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Let me start off by saying you need more than two of these dryer balls to derive the benefit .. I currently use six. (This, if anything, is what we can take the manufacturer to task about, and what seems to be affecting the overall low ratings for this product.)
Some people mention tennis balls as an alternative. While tennis balls would probably give you the same fluffing effect as this product, lifting the clothes to allow the dryer's heat to do its work more quickly, the nubby surface of the dryer balls gives the added benefit of lightly abrading the surface of the clothing as they bounce around. This does indeed make the clothes softer. It's the same principle as stone-washing, which of course gives a softer hand to any fabric. While the first two dryer balls I bought didn't seem to do much, I noticed a difference in the softness of my laundry the first time I dried a load with six of them. I'd been wondering why, after just their first washing, my expensive designer clothes never felt quite the same as the day I bought them. These dryer balls provided me with a big part of my answer.
If the manufacturer had packed them in sets of six instead of two, I think the overall rating here would have been a bit higher.
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Those who say that the balls are noisy most likely have an extremely small load. This allows the balls to constantly hit the dryer's metal drum or glass window. For most people, this would not be a problem since the balls would weave in and out of your clothes, cushioning it from the metal. I currently use 6-8 balls and they rarely hit the metal, perhaps once every 10 minutes or less. Putting the balls in with only two shirts, for example, would of course result in noise. But a normal load should prevent this.Too small or too large a load would also explain why some see no advantages with these balls. With a large enough load, they should indeed hasten drying for two reasons: 1) They separate the clothes from each other, increasing airflow in between each item. 2) They lessen the likelihood knotting or bunching. This is an annoying problem if you dry sheets, blankets or large towels. These items roll into knots and bunches, taking other items in, preventing airflow. The balls intrude upon the knotting process; the more balls the better. You can prove this to yourself by watching the dryer with and without the balls. Make sure you have some sheets or large towels inside for the demo. And to be fair, use the same items both times.
It's all about airflow. If you have a very small load, there is already airflow so these won't help. If your load is too large, no amount of balls will be enough to separate the packed dryer. So don't overload!
The combing effect from the spikes may also speed up drying a bit by lifting the fabric's fibers, but I can't observe this directly. I have consistently seen effects #1 and #2, however. The combing also causes the softening effect because it makes the fabric fuzzy. As an aside, I worry that this combing may damage the fabric although I personally have not experienced any softening or damage.
Static has never been a problem for me so I can't comment on it. The likely principle behind static reduction is the prevention of fabrics from rubbing against each other. Remember the old grade school experiment of rubbing a balloon on hair to create static cling? Or rubbing your feet on the carpet to make static electricity and shock? Its the same with clothes; rubbing creates free electrons, which causes static electricity and cling. The balls separate the clothes to reduce rubbing.
Finally, I echo the writer who recommends at least 6 balls. I routinely use 6-8 with each load. And don't expect miracles.
In short, the science behind the balls makes sense. But they're useful only if you have a large enough load (but not too large). If you're only drying 2 shirts, there really isn't much to separate so there's no advantage. Instead, there will be a lot of noise.
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I've done several loads of laundry with these balls and am neither really impressed nor entirely disappointed. I've found that they do seem to cut my dryer time from around 45 minutes to around 30 for an average load, which is nice. I still have to use a softener sheet to help with the static since the balls did absolutely nothing to help with it when used alone. However, the fabrics feel even softer than they did when I was using the softener sheets alone, which is great! They seem to be a worthwhile purchase, even though they don't do all the manufacturer says they will. The savings in electricity easily justifies the expense of the dryer balls for me.Honest reviews on Whitmor 6187-2419 Dryer Balls Set of 2
Pros: These work pretty well. They are free of extra chemicals (hooray for the environment), and they'll pay for themselves after many uses.Cons: After a year's use in a 3-person family, some of my clothes are starting to retain static, but it has only happened occasionally. They also tend to be a bit noisy, as to be expected. Might discolor slightly after awhile, but doesn't affect functionality.
Final thought: Decent product, decent price, would buy again.
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Let me start off by saying you need more than two of these dryer balls to derive the benefit .. I currently use six. (This, if anything, is what we can take the manufacturer to task about, and what seems to be a big factor when people give the product a low rating.)Some people mention tennis balls as an alternative. While tennis balls would probably give you the same fluffing effect as this product, lifting the clothes to allow the dryer's heat to do its work more quickly, the nubby surface of the dryer balls gives the added benefit of lightly abrading the surface of the clothing as they bounce around. This does indeed make the clothes softer. It's the same principle as stone-washing, which of course gives a softer hand to any fabric. While the first two dryer balls I bought didn't seem to do much, I noticed a difference in the softness of my laundry the first time I dried a load with six of them. I'd been wondering why, after just their first washing, my expensive designer clothes never felt quite the same as the day I bought them. These dryer balls provided me with a big part of my answer.
If the manufacturer had packed them in sets of six instead of two, I think the overall rating here would have been a bit higher.
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