Comments on: Tennis Balls instead of Dryer Sheets?

By: Ummm

Ummm — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:03:30 +0000

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.

By: john matro

john matro — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:50:35 +0000

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

By: Dryer Warrior

Dryer Warrior — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:39:37 +0000

ROFL Megan, My dogs saliva makes my balls smell TOO !!!!!!

By: Dryer Warrior

Dryer Warrior — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:38:46 +0000

ROFL Megan, My dogs saliva make my balls smell TOO!

By: Rita

Rita — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:07:51 +0000

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.

By: Kasey

Kasey — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:24:54 +0000

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.

By: Melaina

Melaina — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 03:42:14 +0000

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.

By: Megan

Megan — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 02:46:15 +0000

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.

By: Jo

Jo — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 18:43:22 +0000

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.

By: Megan

Megan — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 16:20:16 +0000

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.