Introduction
Nowadays everyone seems to praise dryer balls for their miraculous effects. However, others have differing opinions. If your dryer is in bad condition and needs some fixing, you can hire professionals for the job by searching for “dryer repair near me”. Let’s check what are dryer balls and why they are so popular:
The Details
- Dryer balls – Unlike dryer sheets, dryer balls are mostly made of rubber, wool, vinyl, and other such materials. They do the same job as dryer sheets. However, they do a better job in a much more natural way. They don’t contain harmful chemicals, are usually sourced from organic materials, and are biodegradable.
- Dryer balls working mechanism – When people sing praises for dryer balls, they usually talk about wool dryer balls. In theory, these balls do the same things as dryer sheets, just a bit better. The dryer balls are supposed to retain a lot of the dryer heat unlike dryer sheets and can boost drying time. This can potentially save you a lot of time in the long run both in electricity and should also make your clothes last longer.
- Drying time – Many homeowners have tested dryer balls for their effectiveness and usually find them to be better at drying than dryer sheets. For instance, almost all homeowners in those tests were able to cut down on drying times with wool dryer balls. Depending on the load and dryer cycle, people were able to cut down on drying time by as much as 5 to 7 minutes. Those few minutes add up after every drying cycle and help you save a lot of time and money in the long run.
- Static cling – Dryer balls are also known to reduce static cling on fabrics. However, measuring this property is very difficult. That’s why this one doesn’t hold true for everyone. Some people claim that they were able to get rid of static while others said they didn’t notice any major difference. That’s why the results are inconclusive for this one. Good for you if dryer balls can get rid of static from your clothes. Even if they don’t, there are plenty of other reasons for buying them.
- Chemicals – Dryer sheets produced by laundry product companies usually have a non-woven polyester base that’s coated with a softening agent. The softening agent usually contains long water-resistant chains of alcohol ethoxylates and fatty acids. These are Volatile Organic Compounds that end up in your clothes and can be harmful to your health in many ways. Some eco-friendly companies sell dryer sheets made of different sets of ingredients. They are marketed as biodegradable and eco-friendly.
However, in general, most people consider both types of dryer sheets to be harmful to their health or for the environment. On the other hand, wool dryer balls are some of the most eco-friendly laundry products you can find. You don’t even need to buy one from the market. Instead, there are plenty of online recipes that teach you to make a few wool dryer balls of your own. They don’t have any chemicals and unlike dryer sheets, they are biodegradable. You can use one dryer ball for years.
- Multiple uses – Dryer sheets are single-use items. You need to dispose of them after one drying cycle. That’s a lot of waste that ends up in the landfill and plenty of chemicals absorbed by your clothes. On the other hand, dryer balls can last you for a very long time. One wool dryer ball can be reused for around 1000 loads till it becomes ineffective. Let’s do some math.
An average pack of 240 dryer sheets costs around $8. That means each dryer sheet costs around 3 cents. On average each dyeing cycle requires two dryer sheets and that means you spend around 6 cents on every drying cycle. On the other hand, a 6 pack of dryer wool balls cost around $9. For one, you pay around $1.5. With its 1000 load reusability, one drying cycle use costs you around one-fifth of a cent for two dryer balls. That’s why it’s ridiculously cheap compared to dryer sheets.
- Softens the fabric – Similar to dryer sheets, dryer balls also help to soften fabrics. The balls agitate the spinning and tumbling fabrics against their own fibers and make your clothes feel soft to the touch. You can also use fabric softeners along with dryer balls if you want an even more powerful effect. Some people like to use white distilled vinegar instead of chemical softeners.
- Fragrance – When you dry your clothes with dryer sheets, they come out smelling great. However, those vapors aren’t good for your lungs since they contain VOCs and other harmful chemicals. Instead, you can get a dry load of scented laundry by tweaking your wool dryer balls. Add a few drops of lavender, sandalwood, peppermint, or any other fragrant essential oil to the dryer balls and let them spin in the dryer.
- Fewer wrinkles – Dryer balls also have another less frequently discussed benefit. Unlike dryer sheets, dryer balls can reduce the wrinkles on your clothes. While this may not be apparent on all kinds of fabric, it certainly holds true for cotton.
Your cotton shorts, t-shirts, shirts, and trousers all come out with fewer wrinkles. That means you don’t have to worry too much if you forget to iron your clothes and need to meet someone in a hurry. It also saves you a lot of time, money, and labor wasted on ironing piles of clothes. Even if it doesn’t completely eliminate the ironing chore, it certainly helps to cut down on the load.
Conclusion
As you can see, dryer balls have numerous uses and can be a superior alternative compared to dryer sheets in many ways. They do a better job, are more economical, and don’t harm the environment. On the other hand, if your dryer needs to be repaired, you can search for “dryer repair near me” and hire professionals for the job.
