Dryer balls don't work - what am I doing wrong?

Question

I heard that wool balls in the dryer would eliminate static. So I bought 100% wool yarn rolled it into three balls and tossed them into the dryer with the wet clothes.  After days of trying them - they did nothing!What am I doing wrong? Thank you!

Sharon Thurston · Answer

Never heard that, many years ago I started using two rubber dryer balls, no fabric softner and no static. Will watch this message board to see if anyone uses the wool balls.

Nickii Baughman · Answer

give it time. after awhile the static goes away.

Linda Hunt · Answer

The wool balls need to be felted first to accomplish their purpose in the dryer. This means that the wool is washed in hot water and shrunk down as far as it goes. If you have shrunk pure wool sweaters they are a great source to use! When the balls are felted they also cut down on dryer time as well as static. Hope this helps you.

Sherrie S · Answer

I bought the wool balls on line and can tell you they work. The clothes come out soft and not wrinkled without static. In addition the bigger items get dried all the way through. The clothes also dry faster with the balls.

Jacusa · Answer

After seeing the aluminum foil ball trick on this site… I tried it and it worked! Just tear off aluminum foil … a nice size… form into ball… (doesn't have to be super tight … but firm) about the size of a golf ball or a bit smaller and throw into dyer with clothes. No static electricity… and the more you use the balls the smoother they get…. no damage to clothes….

Linda Young · Answer

This thread interesting. I hate fabric softener and it plugs up the lint screen on the dryer. Three tennis balls thrown in the dryer will also soften. Not sure about static.

Naomie Moore aka baileyanddaisey, Castaic CA · Answer

I purchased my first set of 'felted wool dryer balls' at a craft fair from an Australian woman many years ago. I swear by them. No fabric softener needed. Saves money, less chemicals. Linda above is correct, they need to be 'felted' first. After your balls have been felted you will need to do some trial runs with your dryer to see exactly how long certain things REALLY need to dry, which will be less than the timed cycle on most dryers. Drying items too long is generally what creates static. Hope this helps!

Dgreen · Answer

How do I 'felt' them?

Laura Rhodes Wagner · Answer

after several years of use, my dryer balls are very staticy too and my clothes are too... wondering what to do to get them back to doing their job.

Judi Pavlovszky · Answer

I bought a set at a craft fair. No difference that I can tell. I usually line dry my clothes so not that disappointed.

Dryer balls don't work - what am I doing wrong?

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Dryer balls don't work - what am I doing wrong?

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