Dryer balls

My drying balls were a result of wanting to treat myself. I had some Tesco club card vouchers which is the perfect excuse for a reason to buy something for yourself that you don`t really need. Whilst perusing the store, some strange looking balls caught my eye. I was wondering whether they were a pair of kinky massage balls. On closer inspection, I discovered that they were tumble dryer balls!

I hadn`t seen anything like the balls before so I was compelled to have a look. There were 2 balls, one in pale blue and one in lilac, covered in little nobbly bits. They were partially covered with cardboard packaging. I needed to find out more, I really wanted to feel the entire ball in my hand. I was puzzled with regards to their use in drying clothes so I read the cardboard packaging.

Claims.
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There were several claims made by the packet. Apparently the balls cut down on drying time. They also claim to produce less tumble dryer fluff and static. Apparently there is no need to use fabric softener as the balls soften the clothes. They also make the clothes come out less creased.

At £7.99 I wondered if they would count as a treat. I wondered if they were worth giving up my treat for and I considered them to be a bit expensive. My curiosity had been aroused though and it got the better of me. Am I a sucker for gimmicks, or will they actually be useful?

Initial Impressions.
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The balls are hard and spikey. The spikes are blunt but it did seem an unusual concept. Both balls need to be used at the same time. I put them in with the clothes making a mental note of the time of drying. I made sure I removed the fluff form the dryer first. I didn`t use any tumble dryer sheets. I was looking forward to seeing the results, especially the crease test.

The tumble dryer balls are very noisy. This did put me off a bit but I did think that I could put up with the extra noise if it did cut down on drying time.

Time.
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This was the main interest for me. I do prefer letting my washing dry on the line. However in winter this isn`t always possible. The constraints of being at work and the British weather can make it difficult to dry washing. There is nothing worse than it being nearly dry and then being caught in a downpour whilst you are on your way home from work.

I do feel a bit guilty using the dryer with regards to the environment. It also costs money to dry clothes in this manner.

I was pleased to discover that drying time does seem to be reduced. Some things seem to dry really quickly, thinner materials. Towels take the longest to dry but it seems to take less time whilst using the balls. The claims are that drying time can be cut by up to 25%.

Ironing.
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Ironing is not something that I like to do too often. If find it a bit boring and I could be doing something else. This is another reason that I have been pleased with the balls. The clothes actually do seem to come out less creased. With regards to static I have not really noticed any difference. I have not really had a problem with static previously, so I have not paid much attention. I am not sure that the balls are quite as good as fabric softener, though the clothes do come out fairly soft.

Fluff.
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I have to say that there is considerably less fluff. I must admit, I do not always remember to remove the fluff after each drying cycle, or very often for that matter. I can remember a few months ago my brother in law was visiting. I was doing housework. I mislaid my cloth. He said that he saw me walking into the kitchen with a cloth. I had to admit that the `cloth` was the fluff from the tumble dryer and I was putting it in the bin. He found it hard to believe. So you see, I am pretty bad at removing the fluff. There has hardly been any since using the balls.

Am I glad I bought them?
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Well I could have bought some real massage balls with my club card vouchers. Seriously though, yes I am. To cut down on drying time is just great. Even though I hadn`t gone out to spend £7.99 on them, I think they will pay for themselves. Also I like the less crease effect.

Will I continue using them?
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Yes I will, but as much as I can when my husband is out of the house. They are incredibly noisy and he already moans about the noise of the tumble dryer. He also thinks that they will make the clothes threadbare eventually. I am not so sure or I wouldn`t use them. I would be a bit wary of using them on delicates though.

The balls may not have been the kind of treat that I was looking for. It was fun trying them though. Anything that will save time or money is good, so that is a treat in itself.