Does clothes drying with dryer balls actually work ?

Hi C.,

I bought the balls several months back and honestly didn't see a difference in drying time and the clothes weren't any softer either. It did make the drying cyle a little louder than normal. That was my experience, but I probably should use them since I already have them.

I dont know if they speed up the drying but they seem to soften the laundry. Towels especially I've noticed. I use 4 at a time & they just live in my drier. They start off hard but soften up when they get warm.

I have been using them for several years & have passed a set on to my son & daughter-in-law. They do seem to help things dry faster, especially bulky things like towels & jeans. They don't clutter up the laundry room because they are always in the dryer. I no longer use fabric softener as the clothes come out fluffier. I paid a lot for mine at a county fair, but they are relatively inexpensive now - you can always find them at places like bed, bath & beyond & with a coupon are only about $8.00

Dear C.,
I use the dryer balls and I love them. I don't think they speed up the drying too much, however their main purpose is to stop the static build up in the clothing and to replace the dryer sheets. My husband loved using the dryer sheets, but they have chemicals on them that get on the clothes and then get on your body. I am allergic to fragrances and the nurse at my gyn's office (who is also allergic) told me never to use the dryer sheets because the chemicals stay on the clothing and irritate your skin. They are especially bad for little kids as well.

You just need to get 2 balls and keep them in the dryer all the time so they won't take up any space. The do get wrapped up in the sheets once in a while but other than that, they've been great and I've been able to eliminate the smelly dryer sheets.

I hope this helps.

L.

Hoe

Hi Carrie,

I use them to keep the cloths separated while drying. I set the dryer on a timer so I really don't know if they dry the cloths faster. I do feel they keep the cloths from accumulating those little lint balls.

M.

I bought them about a month ago and honestly haven't noticed any difference. I do have a front loader washing machine that gets a lot of the water out before I even put the clothes in the dryer. So, my dryer has always been pretty fast. I don't know if it makes a difference if you have a top loader.

Hi C.,

I use them and I think they are great! They make my clothes really soft!

J.

They work good and help with static. I learned the hard way not to use them with cloth diapers! They affect the absorbancy so I haven't tried them with my towels. Jeans are drying faster though.

They really work! They fluffen the clothes and seem to help with the time a little. Also, I found out that dryer sheets, even the dye/perfume free ones have really bad chemicals on them to help them bind that are h*** o* your skin. We have a lot of allergies and the doctor said they may be causing irritation. I use the dryer balls and 1/2 cup of vinegar (reg. white distilled) in the bleach or fabric compartment of the washer. You cant smell it and this cleans the washer and prevents static cling too. And it is natural. I have 4 kids and do a lot of laundry and this is working great. S.

They soften my clothes. I really like them. They don't add clutter because they stay in the dryer! I'm not sure about the speed of drying. The only thing I know helps that is adding a dry towel in with the wet load. The towel absorbs tons of water. I would only do that though if you don't have a dryer that senses moisture. It was my college trick for the laundro-mat. Saved me at least a few quarters!

Don't bother! I bought them and have noticed no difference in the drying time or fluffiness of my laundry. Save your money.

No personal experience but I just read a Consumer Reports publication that said they were pretty much a useless but cute little gadget better suited for a pet toy.

Smiles,
C.

I have used the dryer-balls for more than a year, & I find them effective for heavy items,sheets & towels, since they seem to plump-up the fabric. I'm a Massage Therapist & I wash a lot of sheets, & I like the way the fabric feels after drying w/ "balls". As for saving $$ on energy bills, I can't say, I live in California & our utility bills are sooo high here. As for taking up space in your room, I just put mine on top of the box of fabric softener,or they fit on a window sill. Try them & see for yourself!

I have some of the dryer balls, I don't see a difference in speed of drying. The one thing that I do notice is that you don't get the nice smell that you get from dryer sheets. So when I do the clothes I use dryer sheets. When my husband washes he uses the balls! Good luck!

I tried them and really liked them. I used them instead of liquid softener and they really loved them. I think they sped up dry time a bit, and what a nice natural way to soften fabric! Unfortunately my kids loved them too and they played with them so much we lost them. Time to get replacements!

Hello ~
My sister told me about the dryer balls last year and she said they speed up clothes drying. I bought them it does seem that they do indeed work.

Yeah, my husband came home with some a week before my son was born (in December) because we were advised to skip dryer softeners for awhile. They seem to work great, although we do get some static still. They also help to dry the clothes faster! We just leave them in the dryer, but my dog likes them, so we have to make sure the dryer door is left closed :)

I am not sure about the Dryer Balls but, try a dry hand towel, it works for me. :)

Hi C.,

Honestly, I don't think they work as far as speeding up the dryer time. I do like them for "fluffing" the laundry. I find that with the balls and dryer sheet my clothes seem softer and my towles feel softer. My husband actually was the one that noticed. But I don't think they are worth the money.

I use them. They work well for me; my clothes feel softer. They don't add clutter because I keep them in my dryer all the time.

We have used dryer balls for about six months now. Two of my daughters still live at home and do their own laundry. Neither of us has found any advantage to using the dryer balls. We still use them in conjunction with fabric sheets. I would not buy them again, but since we already have them we use them. They actually get entangled in clothes especially sheets and don't do much good. I wouldn't spend the money.

I use them and love the results. I use a natural Organic laundry soap and with that and the balls, our laundry is SO soft and seems to dry faster too. I have the ones from Bed Bath Beyond. the laundry soap is available at Living Green.

My mother in law bought a set for herself and for me. i did not find they helped drying time and i actually felt it was a little rough on my clothes. Not worth the money.

Love the dryer balls! I use 4 at a time & I don't have to use fabric sheets anymore. They work really well. And they stay in the dryer so you don't have to store them anywhere.

i've been using the dryer balls for quite some time now. i like them. they do cut drying time and leave the clothes as soft as the dryer sheets.

C., we have been using the dryer balls for a couple of years and plan to continue. Haven't done any scientific test with them however so can't really tell you if/ how much they're working. Have you searched for any reviews online?

Yes, I have been using dryer balls with the static free dryer towels ( think that's what they are called) for two years. They are great! Using them together is better. You never have to spend another dime on dryer sheets.

Enjoy!

YES! I love mine...I got them at Bed, Bath & Beyond last June. They really make a difference with towels, sheets, and all my twins baby clothes, they fluff everything up! I don't buy dryer sheets anymore at all. I beleive they do cut down on drying time and they also don't clutter up the laundry room since they are always in the dryer. (:

use them love them...I just keep them in the dryer at all times. they also help with removing static.
K.

I'm a grandma who is into trying new things, and I purchased the two dryer balls a couple of months ago. I can't tell if they dry faster, but I like the way my clothes turn out--no perfumed smell and no shrinkage, and they feel naturally softer.

Hello C.:

I bought them, and I cannot tell you if they work, because one of the balls (they come in a package of 2) broke.

I still use the one that is intact - just in case. It makes your dryer very noisy if it is a smaller load (as if I am drying a pair of old sneakers).

Good luck!

E.