Wool Dryer Balls -- A Fast-track and Easy road to Green!
By Lauren Lamoreaux
Call me a skeptic, but I have never been one to believe everything I see. (Fade into just about any TV infomercial here.) And being someone who grew up in the “I’ll destroy the earth if I want to” era has certainly played its role in my reluctant shift into all things Green. But when I come across a product that #1 saves me time and attitude problems and #2 is actually Green, I get excited.
Nowadays my family looks for just about any way we can easily promote saving this planet we call home, especially if it means more convenience to us. (Let’s be honest here... How many of us don’t live a hectic and whirlwind-paced life?)
Our first step in the cleaning arena of our home to go Green was the laundry. And to be perfectly honest yet again, our main concern was saving. Not the earth, money. We invested in the High Efficiency washer and dryers because we saw just how much money we could save each year by using them. They use much less energy and water, which was dollar signs to us. Now we have learned through our Green journeying, just how great this is for the environment. Water and energy conservation while cleaning my clothes better than before? Yes, please!
The only problem we found with our units was that it seemed our washer seemed to fit more than the dryer did. Each time we would walk allll the way to the basement to check, it was the same results: our jeans were still wet. Enter the mighty dryer balls! Now, I had seen the “As Seen on TV” Dryer Balls and wondered... but I never could bring myself to purchase them. Thankfully (for this blog, anyway), I have friends. And some of these friends had actually believed what they saw and gave them a try. Too good to be true? Yep. As told to me, the plastic/rubber dryer balls didn't do half as much as the ads claimed.
How do they work? It’s simple. The balls ping-pong throughout the drying cycle, slamming into the clothes, which creates an indentation, allowing for better circulation among the clothes. Wool not only has anti-static properties, which cuts down on static cling, but it also is very absorbent. All of this equals a faster, more efficient drying cycle.
I was recently given a great opportunity to try out some all-natural Wool Dryer Balls. This particular brand is called "Baby Bear Dryer Balls," and they were better than I expected. Our jeans came out of the dryer’s normal-length cycle... get this: DRY! Our static cling wasn’t such a problem anymore, and there was nothing to be concerned about: no chemicals to irritate, no static cling to zap, no jeans to throw back in for another 10-15 minutes. They even “catch” pesky hair that made it into the dryer. And the best part is that with the dryer balls, our drying time is reduced by up to ten minutes: our dryer has turned Green! And at around $25 for four balls (which is what I tested), our pocketbooks are happy as well.
I give all-natural Wool Dryer Balls an amazing two thumbs up. They are cost-effective and easy to use. Simply throw them in with your wet clothes. Done. If you’re living locally, you will love this: you can purchase these in Downtown Racine, WI at RG Natural Babies. They are also available at My Baby Pumpkin in Watertown, WI. What’s best is they are made in Wisconsin! So grab some of these wonders next time you’re out, and please, folks, stay dry!
