Dryer balls..

[BUTCH1]

I just started using these and they work, cuts out 7-10 minutes off drying time and fluff's everything nicely.

 

[BoomerD]

I like drier balls. Having them wet and moist gets irritating when I walk...

 

[lxskllr]

Makes sense. You could probably cut a couple pieces off a 2x4 for a similar, cheaper effect.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

I just throw my stuff in the dryer, set to normal, and walk away and come back an hour later.

 

[alkemyst]

a sucker born every minute.

 

[BUTCH1]

a sucker born every minute.

I was skeptical too but at $1.00 per pack I said wtf, I'll give 'em a try. Only downside is the balls do make noise but it's not a problem for me as my washer/dryer are in the garage.

 

[BoomerD]

I can see using tennis balls in the dryer when drying down-filled things...but not for normal clothing.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/reviews/4334763

The Claim:
"Soften your clothes, sheets and more every time you dry with the National TV Products' Dryer Balls! These incredible small round fabric softeners take the stiffness out of clothes, sheets and towels naturally, with no chemicals or toxins. Durable construction lasts and lasts for hundreds of uses and actually helps your clothes dry faster. These handy dryer companions will keep all your fabrics feeling soft and fresh use after use."

The Test:
Drying with and without the Dryer Balls.

The Verdict:
Difficult to detect a noticeable difference--other than increased noise--when drying with the Balls.

The Details:
Just when we thought we'd tried every As Seen on TV product even obliquely relevant to Popular Mechanics, we spied an unfamiliar brand wedged between boxes of Hercules Hooks and Pro Caulk on a dusty Brooklyn store shelf: the unforgettably named Dryer Balls. Who wouldn't want that? We took them home and fired up the laundry.

Part of the difficulty in assessing the Balls' efficacy comes from the vagueness of the claim. The phrase "makes clothes soft" doesn't exactly lend itself to empirical measurement. It was also challenging to calculate the reduction in drying time, which the instructions caution "will vary based on the dryer, fabric type, load size, heat level setting, etc." Based on previous experience doing similar loads Ball-free, two differences did become clear when the product was in use. First, the hard plastic clanks audibly against the dryer drum. Second, the machine performed basically the same with or without the Balls inside.

Getting real results may depend more on the contents of the load, Carolyn Forte says. Forte, the director of home appliances and cleaning products at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, recommends inserting a foreign object into the drum when drying down products, like comforters, for instance. "Down can get clumpy, and it needs constant fluffing to dry," she says. "As long as it's fluffed, it can dry more quickly." And as to whether or not you use these Balls--or, as Forte suggested, a clean sneaker--"It doesn't matter what you put in there."

Another performance question is whether the machine reverses its tumbling direction during the cycle. Products like Dryer Balls are more effective in clump-prone machines that don't switch directions. But a large enough load can ball up in any machine. In those instances, according to the manufacturer Miele's spokesperson Lori Dolnick, the outside of the tangled ball can get dry enough to complete the cycle while leaving the core of the clump still damp. "Having balls in the dryer disrupts the load and helps eliminate the balling effect, improving the drying results," Dolnick says. Dolnick cautioned, however, that "a premium machine like a Miele should not need these aids."

So according to our experts, the physics of the Dryer Balls are sound. Where the claims fall short are in the chemistry--particularly when the product calls itself a "Natural Fabric Softener" that offers "a healthier alternative to chemical softeners and dryer sheets." Maybe, but a primary function of a dryer sheet is to dissipate static electricity on clothing. Impregnated with positively charged quaternary ammonium compounds, dryer sheets coat garments in positively charged ions, causing like charges, which repel one another. Without the sheet, a bazaar of electron-swapping goes on inside the dryer, leaving some pieces of clothing with intensely negative charges. These charges then attract the more positively charged attire, causing the garments to stick together--this is why the old Bounce ads warned, "Don't let static stop you." There's no reason the Dryer Balls would stop static.

