Dryer balls are purported to offer a number of advantages including reducing static, reducing lint and shortening the time required to dry clothes. Are the rumors true or exaggerated?
You toss a few dryer balls into the dryer with each load to help reduce the laundry time and possibly offer a few other benefits too.
What material should your dryer balls be? There are several common materials to choose from.
And how many dryer balls should you use for each load of laundry?
We’ll discuss these and other questions below regarding how to use dryer balls and what advantages you should expect.
How many dryer balls should I use in each load?
Depending on the size of the laundry in your dryer, the type of balls you use and the size of your dryer, you can expect to use the following:
Small load of laundry: 3 dryer balls
Medium load of laundry: 5-7 dryer balls
Large load of laundry: 8 or more dryer balls
Follow any instructions that the product comes with and also adjust this based on the results you personally see. As we’ll see below, dryer ball manufacturers are notorious for overstating benefits.
Do dryer balls reduce static?
Aluminum dryer balls can certainly reduce static cling since they’re metal.
Wool dryer balls are also known to reduce static cling from clothing.
Plastic dryer balls may reduce static but not as well as the first two options. Plastic dryer balls tend to last but their actual benefit(s) are questionable as we’ll see below.
Do dryer balls reduce lint?
The best way to remove lint from your dryer is through the lint collector. Always keep it clean and empty it regularly so it can do its job.
Wool dryer balls can certainly attract lint and will need to be washed and dried themselves from time to time. So certainly wool dryer balls can help to collect lint that your machine’s lint collector won’t.
Plastic dryer balls won’t collect lint or anything else either. Their design – hard plastic with small rounded bumps – don’t allow them to hold onto anything.
Aluminum dryer balls won’t collect lint or anything else either.
Do dryer balls reduce drying time?
Part of the the answer to this question assumes that you are actually using the correct number of dryer balls in each load. Using 1 or 2 balls probably won’t accomplish much of anything. Following the product instructions and using enough dryer balls to offer benefits is your best bet.
Anecdotal and other research seems to suggest that plastic dryer balls may actually not positively impact the dryer time in any way although their manufacturers suggest time saving of up to 25%.
If anything, plastic dryer balls may help to keep your clothing – particularly bed sheets – from clumping up in a ball. Same goes with aluminum ones.
How long do dryer balls last?
A wool drying ball can last for several years depending on how often you use them and how you maintain them. Unlike plastic and aluminum, wool balls do need to be washed and dried because they will collect lint and dirt which is actually an advantage.
Removing this stuff from your clothes is great but it just means that the balls themselves must occasionally be cleaned.
A plastic dryer ball requires no maintenance at all. With repeated use it can crack and will need to be replaced however.
An aluminum dryer ball also needs no maintenance. Since each ball is made from a small amount of aluminum foil that is worth a few cents, you can easily and quickly replace them as needed.
Wool dryer balls vs plastic dryer balls vs aluminum foil dryer balls
Wool and plastic dryer balls are the most common commercially available products. You can also crumple up a ball of aluminum foil and use several of them as a dryer ball too. Which option is best, and why?
Let’s compare them below.
| Wool dryer balls | Plastic dryer balls | Foil dryer balls | |
| Amount to use | 3 balls for a small to medium sized load and 5-7 balls for a large load. Extra large loads could use 8 or more balls. | 3 balls for a small to medium sized load and 5-7 balls for a large load. Extra large loads could use 8 or more balls. | 2-3 balls depending on the size of your load, with each ball having a 2″ – 3″ diameter, tightly crumpled up. |
| Static removal | Wool dryer balls are known for their ability to removal static from clothes rather than using fabric sheets. | May help to reduce static but probably not as well as the other two options. | Foil is excellent at removing static due to its metal nature. |
| Lint removal | Wool balls can help to remove lint that attaches to them as they tumble. | No. Hard plastic won’t attract lint as it can’t stick to the ball. | No. Foil won’t attract lint to stick to it. |
| Drying time | A 30% – 50% reduction in drying time may be achieved according to manufacturers. | While manufacturers suggest a 25% reduction in drying time, tests dispute this and suggest no improvement. | If the aluminum can help bunching of clothes, it’s possible drying time could be reduced. |
| Lifespan | 1000 loads is often quoted by manufacturers of wool dryer balls as its lifespan. | Eventually the plastic can split or crack. You might get 2-3 years usage depending on how often you use them. | 1-2 months of usage. It depends on how tightly you bunch the aluminum and how much you use. It’s cheap to replace so it’s not really an issue. |
| Other | Good for fluffing clothes as they dry and preventing clothes from bunching up. | Hard plastic dryer balls tend to increase the noise as they tumble and hit the dryer drum. | The cheapest option to buy and replace as frequently as you like. |
| Maintenance | Clean the lint off and put them in the washer from time to time to clean them. | Nothing. Hard plastic dryer balls require no maintenance and remain clean. | Nothing. Crumpled up aluminum foil requires no maintenance. |
| Cost | 4-6 regular size wool balls cost around $8 and 4-6 X-large balls cost $9-$12. | You can find packs of 4-6 plastic balls for around $10. | A few cents of aluminum foil that you buy in the store in a roll. |