Customer Review:
By: S. Damon (New York, NY United States)
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.
Product Description
- As Seen On TV
- The Natural Way to Soften Fabrics!
- Softens Fabric
Product Features
- Saves drying time
- Reduces wrinkles
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Laundry Ball
