As the name suggests, wool dryer balls are balls made of wool that are placed in the dryer along with the laundry.
Along with the laundry, these balls bounce inside the dryer with the purpose of softening the clothes, removing wrinkles, and keeping off lint and pet hair.
Wool balls are far better than other dryer balls and dryer sheets. They are much cheaper and last very long. With dryer balls, you can even keep the temperature setting low. This is beneficial in reducing damage to your clothes.
In this article, I have answered the 11 most asked questions about wool dryer balls. Interested in gaining knowledge about these balls? Read to the end.
How Long Do Wool Dryer Balls Last?
Wool dryer balls last as long as 1000 loads. However, this highly depends upon the brand you are using. Some die even before 1000 loads, while others go up to 1500 loads.
How long a wool dryer ball lasts also depends upon how much laundry you do.
If you do not wash clothes frequently, it may last for five years. In other cases, wool dryer balls work for two years only.
Do Wool Dryer Balls Remove Pet Hair?
Since pet hair does not get removed easily on its own, you have to use something to get rid of them. That something can be wool dryer balls, and they actually work.
Putting the hairy clothes directly into the washer will leave the hair in the washer that can possibly stick the rest of the load in the washing machine.
Therefore, an easier method is to put the load in the dryer before getting it washed.
Wool dryer balls separate the laundry to allow for better airflow. As a result, it helps in loosening the pet hair from the clothes.
You will need to put the super hairy clothes in the dryer just before washing them. After that, run it on the air fluff setting. Time can go from 10 minutes to half an hour.
Before running it, do not forget to add a few wool dryer balls. If you are not satisfied with the results, you can run the dryer for another 10 minutes.
After taking out the clothes, shake them to get rid of all the hair on the surface of the fabrics.
How Many Wool Dryer Balls Should I Use?
The number of wool dryer balls you add depends upon two things: the size of the load and the quality of wool dryer balls you are using.
For a small to medium-sized load, 3 to 4 balls are enough. If you add a large load to the washer, you will need to use around 6 to 8 balls. For an extra-large load, 8-12 wool balls will do the job.
If the wool dryer balls you are using are not of good quality, you can try adding an extra ball than the mentioned amount.
Also, if you want the load to get dried quickly, you should add more balls to it.
How To Wash Wool Dryer Balls?
Maintenance of wool dryer balls is necessary to use them for long. Therefore, you need to wash them. There is no harm in cleaning them with water. Here is how you can do it.
You can wash wool dryer balls with the rest of the laundry. For that, simply place it inside a clean and dry sock. Put the sock in the washer and run it normally on a washing cycle. Make sure that the water is hot.
To dry the wool balls, high heat is recommended. Do not try to stuff all the wool balls in a single sock. Place each of the wool dryer balls in a separate sock to get the best results.
Do Wool Dryer Balls Leave Lint?
Yes, wool dryer balls leave lint. But it happens in the beginning only when you buy brand new wool dryer balls. After a while, these balls do not leave lint.
To overcome this issue, I got a solution for you.
When you buy wool dryer balls, do not use them right away. Put these balls in the dryer with a couple of old damp towels. Running them to the drying cycle several times will resolve this issue.
However, if you still see the balls leaving lint, then there might be an issue with the quality of the wool dryer balls. In this case, you should better leave them and buy new ones of better quality.
Can Wool Dryer Balls Damage the Dryer?
No, these wool balls are completely safe for your dryer whether you are using an electrical dryer or a gas dryer.
Other balls like plastic and rubber balls leave an irritating smell in the dryer and on the clothes.
However, wool dryer balls do not produce any such smell. They also last longer than most of the wool yarn balls, which unravel with time.
Also, wool dryer balls do not bang and damage the inside of the dryer, unlike other dryer balls. But you will hear the noise of balls moving around and hitting the walls of the dryer.
The noise can be reduced by placing the balls in the layers of the laundry rather than placing them on the top.
Can You Use Dryer Sheets With Wool Dryer Balls?
Although you can use dryer sheets with wool dryer balls, there is no need to do that.
Dryer sheets soften the clothes, but they can be irritating to your skin due to the number of toxic chemicals present in them.
Other than that, dryer balls are more effective than dryer sheets. They can do the job alone; that is why there is no need to use dryer sheets with them.
Dryer balls are better in the sense that they reduce drying time, do not leave any residue behind, are eco-friendly, allows better air circulation, and can be used repetitively for years.
None of these benefits are provided by dryer sheets. Therefore, it is a good idea to use dryer balls alone.
How Do Wool Dryer Balls Soften Clothes?
Wool dryer balls not only save energy by drying the clothes faster, but they also soften the clothes. The balls in the dryer agitate against the fabric in clothes. This will make the clothes soft in touch.
These balls also prevent clumping of the clothes in the dryer.
The agitation of wool balls against clothes not only helps in softening but also keeps wrinkles off and prevents static.
These wool balls start to pill over time. These pills on the surface of wool dryer balls increase the surface friction, which, as a result, softens the clothes even better.
Can Wool Dryer Balls Cause Itching?
Wool dryer balls do not cause itching or allergy of any kind, even to people with sensitive skin. This is because these wool balls do not shed.
However, if you are specifically allergic to wool, it is recommended to wear gloves while dealing with the load and these balls.
This doesn’t mean you cannot wash your clothes with wool balls. You definitely can because the lanolin gets washed away when the wool gets washed.
So you don’t have to worry about it. Just dry your clothes with this amazing product.
How Do Wool Dryer Balls Smell?
Some wool dryer balls smell like sheep. This means that the balls are made of pure wool. However, in other cases, the balls do not smell like sheep. This ensures that the wool is cleaned and washed thoroughly.
If you have bought the ones that smell like sheep and you want to get rid of this smell, then I have a solution for you.
Just like you did to get rid of lint, you will do the same to kick away sheep smell from the wool dryer balls.
Run them in a dryer a couple of times with some damp towels. After that, take the balls out and put them in the washer to run them on a hot wash cycle. Dry the balls by running them in the dryer once again.
Voila! The smell is all gone.
When Should I Replace My Wool Dryer Balls?
When the wool dryer balls start to unravel, know that it’s time to replace them.
I’m not sure how long the balls will take to unravel; this usually depends upon the quality of wool balls.
When you see them getting unraveled, you should not throw them. A good idea is to use the wool balls in your compost.
Conclusion
Wool dryer balls are indeed very helpful in a number of ways. They save your money; wool balls help dryers consume less energy. Unlike fabric softeners that use toxic chemicals, wool balls are completely safe.
I hope these 11 frequently asked questions and their answers about wool dryer balls have cleared your confusions.
These balls are a must-have at every home. If you still do not have them, then you should get them right away. These are the best softeners and really good at keeping wrinkles off.
