.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:42 AM on December 30, 2009

Yeah just don't do it. I don't it would help with anything except making a lot of racket.
posted by lucy.jakobs at 9:49 AM on December 30, 2009

Best answer: If you have wool yarn, you can make your own dryer balls.
posted by Maarika at 10:52 AM on December 30, 2009 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: This is perfect! Yup, I was just looking for a way to help separate the clothes. I think I have some yarn kicking around, so this may be what I'll do.

Will follow everyone else's advice about not using the golf balls. Thanks!
posted by ®@ at 12:45 PM on December 30, 2009