QuiltnLady1

For those of you who prewash fabric and then dryer dry it -- have you used wool dryer balls? Do they reduce wrinkles?

I was thinking about ordering them since they are supposed to shorten drying time. What are your experiences?
Thanks

zozee

No experience with that, but it's the hot, moist air that takes wrinkles out of fabric. I think commercial products MIGHT be risking false advertising. Not sure, but I wondered the same thing when I read the box of Bounce I just bought. It says "4 in 1" and 1 of the 4 claims is "reduces wrinkles". I would need science to prove that one. Personally I think you'd be wasting your money.

quiltingcandy

I have them - used them for a while but didn't really see any difference and they make a lot of noise. We have a water softener so that helps along with the use of fabric softeners.

sinceresissy

I made some out of wool yarn and I think it helps. I have a dryer that bunches up the clothes so these balls help keep them unpunched. I don't have soft water so I think these help. It's not like I don't still have wrinkles but I just think it helps a little. It was on this site that someone told how to felt the yarn and make these balls. I need to make some more as mine are slowly coming apart. It's been several years.

roguequilter

fabric softener, whether liquid or sheets, is oil based. helps deter wrinkles and makes things softer, reduces static. the oil in fabric softener also reduces fabric ability to absorb moisture, so i wash all my towels w/o softener.

Macybaby

I use a full size cotton towel, dry a short, mid heat cycle and remove promptly. I have very little problem with wrinkles. I pretty much prewash everything too.

I figure the towel absorbs some of the moisture and helps keep the humidity up during the drying process. I do not wash the towel - I leave it in the dryer.

i just got back from vacation, and hit many fabric stores. Washed it all and had enough to overfill a large laundry basket after it was folded. Had pieces from 4 yards down to layer cakes, and I sort and wash by color. Took most of a day to get through it all.

BTW - I did experiment once and left the towel out - and had lots of wrinkles. I rewashed and dried with the towel, and ended up with very few wrinkles. Every once in a while I do forget to toss in the towel, and I know it as soon as I start pulling the dried fabric out of the dryer. It is way easier to rewet and dry with the towel than to iron.

Stitchnripper

i recently talked about this. I made mine according to Nancy Zieman's tutorial which can be found by googling. It's been months and I don't have too much problem with static or wrinkling but I don't prewash fabric so can't say if it would help me in that regard

IrishgalfromNJ

I make my own wool dryer balls with wool yarn. I don't think they reduce wrinkling. I use them to reduce the amount of time it takes to dry laundry. I found this youtube video that explains them.
Link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op7bnPv1qKU

osewme

I've made & used dryer balls for over a year now & I love them. I'm not sure if they cut down on wrinkles but they do cut down on drying time. I use 5 in my dryer & I have also found that they cut down on static. I think the next time I make them I will make them larger. Mine are about the size of a tennis ball. I used this site to make mine.

http://goodmama.typepad.com/goodmama...yer-balls.html

Also, we have dogs & I found that dog hair does not cling to them (which is a good thing).

Bjbaxter

I have the wool balls, but don't notice any difference in wrinkles, and lots of static electricity. I did find that using the plastic dryer balls with the bumps on them actually work better that the wool.