dryer balls.. wool or plastic?

CarmonEdJ · November 2011

I purchased a pair of plastic ones from Target recently to get started on LOs laundry as well as ours. Now my delema is which way to go as I would like to get more...wool or more plastic ones. I have been looking at etsy, ebay, amazon.... to get more I like the idea of eco-friendly wool but not sure which really 'works' better.

Let me know your experience with them, which do your prefer?

TIA

Happily Overwhelmed · November 2011

Interesting... I'm no help here, but what are they supposed to do?

I remember being little and my mom using tennis balls...but that was only for really fluffy things (down comforters and coats). I always thought it was to try and keep the stuffing material more even?

Why dryer balls with LO's things?

uncharch7 · November 2011

we have 2 plastic and i have no complaints, i'm thinking of getting 2 wool for use w/ CDs, but i'm still torn on it.

uncharch7 · November 2011

Happily Overwhelmed:
Interesting... I'm no help here, but what are they supposed to do?

I remember being little and my mom using tennis balls...but that was only for really fluffy things (down comforters and coats). I always thought it was to try and keep the stuffing material more even?

Why dryer balls with LO's things?

they take the place of dryer sheets (which you aren't supposed to use on LO's things anyways due to perfumes, etc.). i don't have any issues w/ static, DH complains about it, but i think it's just more of the change than anything. the balls are supposed to reduce drying time and keep things fluffy.

dryer sheets and fabric softeners also put a "film" on clothing, which can lessen it's life. i've never found this to be an issue, but i guess i have nothing to compare it with.

Happily Overwhelmed · November 2011

uncharch7:
Happily Overwhelmed:

Interesting... I'm no help here, but what are they supposed to do?

I remember being little and my mom using tennis balls...but that was only for really fluffy things (down comforters and coats). I always thought it was to try and keep the stuffing material more even?

Why dryer balls with LO's things?

they take the place of dryer sheets (which you aren't supposed to use on LO's things anyways due to perfumes, etc.). i don't have any issues w/ static, DH complains about it, but i think it's just more of the change than anything. the balls are supposed to reduce drying time and keep things fluffy.
dryer sheets and fabric softeners also put a "film" on clothing, which can lessen it's life. i've never found this to be an issue, but i guess i have nothing to compare it with.

Thank you!

I knew you weren't supposed to use dryer sheets/softeners...but I had no idea there was an alternative.

I'm starting to think husbands are laundry nuts. My DH is so obsessed with fabric softner he jammed up our last washer and he buys bounce sheets in bulk.

bridein08 · November 2011

We do the woolies- you can even get them scented and WOW are some yummy!

https://www.jackbenatural.com/products/Boucing-Woolies-%2d-Naturally-FUNKies.html

Daniem0828 · November 2011

I use plastic on my own

& 7th generations free & clear dryer sheets as there are no chemicals ( they look really weird but work well also good because you can rip a sheet in 1/2 & use with a load so you go thru less of them )

NNGnome · November 2011

I used to use the plastic and now I have the wool version, so far I prefer the wool, they seem to work better, although I do use 6 in one load rather than only 2 of the plastic, so that could be why, but they are also quiter and I found that parts of the plastic ones would fall off, whereas there is nothing to fall off of the woolen ones.

Fletcha · November 2011

I have some of the plastic spiky ones and I started finding things more snagged and even a few holes in some of dh's shirts that weren't there before, so I'm sticking with my wool ones now unless it's just towels.

lilwildthing · November 2011

I like the wool far better than the plastic. The wool are heavier, the plastic didn't seem to do much of anything as far as softening or eliminating static. With wool the only difference I notice in my clothes from not using fabric softner is no smell. My clothes are just as soft and static free as when using softner.