Hey earth muffins! I can’t believe April is almost here 🌷 The weather has been getting warmer and my busy season at work is slowly coming to a close… I am definitey excited to have some free time again! In today’s post, I want to talk about laundry. While not glamorous or exciting, it is a necessary chore that I seem to be doing constantly. To make your laundry routine more eco-friendly, I suggest using wool dryer balls. Do they actually work? 🤔 Keep reading to find out!
What is Great About Wool Dryer Balls
There are plenty of ways to zero waste laundry in your house. This is one of the easiest! Instead of using single-use dryer sheets, buy yourself a set of wool dryer balls instead. They are reusable over multiple years, which beats tossing dryer sheets in the trash after every load of laundry. What a win for the planet!
Another benefit of wool dryer balls is that they help your clothes dry faster. The wool sucks up moisture to speed up the drying process; this is awesome if you have a dryer that senses when your clothes are dry. The balls will save you energy (as you won’t have to dry your clothes as long) AND keep your garments usable longer (as they won’t be under more heat than they need to be). I try to hang dry as much as possible, but it is inevitable to run the dryer sometimes. I don’t feel so bad about my energy consumption since I know I am minimizing the dry time as much as possible now!
In the past, I have also tried reusable plastic dryer balls. These didn’t help my clothes dry any faster, so I definitely prefer wool ones now. In addition, the wool is soft which means they don’t bang around in your dryer like the plastic ones did. This means less noise as your clothes dry and less damage to your dryer over time. A win win in my book!
I love that you can also get absolutely adorable designs too! While there are just the plain white ones, my local zero waste store carries a bunch of cuties (I personally have a mix of bees, lady bugs, and mini earths 😊). A nice design makes me smile as I do laundry – another great benefit to wool dryer balls!
Are There Any Negatives?
The only real drawback to this simple eco swap is that you need to purchase all the balls up front. While not terribly expensive, it is definitely an investment compared to a box of dryer sheets. I bought mine for $8 each, but they can range from cheaper to more expensive depending on where you buy them. I’ve seen a 6 pack of dryer balls for only $16 on Amazon; but, if you buy handmade or fair trade (like the ones I purchased) it will cost you more. Pick whatever works for your budget as any type will reduce your impact while doing laundry!
Looks Like You Need Some Dryer Balls!
Overall, I highly recommend buying some wool dryer balls this spring. We all do laundry, so why not make an easy swap to help the planet just a tiny bit more? They help your clothes dry faster, reduce energy, and come in some absolutely adorable designs. Have you ever tried dryer balls? Comment below and let me know which brand (or design) is your favorite!
Love,
Jenna ♥
These are so cute, too! Definitely a bonus. I am going to look into them for myself!
Those dryer balls are cute!!
I use unscented dryer sheets for my clothes and the dryer balls are used for towels and bedding. I love them!
I’ve often wondered why people are using these. But okay, here’s my main thing. Do they get rid of static? I live in the cold with lots of sweaters, and I despise static.
Wool dryer balls are definitely known to reduce static in your clothes due to the fact that they absorb moisture… But, if you have a bunch of static where you live I’ve heard that you can toss in a ball of aluminum foil with your wool dryer balls to help with that as well. I haven’t tried it myself but would love to hear if it works! 🙂
-Jenna