Do
you use dryer balls? Those tennis-ball-size things with bumps
by design that usually come in a blue plastic. Those.
Do
you use them?
We
do.
I’ve
heard all sorts of things about them. Usually the biggest claim
is how they speed up the process, reducing the amount of time
you need for drying clothes. I’ve also heard they assist in softening
fabrics, to the point that you won’t need to use those sheets
of fabric softeners. And I’ve heard that they separate the clothes,
keeping them from clinging and bunching.
I
don’t know about the increased speed or fabric softening capabilities.
Never really tried to measure either. I do know I still have problems
when I dry sheets… they continue to roll together and start bump-bump-bumping
until I hear it, stop the dryer, and pull the sheets apart. And,
those sheets are still wet from having rolled together into one
big ball.
Most
reputable places offering reviews that I’ve seen say that the
results don’t show much of a difference. No real pros to tossing
them in. No real cons. The concept, so goes the research, is actually
sound. The idea of agitating the clothing, allowing it to separate
and not clump, makes sense. But the softening fabric part? Tough
one to verify.
Still…
we use them around here. And, recently, two of the ones we have
used for years pretty much died on us. Breaking apart. Need to
be replaced. (That is one positive aspect about things. They basically
last for years. Buy a pair of them for under $10, which
would be way over their usual price, and you probably would find
that it averaged out to a cost of about a penny per load to put
them in the dryer.)
Thanks
to some guy named Murphy… you know, because, of course… when you
aren’t looking for dryer balls, they’re everywhere in every store.
And when you are trying to find them… well, good luck.
Terry
and I shop at Costco. More often than not, I like to take her
there during the buffet hours. (For those familiar with Costco,
you know exactly what I mean. For those unfamiliar with Costco,
that would be during the times when all the free sample stations
are open.)
Since
the joys of Costco are the bulk sizes that provide the savings,
we normally have two shopping lists going at any time. One for
the generic items. One for the next Costco run. And the other
day while re-writing and updating… well… consideration of the
lists merged.
I
wonder what would happen if dryer balls ended up on the Costco
list. Do they sell them in bulk? Would there be room in the dryer
for clothes? How many do I need to use to live up to the reputation?
Important
questions.
(I
think.)
We
have a Costco run coming up this week. I almost definitely will
not be buying dryer balls during our visit. I might be tempted
into an unexpected purchase after trying one or two of the samples.
But dryer balls? Doubtful.
But
much as I’d like to get it off of our list, I’m not in any hurry.
Laundry is getting done. Nothing has come to a sudden stop. I
just find myself wondering if the bulk-buy store sells them. And,
if they do, how many in a package?
(I
need to find my lists. I just remembered we need juice.)