Dryer Balls

FormerHangie

FormerHangie

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FormerHangie
No, they're not the laundry equivalent of truck nuts. My wife had been using fabric softener on our towels, which as almost everyone knows tends to make them less absorbent. Now, in this household we like to keep the peace, so I'm not going to roil the waters over something this minor. One day she mentioned how the the towels weren't very absorbent, so I asked her if she was using fabric softener on them (I already knew), she said yes, and we had a discussion on the topic, and yes we have been married for a long time.

So, she ditched our old towels, got some new ones, and added these dryer balls to the laundry routine:
bhg-product-handy-laundry-wool-dryer-balls-6-pack-dburreson-008-af0c02f7af84440c82362362e832e465.jpeg

I assume they are supposed to pummel the laundry into softness. I don't do that much laundry, mostly car wash towels and the clothes I wear when doing yard work and home maintenance, and the occasional auto repair, but she was down with a partial knee replacement for a few weeks. I don't see much value in these things, and they're kind of annoying, especially when washing sheets and towels, you pull one item out and one or two of these come out of the dryer with it, and then I get to chase it down and replace it.

Anyone else has a spouse that's using these? Oh, if any guys here are using them, hand over the man card now. You'll get it back when you do some welding or other manly task.
 
Never heard of them. Tennis balls?
My wife uses lot's of downy softener.
A few of our towels do suck, they don't absorb moisture very well but they smell good is what she's after.
Learn something everyday.
 
We had some; they seemed to work. MIght get more. I get a rash from most fabric softeners and some detergents.
 
My wife uses them. They’re supposed to be more eco friendly than the sheets. Problem is they don’t have a scent. Maybe they do make scented ones but we have unscented ones. I like my clothes smelling fresh after a wash
 
Wife uses them on a regular basis. In not allowed to do laundry.
 
My wife uses them and swears by them. Occasionally she puts a few drops of essential oil on them for fragrance. She refuses to use fabric softeners.
Outside of the slight annoyance of having to pull one out of a wadded up shirt, or chasing one down that escapes to the floor, I couldn't care less, but if she likes them, that all I care about.

Personally, I just put vinegar in the fabric softener tub in the washer and that works as well as anything.
 
Pugs said:
Exactly. I find them all over after he’s hauled them off. Of course he denies all chicanery. He’s just here to point stuff out.

aTKYIkq.jpeg
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People say pointers are high strung. But all they do is stand there.
 
Kent Wien said:
Yep, I do my own laundry. Yep, I have and use dryer balls. Yep, they are colored like little penguins.

I’m actually very comfortable in my manhood.

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I do the laundry with dryer balls too. My manly self image seems to be intact too.

@FormerHangie, sorry but they are not even manly enough to pummel the clothes into submission. Mainly, they reduce drying time by increasing air circulation and reduce static cling. supposedly, the extra agitation from the airflow softens naturally.

But, damn, @Kent Wien, I can’t stand it any more. Where did you get the penguins?
 
We don't use the ones above anymore, but we have ones that are sort of cat shaped sponges that collect cat hair from the clothes.
 
My wife uses them when she does the laundry. I do not use them on my laundry--when I do it. I DO NOT do her laundry. Did it once as a favor. Never again.

I hate the sound those damned balls make in the dryer. Same thing with metal buttons or shoes. In fact, for some reason I hate the sound of the dryer in general and cannot sleep when it's running. No problem with the washing machine or dishwasher. Go figure.

No, I had no driver trauma in childhood.
 
I wonder if they're talking about MMO on wivesofamerica.
 
My wife uses both the balls and the sponges Ron referred to for hair. If you have pets that shed like ours do it's a necessity.
 
Yeah, we used to have some that looked just like the OP's picture
now we have some blue balls that are plastic and have spikes on them :eek:

I think that they are mostly just for entertainment. Something that bangs and makes lots of noise, something to chase when they fall out onto the floor when retrieving dried laundry, Something to retrieve from behind the dryer, and/or something to untangle out of a sheet that has wrapped and knotted around them.
but who am I to argue.... It's easier to just play along

edit: I meant to add, I had high hopes that they would be useful when trying to dry just one or two small items...you know, when they just stick to the outer wall and ride the circle, without falling or tumbling? Basically, they just bake in there. I had hoped that the balls would knock them around and help them to tumble and fluff, but no such luck as far as I can tell
 
jordane93 said:
My wife uses them. They’re supposed to be more eco friendly than the sheets. Problem is they don’t have a scent. Maybe they do make scented ones but we have unscented ones. I like my clothes smelling fresh after a wash
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Wow, I'm just the opposite. When I used dryer sheets, I used the unscented ones. Now I use dryer balls. Full disclosure is that I'm not a guy and I don't have a spouse...
 
I do all my laundry at once. When I come in from work I take off everything and throw it in the washer. Then the dryer. Put on in the morning after running the dryer a couple of minutes. Nice to have warm clothes on a chilly September morning. The only Balls used are attached . ;)
 
We use them at our house. The wife started using them about two years ago - started with six - now down to two - have no idea where the other four have gone. Meeting up with single socks, perhaps. No, we do not have a dog.
 
I've never used drier balls, or heard of them until now. I'm positive the GF would dislike the noise more than I would. Have used tennis balls, years and years ago, for synthetic comforters or non-down sleeping bags. Just so the stuffing doesn't clump up. I found the sound annoying, tried it without on "low" and it takes longer but works just fine.

I think the dog may need a worm pill, just guessing.
 
I'm about to have to start shopping for a new washer/dryer after 20+ years and, seeing this thread title, I thought I was going to have to deal with male vs. female dryer choices.
 
JOhnH said:
My wife uses them and swears by them. Occasionally she puts a few drops of essential oil on them for fragrance. She refuses to use fabric softeners.
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I like this idea. I bet we could save a ton of money if we stopped buying the "scent booster" crap and just used a few drops of mineral spirits or MIL-PRF-7870...
 
JOhnH said:
My wife uses them and swears by them. Occasionally she puts a few drops of essential oil on them for fragrance. She refuses to use fabric softeners.
Outside of the slight annoyance of having to pull one out of a wadded up shirt, or chasing one down that escapes to the floor, I couldn't care less, but if she likes them, that all I care about.

Personally, I just put vinegar in the fabric softener tub in the washer and that works as well as anything.
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Same here... I am on the auto ship program with Amazon for a new set every 6 months.. And the cat loves them...

As for the vinegar, stop using it... We did this when doing a load of towels.. I just had to replace some of the rubber seals and hoses in my front load LG washer, they don't like the acidity of vinegar.


 
I just use detergent that has a little scent built in - Cheer in my case. It has a really subtle vanilla like smell. I don't use fabric softener, dryer sheets, etc. All just seemed like things I didn't need.
 
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