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  • Wool dryer balls. Does anyone use them? What about making them yourself?

  • Wool dryer balls. Does anyone use them? What about making them yourself?

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    Old 02-10-2018, 06:43 AM
      #11  
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    MaggieLou's Avatar
     
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    I've made some but haven't used the yet. You need to use 100% wool yarn. There is a tute on how to make them but I can't remember the name. I save the PDF but the only name I find on it is goodmama inc. I found the link. https://nourishingjoy.com/make-your-...l-dryer-balls/
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    Old 02-10-2018, 07:48 AM
      #12  
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    I have used tennis balls for years and I’m happy with them.
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    Old 02-10-2018, 10:49 AM
      #13  
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    Originally Posted by coopah
    My BIL has used them for several years and swears by them. No knowledge about making your own.
    I tried making them myself and the cheap wool yarn I bought at “Wally World” did not felt together. After I went and bought some wool roving, I realized I could not use them. (I discovered I am allergic to wool). I went and bought the spiked looking ones and they do work, there is still some static, but that is still better than ruining my towels with dryer sheets.
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    Old 02-10-2018, 11:47 AM
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    My DD used some bought at a baby store when my DGD was a baby. She said they were ok but does not use them now.I have never used them as wool makes me itch like crazy.
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    Old 02-10-2018, 12:05 PM
      #15  
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    I've been using them for some time now, and I really like them too. I made my own, using tightly balled up aluminum foil for the center (a bit bigger than the size of a golf ball) wrapped in wool roving. The more I use them, the tighter they get (and they shrink up a little too), so I did add a bit more roving. They do work great, but they are very noisy.
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    Old 02-10-2018, 12:19 PM
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    I got a bag of 6 wool balls from Amazon. They weren't very expensive, maybe $15. We use 3 with the sheets and towels. They really do make the drying time shorter, and they're not noisy like I expected.
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    Old 02-11-2018, 05:34 AM
      #17  
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    I was glad to see i'm not the only one allergic to wool , and even some elastics in bras. I've had the bumpy balls since back in the 90's and still good. I worked at a dry cleaners for 20 years, and the cleaner man)(forgot his title) used tennis balls in the machine when he did comforters and down pillows.
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    Old 02-11-2018, 06:41 AM
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    I made my own from a couple of skeins of yarn that the cats had 'fun' with. I rolled the yarn tightly to the size I wanted and then using a yarn sewing needle and about 2 feet of the end of the yarn, sewed around the ball with about 1/2" stitches and finally buried the end in the ball. I have been using them for about 6 months and they haven't come undone yet.

    I also soaked the balls in very hot water, squeezed them as dry as possible in a towel and then tossed into the dryer with laundry. This was for 2 reasons. I wanted to make sure that they would not shed colour with wet clothes and I also wanted to felt them so that there would be less chance of unraveling. BTW felting only works with 100% wool.
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    Old 02-11-2018, 07:15 AM
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    I am intrigued by the idea of these balls. The main reason I would use them is to get rid of the static. How well do they work in removing static? Is it worth the investment in these balls? I don't like using the dryer sheets, but I am very sensitive to the static "shocks"--so I am interested in the balls. Does using vinegar in your wash help with static, too?
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    Old 02-11-2018, 08:22 AM
      #20  
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    I bought some made of alpaca wool at the Houston Show about 5 years ago and love them. I have a box of dryer sheets, 100 count, that I bought about the same time and still have over half a box left. The only problem I have is when I am using them with sheets. They seem to get caught in the folds and "captured" so they can't do their jobs. So I still use the dryer sheets with them.

    I bought a pair of spiky hedgehogs from the freekibble.com site but haven't used them yet. I love hedgehogs and have them sitting on my counter just for fun.
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