ReadyMade – JuneJuly07
Originally uploaded by *Heather Bailey*.
From ReadyMade Magazine:
You can barely see it on the picture before it gets cut off… but in the top corner it says you can just put Tennis Balls in the dryer instead of dryer sheets. I already use Dryer Balls – but they’re expensive at $10 for 2, so I am considering trying this – it makes sense, it’s not about what the balls are made of, or what’s inside them – it’s that they create air pockets that help your clothes dry better and fluffier! So instead of wasting money on dryer sheets (which are bad for the environment and just get thrown away), a reusable Tennis Ball would be great!
I think I’ll give it a try – the next time I’m in a store I’ll look for some tennis balls – has anyone else tried this?
eric said,
July 7, 2007 @ 9:31 pm
i swear i’ve used tennis balls for a lot of things in my time, but laundry is not one of them. let us know how that works out for you. we’ve got tons laying around (sarah plays tennis and the dogs play fetch).
sarah c. said,
July 9, 2007 @ 12:28 pm
hmmmm . . . that is interesting!
fluffy is good . . .
but does it make your clothes smell good? or just smell like tennis balls?
let me know!
VaxGirl said,
July 11, 2007 @ 7:39 am
Haven’t tried a tennis ball, but it does work to throw a sneaker in the dryer to fluff up a comforter, so I can see the idea working. But why not pick up a couple dead ones from the local park or tennis courts rather than buying them? You may have to wash them off, but you’d be saving a couple bucks, and recycling at the same time.
tom said,
July 12, 2007 @ 7:33 am
Haven’t tried that, but my wife and I have switched to method dryer sheets which aren’t dry and horrible for the environment and bad for your skin, but, rather, are wet. They are infused with plant-based softners and are biodegradable and non-toxic. A little more expensive then tennis balls and regular dryer sheets but are infusing your clothes with something natural that is good for your skin and isn’t bad creation.
tom said,
July 12, 2007 @ 7:34 am
oops, sorry, last line should read…..and isn’t bad for creation
Megan said,
July 27, 2007 @ 10:20 am
Eric & Sarah – so far it worked okay – same as the fancy “dryer balls” – and I don’t notice any weird smells, though I would be worried about ones the dogs chewed on, that may not make your laundry so “clean” anymore
VaxGirl – Good idea! But unfortunately I don’t have anywhere to get recycled ones from.Very encouraging to hear about the sneaker – it just creates “pockets” to dry better – so the tennis balls should work too.
Tom – I love Method products! But I am don’t like fragrance items (I stick to there “Go Naked” line), but good to know. Also, I have started hang drying items so dryer sheets aren’t necessary.
Jo said,
August 29, 2007 @ 12:43 pm
The only question I have is, wouldn’t the fuzz from the tennis balls get stuck to the fabric? Or were you thinking of old tennis balls that have lost most of their fuzz.
Megan said,
August 29, 2007 @ 8:46 pm
Jo – I have been using the tennis balls and haven’t had a problem! No stinky tennis ball smell either (I was worried about that). I do hang dry most my laundry now, so only items I don’t have room to hang (because we’re in an apt) like towels and sheets I dry – and for those I use the tennis balls. They work just as well as the “expensive” dryer balls.
Melaina said,
October 29, 2007 @ 9:42 pm
It’s kind of funny that I stumbled onto your website but I was washing three goose-down winter coats tonight and all three wash instructions in the coats said that they needed to be dried thoroughly with tennis balls. They are rolling around now and although my drier sounds like it’s going to walk away, I guess my coats will be well fluffed.
Kasey said,
September 29, 2008 @ 10:24 am
Tennis balls are an old trick – I remember my grandma used to throw 2 or 3 into the dryer. For some reason she had cut slits into them, not sure why. I still toss in tennis balls to help reduce time on towels, denim, sheets, and other thicker fabrics.
Fyi, typical fabric softeners – liquid or sheet – work by distributing a thin layer of wax on the material – that’s why the get so soft and silky. (I’m guessing those Method dryer sheets work differently.) It’s actually a bad thing for fabrics that need to breathe to remove perspiration (socks, underwear, towels, sheets. etc). Vinegar is a good softening alternative for these types of materials. Waxy softeners are ok for sweaters, mittens, scarves, blankets etc. because they help retain warmth. Liquid softeners increase drying time substantially.
Rita said,
November 11, 2008 @ 9:07 am
Oh wow Kasey I didnt realize that liquid softner added time to the drying… As for the tennis balls I have always used them its something my grandma did and I do find that it helps lessen time a little with no funky smells… As for the fuzz thing, I bought my kids a package of 10 balls for use at the lake and stole 2 as the ones i was using got attacked by the dog, but anyway the fuzz off brand new tennis balls does not come off on the clothes.
Dryer Warrior said,
November 26, 2008 @ 11:38 am
ROFL Megan, My dogs saliva make my balls smell TOO!
Dryer Warrior said,
November 26, 2008 @ 11:39 am
ROFL Megan, My dogs saliva makes my balls smell TOO !!!!!!
john matro said,
March 24, 2009 @ 12:50 pm
Consider these things before you buy this PVC product:
* Hydrochloric acid, cancer-causing dioxins, and other persistent pollutants are spewed into the air, water, and land when PVC is being manufactured, resulting in chronic and severe health problems such as cancer, neurological damage, endometriosis, neurological damage, birth defects, and liver and kidney damage.
* hard to recycle and not the kind of substance you want ina landfill where the toxins will slowly leach into the environment.
* made in China
Ummm said,
July 21, 2009 @ 3:03 pm
John:
I really get frustrated when people like you come onto websites, spewing random information about the harmful effects on the environment a certain thing or action has blah, blah, blah, but not leave any suggestions for alternatives. What should we use instead? If you can’t answer that, then I will just consider you just another tree hugging, smelly hippie out of touch with reality.