Does It Work? Dryer Ball
But a new product promises to save you both money and energy.
They're called Dryer Max "Dryer Balls"- two plastic, nubby balls that have no chemicals and are guaranteed to last up to 2 years.
They're supposed to tumble around in your dryer and separate the laundry so the air flows more freely as they fluff up and soften the fabrics. That's the claim, but does it work?
Putting It To The Test
Volunteer Tish Johnson is a business owner with the ultimate solution to multi-tasking: she does her laundry at the office!
She normally uses dryer sheets to get rid of static cling. "I hate static cling. And it makes 'em smell good, and they're softer," said Tish.
But for the next load, Tish will use Dryer Max Dryer Balls. They promise soft clothes and lower cost with no chemicals.
"Now I like that. I like the idea of that anyway," she said
Tish reads the instructions: "Simply place both of your Dryer Balls into the dryer with your laundry and set the dryer to the desired heat setting."
Dryer Balls also claim to reduce drying time by 25 percent. Tish says this load of bed linens normally takes about an hour so she'll cut 15 minutes.
She put the wet laundry from the washer into the dryer, tossed in the Dryer Balls and let them go to work. Forty-five minutes later, Tish opened the dryer and felt the sheets. "They're dry," she said.
It took us a little while to retrieve the Dryer Balls because they worked their way into the corners of Tish's comforter cover. But right away Tish smells and feels a difference.
"I have to tell you that I think these feel cleaner. It feels like if I'd have hung 'em up outside," she said.
They're not as soft as with the dryer sheets, but they still feel good. Nice and fluffy- and no static cling.
Tish's verdict in the simplest terms? "Thumbs up", she said. "Thumbs up."
Not The Same Kind of Softness
Tish is especially interested in Dryer Balls because members of her family don't like to use softening chemicals in their laundry.
But don't expect the same finish you get from chemical softeners. Remember, the laundry feels and smells more like when you dry your clothes on the line outside.
And while she didn't do an exact comparison, Tish thinks her laundry really did take less time to dry.
Dryer Balls sell for between $9 to $11 per set at many Bartell Drugs stores and the As Seen On TV Store. And they seem to sell very quickly.
You can also buy them online, but local stores probably offer a better deal and I suspect other stores will likely pick them up.