Madeline Buiano is the editor of MarthaStewart.com, sharing her knowledge on a variety of topics including gardening, cleaning, and home.
If your laundry often comes out of the dryer damp or wrinkled, you may be looking for a quick fix. Consider using wool dryer balls. These soft balls easily soften clothes, speed up drying, and reduce static. Unlike dryer sheets, wool dryer balls are reusable, making them a more eco-friendly alternative to some other fabric softeners. If you’re planning on using them next time, read on for expert tips on how to use wool dryer balls.
Simply put, wool dryer balls are tightly woven, felted balls of wool. They are typically biodegradable and can be made at home from a few basic materials. These balls are placed inside the drum of the dryer and are often used in place of commercial fabric softeners and dryer sheets.
Melissa Popping, founder of Chemical Free Home, says that if you use the recommended four dryer balls at a time, they will bounce off the drum of the dryer and fall into the laundry. This helps circulate air more evenly in the dryer, which prevents moisture from building up in your clothes and reduces drying time.
Wool dryer balls have many benefits when used correctly. Increased airflow reduces drying time, makes clothes softer, and prevents creasing and static.
Wool is an extremely absorbent fabric that effectively wicks moisture away from your clothes, reducing drying time. But remember that actual results may vary from person to person. “Always consider the type of fabric you’re drying,” says Sean Bush, CEO and co-founder of Puacy. “Some fabrics are easier to dry naturally.”
As the wool balls rotate in the dryer, they agitate the fibers of the clothes, which loosens them and makes the clothes softer.
According to Popin, if you take your clothes out immediately after drying, you will find that they are almost wrinkle-free. The increased air circulation from the dryer balls reduces friction between items, which leads to fewer wrinkles and static electricity.
If you’re making dryer balls from wool rovings, make sure the balls are felted before using them. You can air dry the balls a few times before placing them in the dryer. When the items feel firm enough to the touch, place four wool balls in the dryer with your wet items, Poepping says.
When you notice the outer layer of felt starting to shed, it’s time to replace the wool dryer balls.
It’s safe to add a few drops of essential oil to wool dryer balls. Popping advises never adding perfume or fragrances that contain alcohol, as these ingredients can be a fire hazard.