With rising energy prices, everyone is trying to find ways to reduce their energy bill. One of the things that can help reduce your energy bill is wool dryer balls. So, what are wool dryer balls?
Wool dryer balls are felted balls of wool that you put in your dryer with a load of laundry. They improve air circulation between pieces of laundry, are more eco-friendly, and reduce static electricity.
There are numerous benefits to using dryer balls, so we have a lot to cover. Let’s jump in!
Table of Contents
What Are Wool Dryer Balls?
For all the things they can do, dryer balls are actually very simple objects.
Wool dryer balls are just felted balls of wool that you put in your dryer with a load of laundry.
That’s it, that’s all they are. Just felted balls of wool.
Well if that’s all they are, how can they do all the things they do?
Wool is an incredibly versatile fiber and it’s been used in textiles for thousands of years.
This versatility is what makes it great for dryer balls.
The felted wool sticks to itself which creates and maintains the ball shape. The inside structure of the wool dryer ball is made up of a jumble of stuck-together wool fibers.
This jumble of wool fibers absorbs moisture and then releases it as steam which helps dissipate static electricity and prevent wrinkles.
The felted structure is also super durable and a little hard. This part of the dryer ball is what helps them bounce around in the dryer preventing your clothes from clumping together and reducing dryer time.
Now that you know a little more about the structure of wool dryer balls, let’s talk about what this structure can do for you.
3 Reasons To Use Dryer Balls
Well, with all the things that wool dryer balls can do, it’s no surprise that there’s plenty of reasons why you would want to use them.
1. Reduce Energy Needed
One of the biggest reasons people use wool dryer balls is because they help reduce the energy needed to dry a load of laundry.
How do they do this, you ask? Well, it’s actually quite simple how the dryer balls achieve this.
Wet laundry has a tendency to clump together in the dryer. This makes it difficult and energy-draining to completely dry the laundry.
When you use dryer balls, they bang around inside the dryer creating space between the clothes. This improves the circulation of air between the pieces of clothing.
The improved circulation decreases the amount of time needed to dry clothes. This decrease in time also means a decrease in energy needed to complete the drying process.
See? It’s as simple as that! Energy efficiency isn’t the only reason to use dryer balls, though. Let’s keep going!
2. Prevent Wrinkles and Static Electricity
This part of what a dryer ball can do requires a little more work on your part, but it’s still super easy.
In order to help prevent wrinkles and reduce static electricity, wet your dryer balls a little bit before you throw them in with the laundry. By a little bit, I just mean spritz them with a little water or run them under the faucet real quick.
This extra moisture in the dryer ball will create a steam effect in your dryer as it heats up and evaporates. This steam effect is what helps prevent wrinkles and reduces static electricity.
See? Super easy and yet super helpful, but there’s one more reason to use dryer balls.
3. Eco-Friendly
Last but certainly not least, wool dryer balls are super eco-friendly.
Wool dryer balls are reusable and can last around 1000 loads of laundry.
Not only that, but as we mentioned earlier, they decrease the drying time which increases your energy efficiency.
They also don’t need any harsh chemicals in order to be made like dryer sheets. Which, in addition to being eco-friendly, is great for people who have sensitive skin.
Lastly, wool dryer balls are made from a sustainable material, and can easily be recycled when they have reached the end of their lives.
Wrap Up
Well, you did it, you made it to the end and gained some great knowledge along the way. Let’s do a quick recap to make sure you absorbed all the knowledge.
We talked about how wool dryer balls are just felted balls of wool that tumble around in your dryer with your clothes.
While they tumble around, dryer balls help separate your clothes and keep them from clumping together which decreases dryer time and, therefore, decreases the energy needed.
Wool dryer balls can also help prevent wrinkles and reduce static electricity. You can do this by spraying your dryer balls with a little bit of water before you put them in the dryer. This will create steam which will make the magic happen.
Last but not least, wool dryer balls are sustainably sourced, easily recycled, and great for sensitive skin.
And there you have it, wool dryer balls can do amazing things for how simple they are.
After your time learning here, you deserve a craft break, so go make something awesome!