As a fabric softener, a dryer sheet works by lubricating the clothing fibers so they can slide over each other more easily. Amy Krajewski, senior scientist with Proctor and Gamble's fabric and home care division, says the lubricated surfaces reduce the aging of the fabrics. Heat and abrasion cause the decay; a product like a dryer sheet minimizes that abrasion and prolongs the life of a textile. It's possible that the Dryer Balls could make clothing softer by simply accelerating the breakdown of fibers at the surface. Each ball's ruddy surface looked like a squishy dog toy on the store aisle, but in reality the spiny skins were as rigid and stiff as an oversized sycamore fruit. Could the Balls' noisy clunks against the drum signal that the spiky surface was "softening" clothing by pulverizing our precious poplins and twills? Time will definitely not tell--the only thing going into our machine will be a dryer sheet and the occasional clean sneaker.

 

[BUTCH1]

I don't have any sneakers clean enough, LOL. I don't like the idea of something that heavy pounding the inside of the drum anyway. Good point about the fabric though, are my balls causing premature wear?, TBH I don't know. As for softener I still use a sheet with the balls so I can't tell, the reduction in drying time is only about 10% but hey, every little bit helps, electric dryers are huge energy gulpers..

 

[Paratus]

I believe this was covered in the famous court case Cartman v. Brofloski.

 

[HeXen]

My wife got those stupid things. They didn't do any difference other than make a crap ton of noise sometimes when they slap around the sides of the dryer.

However my pitbull seems to like them.

 

[BladeVenom]

a sucker born every minute.

Why? It's not a new idea. Some people use tennis balls.

 

[BUTCH1]

My wife got those stupid things. They didn't do any difference other than make a crap ton of noise sometimes when they slap around the sides of the dryer.

However my pitbull seems to like them.

If you are the one doing the drying you will notice a reduction in drying time and fluffier clothing. My pitbull has a ton of her own toys to play with so I keep her away from my balls..

 

[Mixolydian]

I just throw my stuff in the dryer, set to normal, and walk away and come back an hour later.

This.

 

[HeXen]

If you are the one doing the drying you will notice a reduction in drying time and fluffier clothing. My pitbull has a ton of her own toys to play with so I keep her away from my balls..

i noticed nothing but whatever you like, they're your balls, use them to fluff whatever pleases you.

 

[BUTCH1]

This.

Yea, well we all know how to use a dryer, using balls requires no extra effort, when you retrieve your load they stay in the dryer, but now you can reduce the time by 10-15 minutes..

 

[HeXen]

i'd like to know the science behind that

 

[BUTCH1]

i'd like to know the science behind that

The balls create separation between the clothing, allowing for better airflow through the dryer drum while the knobs grab the fabric and lift the nap allowing for a fluffier feel and faster drying..

 

[MovingTarget]

They are okay, but I highly dislike anything that makes the drier noisier. If I'm looking to make clothes softer/fluffier, I'll stick with the dryer sheets/fabric softner.

 

[BUTCH1]

They are okay, but I highly dislike anything that makes the drier noisier. If I'm looking to make clothes softer/fluffier, I'll stick with the dryer sheets/fabric softner.

Yea, if your machine is inside the racket might be bothersome..

 

[Angry Irishman]

I just stand in front of the fan with my fellas hanging for dryer balls

 

[SKORPI0]

Never heard of Dryer Balls, but Washer Balls and no laundry soap needed?

 

[88keys]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXHUdvvHTkw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUuwEq98ByM

 

[alkemyst]

Why? It's not a new idea. Some people use tennis balls.

that would probably add some funky smells...but then again people walk around smelling like mildew.

For a buck or two I guess they'd be worth it to try. I haven't had any issues with my clothes not coming out fine. I also don't like using fabric softener/dryer sheets on anything you want to dry / wick moisture with. It cuts down on the fabric's ability to take on water which is part of why the fabric 'feels' softer.

 

[xSauronx]

family owns a drycleaners, i have no idea what its like for this to even be an issue, but anything that makes noise in a dryer is pretty annoying to me.

 

[BUTCH1]

family owns a drycleaners, i have no idea what its like for this to even be an issue, but anything that makes noise in a dryer is pretty annoying to me.

It's not really an "issue" just a way to cut down on drying time and as pointed out by Alk some people do not like dryer sheets. It's just me and my wife but if you've got a large family the dryer tends to get a lot of use and they suck mad juice to do the job..