Many people are switching out their dryer sheets for dryer balls, but did you know you can make your own DIY Dryer Balls? It is super easy, and they last for years.
I was inspired to make my own DIY dryer balls when I heard about the many benefits of using them. Because they are simply wool, I know there are no questionable ingredients in them, and they shorten drying time; saving money on electricity.
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What You Need to Make Dryer Balls
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- 100% Wool Yarn (Remember 100% wool… I found acrylic up the wazoo (do we use that word?) in the craft store, and only a few skeins of 100% wool. This is not going to work with acrylic, because you need the wool to felt)
- Nylons
- Essential Oil (Optional)- Not sure where to buy essential oils? Check out this post.
How to Make Dryer Balls
Start by wrapping the yarn several times around your pointer and middle finger.
Pinch it in the middle and wrap the yarn around the pinched area.
Keep wrapping and wrapping and wrapping, working the yarn around in a circle until you get a ball about the size of a tennis ball (mine are probably a little smaller).
Cut the yarn and tuck it under some of the other layers.
I was able to make 6 balls with the 2 skeins of yarn I bought.
Next, you’ll want to place each ball into the leg of some nylons, tying a knot in between each ball.
Take the nylon-wrapped wool balls, and throw them into your next load of towels, washing them in HOT water. After washing, throw them in the dryer on HIGH heat. This process is what causes the wool to felt and stick together. Once you remove them from the dryer, cut the nylons to free the wool balls.
If you’d like to add a little scent to your dryer balls, just place a drop or two of essential oils onto a couple of the balls. I, personally, go with lavender, but if you have a different favorite oil, go for it!
Now you can throw these balls into your dryer in place of dryer sheets. The claim is that dryer balls not only soften your laundry, but also cut drying time because they keep your clothes separated, much like adding tennis balls would. I had to try this theory out for myself, so I timed a load of laundry using a dryer sheet vs. the dryer balls (I tried my best to keep the loads equal in size with 30 items in each load). Here are the results:
- Dryer Sheet= 50 minutes, 45 seconds
- Wool Dryer Balls= 41 minutes, 41 seconds
That’s almost a 20% decrease in dry time. The first 2 items I pulled out of the laundry were a robe and a pair of shorts, and I could hear the static as I pulled them out. I was SO disappointed, but as I removed all the other clothes, they seemed completely static-free. I was a little baffled, so I looked at what others had to say about their experience. I found that, while wool dryer balls work great at reducing static for most fabrics, it doesn’t do well with synthetic materials, like Polyester. I checked the label on both the robe and shorts… 100% Polyester. I tried another load with my towels, socks, and undergarments (all 100% cotton items), and when the load was finished, there was NO static. I wanted to let you know my true experience so you have all the information.
UPDATE: I found the easiest trick to minimize static… you can read all about it HERE.
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Hi, Would love to make these dryer balls but I don’t wash anything in hot water any more. Is there another way to felt the dryer balls? Thanks, Katt
Hello 🙂 I love your posts and hacks.. Do you have alternatives for liquid fabric conditioners too? Thank you..
Thanks! I always enjoy your posts. I rolled up some wool socks that we no longer wear, and tucked them inside themselves. These make great dryer balls.
I also tried some Cotten socks which seem to be working well. Do dryer balls need to be wool to remove static?
Years ago I would go to Goodwill and buy any sweater as long as it was 100 % wool. Unravel make dryer balls , easy peasy
My daughter seemed to react to the dryer balls I bought recently. Not sure what type of wool.
Have you found any one react with DIY wool balls?! Or something better to use if send skin?!?!
Thanks
Not only are they cute, the wool balls are chemical-free! Dryer sheets have been known to be the cause of dryer fires as well as coating the walls of the dryer.
This is an excellent tip with so many advantages. Use at least three in the dryer and lower the heat to reduce static.
Another HUGE bonus is that NOT using dryer sheets reduces garbage which does not degrade or decompose. Dryer sheets pollute!
These wool balls are ecofriendly!! Excellent!
PS Do you only toss in one ball per dryer load or more than one? Thanks!
When I made the dryer balls, I had 6, and put them all in at the same time. I have since lost one, so I now throw in all 5 that I have left 🙂
Love this idea!
Question: How many wool dryer balls do you use at a time?
Thanks, Erin!
Great question Dottie. I made these over a year ago, and using the tutorial above, I was able to make 6 dryer balls, so that’s the number I used. I have since lost one (probably with all those missing socks 🙂 ), so now I just use 5.
Works for me.
Thanks!
These are so cute! One of my favorite benefits of using dryer balls is that they don’t gum up your lint screen like dryer sheets can. Also, you can add a few drops of essential oils for a custom scent to your laundry.
Yes! A little lavender oil. Perfect 🙂
Erin, what a great idea! Dryer balls are used in my house but they are always getting lost. I love that you put yours in a jar…on my to do list! 😉
Just as a word of caution… I’d keep the lid off the jar if you decide to use one. My jar started forming condensation on the inside, perhaps because the balls don’t get completely dry to their core. Leaving the lid off helped. I haven’t lost any balls yet, but I find them in the most random places when folding clothes… down arm sleeves, etc. Thanks for stopping over McKenzie!
Hi Erin, I made dryer balls several years ago, but over the years they’ve disappeared…hmmm…guess I need to make some more. Thanks for prompting me to put that back on my to do list.!
Lynn
Kind of like socks 🙂
awesome, just love the look so cute!
I agree!
Cotton is a natural fibre so shouldn’t cause static, unless mixed with a man made fibre, man made fibres will cause static, especially polyester as it’s made from shredded polythene, one of the ways of recycling plastic bottles, but bad for your skin as it doesn’t let it breathe, & traps sweat, much healthier wearing natural fibres. The best way to stop static is to use fabric conditioner/softener 🙂
Thanks for the insight Linda! Enjoy the rest of your day!