Yes! If your wool dryer balls have begun to feel like they’re not working as efficiently, you can consider washing them in hot water on a gentle cycle before putting them in your tumble dryer to dry on high heat. This helps the wool to regenerate and gives the balls a longer lifespan. Do wool dryer balls really work? If you’re wondering “why do clothes bobble”, and how to get rid of bobbles on clothes, we’ve got the answer for you – and tips to stop it happening too. Read on to discover our simple steps you can follow to ensure you know how to stop clothes bobbling in no time at all. Additionally, any reduction in drying times noticed when using dryer balls is due to the physical action of keeping items separated to allow for better airflow. But drying time reduction is likely negligible, so don't expect to see much impact on your electric or gas bill. Note that this means that any claims that these spherical laundry tools make laundry day more sustainable through a reduction of energy consumption are likely not significant either. In fact, our Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab executive director, Birnur Aral, Ph.D., says “the benefits of using a reusable item versus a one-time use item will outweigh any other purported environmental benefits made by wool dryer ball manufacturers."

Load the garments into your washing machine, making sure that there’s enough space for your hand to fit between the wall of the drum and your clothes.Material: Some dryer balls are made entirely from wool while others have a hard center that is wrapped in wool or another soft fabric. While this likely won't affect a dryer ball's ability to bounce around the dryer, it could produce more noise than a dryer ball constructed entirely from soft wool. Many brands tout New Zealand wool as the best type of wool for dryer balls, but our Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab Executive Director Lexie Sachs says this is not likely to make a difference in the quality of the balls. There are also plastic and rubber dryer balls that work the same way and will not unravel after a couple thousand loads like some wool dryer balls do.

Wool dryer balls are small balls of tightly compressed wool that fluff up garments as they bounce around during a dry cycle. As they bounce through your laundry loads, they help separate garments to keep them from clumping together, allowing moisture to evaporate from the garments more readily, so they dry fluffier, faster and more thoroughly. For those with sensitivities to fabric softeners and dryer sheets or anyone who wants to reduce their use of either, dryer balls are an easy switch to make. No need to measure out doses or make a big investment to start using them. As a reusable product, they also are a more environmentally conscious option than dryer sheets and large bottles of softener.To prevent lint build-up on clothes, ensure your tumble dryer is clean before adding wet laundry. Clean the lint filter, wipe the mesh, vacuum the filter screen, and trap to remove stubborn lint. The best way to narrow down the best option for you would be to consider a handful of key things. Are you environmentally conscious? Any fabric can bobble or pill—aka form patches of fuzz balls—as the fibres stretch and break as a result of friction. Clothes rub against themselves while you’re wearing them, and against other fabrics during the washing and drying procedure. The areas worst-hit by pilling are the parts of clothing that receive the most abrasion in day-to-day wear, such as the underarm area and the side of jumpers and cardigans. Scent: If you're using wool dryer balls as a replacement for fabric softener or dryer sheets, you might miss the subtle scent these products leave behind on your laundry. Look for dryer ball sets that include a bottle of essential oil or consider buying your own favorite essential oils separately. Just a few drops on each ball before you drop them in the dryer should be enough.