How to Use Wool Dryer Balls

What's fluffier than a freshly sheared sheep's wool? Clothes after a spin with wool dryer balls.

There are different types of "balls" that can be used when drying clothes, the most popular being made of wool. Plastic and rubber dryer balls exist too, but as it turns out, the wool ball is superior in nearly every way.

What Are Wool Dryer Balls and How Do They Work?

Wool dryer balls are a fantastic all-natural way to soften clothes, eliminate static and reduce energy usage by drying clothes faster. They may look like a stripped-down tennis ball, but these wool balls are made for the dryer, not the tennis court.

Made of 100% wool yarn, these balls have become increasingly popular with parents who've taken up using cloth diapers over disposable ones, making them a great addition to an eco-friendly household routine.

Wool dryer balls work by bouncing between wet layers of clothing that would otherwise stick together. The separation of the layers allows warm air to dry clothes more quickly.

These balls also absorb some of the moisture, adding a second layer of drying to the mix. Their inherent bounciness makes clothes static-free after a tumble in the dryer, making the ensuing folding process a breeze.

The process is surprisingly easy. Open the dryer, add wet clothes, throw in three or four extra-large dryer balls, and turn on the dryer.

It's worth keeping an eye on the dryer for the first few loads with wool dryer balls, since they reduce drying time. Reducing the dry time setting can help prevent clothes from over-drying, which could cause them to wear out faster, unless the dryer automatically senses dryness and shuts off on its own.

When To Replace Wool Dryer Balls

Most wool dryer balls last up to 1,000 loads. It's time to replace them once they start looking scraggly, with pieces of wool tearing off. Wool fibers may even begin appearing on dry clothing, looking a bit like pet hair.

The Benefits of Using Wool Dryer Balls

Once the benefits of these soft dryer balls become clear, it's hard to go back to dryer sheets. A quick rundown:

Cost-effective compared to dryer sheets
Reduce energy used by helping clothes dry 20-30% faster
Made of naturally sourced, non-toxic materials, unlike plastic dryer balls
Can be reused up to 1,000 loads of laundry
Reduce static electricity build-up in the dryer
Can be used with a drop of essential oil to add all-natural fragrance
Once used up, they can be composted at home or in municipal facilities
Often comes in a cotton bag that can also be reused and composted

Cost-Effectiveness

The cost-efficiency of wool dryer balls comes two-fold. First, there's no need to keep buying them the way dryer sheets require repeat purchases. One dryer ball can be reused up to 1,000 loads of laundry.

Faster drying adds up too. If a typical dryer load takes approximately 60 minutes, wool dryer balls can conservatively cut that to around 45 minutes. Over the course of 1,000 loads, that's a reduction of roughly 250 hours of drying time.

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

Disposable products such as dryer sheets and plastic dryer balls are a major contributor to landfill and ocean waste. Wool dryer balls are natural and compostable.

For anyone who composts at home, wool's water retention abilities are a bonus for the garden too.

Protecting Your Health

Wool dryer balls are a sustainable alternative to wasteful dryer sheets that are often covered in harmful chemicals like benzyl acetate, linked to respiratory irritation, and even chloroform, a neurotoxin and known carcinogen. Synthetic fragrances may smell nice, but they can also cause unwanted health problems.

Those chemicals can get absorbed into clothing, which touches every part of the body, so it's worth avoiding harsh chemicals in home goods and clothing alike where possible.

Adding Essential Oils

For an alternative to fresh-smelling dryer sheets, a drop of essential oil can be added onto the wool balls.

It's worth cautioning that adding too many drops of essential oil onto the balls could cause a dryer fire.

The safest approach is to wait until a load of laundry is completely dry before adding essential oils, then add a drop or two and run the load again on a no-heat setting. This method quickly freshens clothes and keeps them wrinkle-free.

Have A Ball

There's really no downside to switching to wool dryer balls. Their benefits stack up quickly, adding a little extra cushion to the budget while reducing a household's carbon footprint.

Wool dryer balls are intuitive to use and pose no health risks, unlike dryer sheets and plastic dryer balls.