Wool Dryer Balls – Faster Drying Time with Softer and Fluffy Laundry

Dec 17, 2023 by

By S. Levin

Families spend countless hours washing and drying clothes. Dryer balls can shorten the amount of time it takes to dry clothes. Wool dryer balls are environmentally friendly, and they are reusable. They soften, and fluff clothing without the need for single-use dryer sheets or fabric softeners. Dryer balls are especially effective at keeping down jackets fluffy and, reducing wrinkling in clothes and sheets. By using wool dryer balls in your laundry you can save time, money, and energy while being environmentally conscious.

Wool dryer balls are about the size of a softball and made from felted wool. Wool is compostable and biodegradable, which makes it environmentally friendly, and they are easy to use. One word of caution, dryer balls can be noisy when they bounce around in your dryer.

How they Work

Throw three or more dryer balls in the dryer with your clothing as you would a dryer sheet. The dryer balls will tumble around the dryer where they soak up excess water and keep the clothes separate from each other which allows them to dry faster (estimated to reduce dryer time from 25 to 40%). They naturally soften and reduce static cling, leaving your clothes fluffy. Wool dryer balls themselves will not add fragrance to your wash, but you can add a few drops of essential oils for the scent you want.  Some sites suggest adding a few drops of witch hazel to reduce static cling, but we found that the wool balls alone were enough.

Wool dryer balls can be used for over 1,000 loads, which equates to two to five years of laundry.

While we tested dryer balls made of tightly compressed wool, they also come in plastic or rubber. Wool dryer balls are natural and absorb moisture from fabrics to reduce overall drying times. As they bounce around in the dryer balls are noisy.  Plastic and rubber dryer balls are durable, some come with spikes and bumps which further separate clothes by tugging at the fabric. They are recommended for people who want to avoid the wool fibers. Tennis balls can be used as a dryer ball substitute, but they will not soften your fabrics. Be cautious when using plastic not designed for the dryer, as the heat can cause it to melt.

Replace your dryer balls when they begin to shed and disintegrate. Clean your dryer balls every few months by washing them on a gentle cycle with hot water and drying them on high heat.

We tested three fragrance-free dryer balls made of New Zealand wool, all available online.

Friendsheep

Friendsheep dryer balls are packaged in cloth bags, with a 60s throwback flavor, and a conscious effort to use environmentally friendly materials. Their dryer balls come in a large variety of colors, and with adorable hand-stitched patterns, handmade for fair wages by underprivileged women and people with disabilities in Kathmandu, Nepal. Friendsheep also sells hand-stitched pet products and essential oils.

Friendsheep’s focus is on providing environmentally friendly products, eliminating plastic, reducing energy consumption, and healing the planet. They do this by avoiding single-use plastic and chemicals by selecting alternative materials that minimize waste. All their products are reusable and plastic-free. Their external packaging is made of 100% tree-free Lokta paper bags with 100% recyclable and 100% compostable packing materials. They take their commitment to the environment further, planting one tree with every purchase of a Friendsheep product, thanks to their partnership with the Eden Reforestation Project in addition, and they donate about 20% of all proceeds to nonprofit organizations.

Friendsheep takes back used and retired wool dryer balls and donates them to animal rescues or recycles or composts them. They give customers a $5 discount on future purchases for donations of 4 or more dryer balls.

Friendsheep founder, Valeria Isaacs, is a zero-waste entrepreneur, and disability advocate, passionate about ecology and sustainable living.  Despite a spinal cord injury that left her a quadriplegic at age 22, Valeria earned a master’s degree in molecular biology, and worked in contemporary art, all while living life to its fullest.

Friendsheep is available online and in select stores.

SmartSheep

SmartSheep makes wool dryer balls with playful hand-felted images including, sheep, penguins, and puppies, or select the basic unadorned basic woolen balls. They are a woman-owned business created by Kalpana and Christine. Kalpana manages the felting process of the dryer balls in Nepal by women and minorities paid a living wage. While, Christine handles the importing, inspecting, and packaging operations in the United States.

SmartSheep also sells essential oils scenting sprays, plastic-free, eco-friendly laundry products, detergent strips, and stain sticks.

SmartSheep products are biodegradable, packaged in recycled paper, and free from single-use plastic, reducing waste and minimizing environmental impact. Their website includes Do It Yourself instructions for making wool dryer balls, detergent strips, and stain sticks.

SmartSheep products are available online.

Cleancult

Cleancult produces generic, non-scented no-frills wool dryer balls sold in three-packs. No fanciful characters, just solid undyed wool balls, and they work.

Cleancult produces other cleaning products, lavender and lemon-scented soft hand soap, dish soap, and cleaning, all based on protecting the environment by substituting paper for plastic and making refillable products. The soap dispenser is made of aluminum, attractive and sturdy, and the refills are sold in containers resembling milk boxes. ‘We clean your home without burying it in plastic’ Switch from a bad plastic habit to a cleaner refill ritual; one that boxes out plastic, protects our homes, and leaves them smelling heavenly.’

We tested the hand soap and found the scents to be vibrant and strong, preferring lemon over lavender.  We diluted the hand soap, but that is the Cleancult design, allowing each customer to customize their cleaning ritual.

Cleancult passed the cleaning test, leaving our counters sparkling. Cleancult products can be purchased online and at Walmart.

Good for the Environment

Wool dryer balls will improve your laundry experience and leave your laundry softer and wrinkle-free. With wool dryer balls you don’t need to use single-use dryer sheets or softener. Their natural absorbency will reduce dryer time, which saves energy and gives you some ‘me’ time back.

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