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-   -   Wool dryer balls. Does anyone use them? What about making them yourself? (https://www.quiltingboard.com/general-chit-chat-non-quilting-talk-f7/wool-dryer-balls-does-anyone-use-them-what-about-making-them-yourself-t294665.html)

MaggieLou 02-10-2018 06:43 AM

I've made some but haven't used the yet. You need to use 100% wool yarn. There is a tute on how to make them but I can't remember the name. I save the PDF but the only name I find on it is goodmama inc. I found the link. https://nourishingjoy.com/make-your-...l-dryer-balls/

Wanabee Quiltin 02-10-2018 07:48 AM

I have used tennis balls for years and I’m happy with them.

madamekelly 02-10-2018 10:49 AM


Originally Posted by coopah (Post 8000323)
My BIL has used them for several years and swears by them. No knowledge about making your own.

I tried making them myself and the cheap wool yarn I bought at “Wally World” did not felt together. After I went and bought some wool roving, I realized I could not use them. (I discovered I am allergic to wool). I went and bought the spiked looking ones and they do work, there is still some static, but that is still better than ruining my towels with dryer sheets.

crafty pat 02-10-2018 11:47 AM

My DD used some bought at a baby store when my DGD was a baby. She said they were ok but does not use them now.I have never used them as wool makes me itch like crazy.

mindless 02-10-2018 12:05 PM

I've been using them for some time now, and I really like them too. I made my own, using tightly balled up aluminum foil for the center (a bit bigger than the size of a golf ball) wrapped in wool roving. The more I use them, the tighter they get (and they shrink up a little too), so I did add a bit more roving. They do work great, but they are very noisy.

Doggramma 02-10-2018 12:19 PM

I got a bag of 6 wool balls from Amazon. They weren't very expensive, maybe $15. We use 3 with the sheets and towels. They really do make the drying time shorter, and they're not noisy like I expected.

OneBusyGranny 02-11-2018 05:34 AM

I was glad to see i'm not the only one allergic to wool , and even some elastics in bras. I've had the bumpy balls since back in the 90's and still good. I worked at a dry cleaners for 20 years, and the cleaner man)(forgot his title) used tennis balls in the machine when he did comforters and down pillows.

GingerK 02-11-2018 06:41 AM

I made my own from a couple of skeins of yarn that the cats had 'fun' with. I rolled the yarn tightly to the size I wanted and then using a yarn sewing needle and about 2 feet of the end of the yarn, sewed around the ball with about 1/2" stitches and finally buried the end in the ball. I have been using them for about 6 months and they haven't come undone yet.

I also soaked the balls in very hot water, squeezed them as dry as possible in a towel and then tossed into the dryer with laundry. This was for 2 reasons. I wanted to make sure that they would not shed colour with wet clothes and I also wanted to felt them so that there would be less chance of unraveling. BTW felting only works with 100% wool.

nuffsaid 02-11-2018 07:15 AM

I am intrigued by the idea of these balls. The main reason I would use them is to get rid of the static. How well do they work in removing static? Is it worth the investment in these balls? I don't like using the dryer sheets, but I am very sensitive to the static "shocks"--so I am interested in the balls. Does using vinegar in your wash help with static, too?

JanieH 02-11-2018 08:22 AM

I bought some made of alpaca wool at the Houston Show about 5 years ago and love them. I have a box of dryer sheets, 100 count, that I bought about the same time and still have over half a box left. The only problem I have is when I am using them with sheets. They seem to get caught in the folds and "captured" so they can't do their jobs. So I still use the dryer sheets with them.

I bought a pair of spiky hedgehogs from the freekibble.com site but haven't used them yet. I love hedgehogs and have them sitting on my counter just for fun.


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