Doing laundry is quite the chore, and seems wasteful as well leading many to consider using laundry balls. These are what seem to be an eco-friendly way to do laundry without having to continually use detergent and dryer sheets. But does it work, does it give you the same sort of results you’ve come to expect from conventional cleaners?
Overview
Cleaning products are big business, and as the world gets more “green concious” more products like laundry balls will come into the market, looking rather attractive. Anything that makes a clean-up job easier, cheaper, or even best both will always turn heads.
By using laundry balls the idea is you’ll be saving money on laundry detergent, and saving the environment from more and more pollution in the form of soap and suds being added to the sewage system.
The Claim
If you use laundry balls you won’t have to use laundry detergent or fabric softener sheets. Your laundry is supposed to get just as clean as with conventional soaps and detergents. It’s also supposed to be soft and wrinkle free from the use of dryer balls in the dryer, in lieu of fabric softener sheets.
The balls are supposed to be using 80 different natural minerals, although these aren’t listed individually, so it’s hard to tell what they are using that makes them effective.
The laundry is supposed to come out with no soapy residue you may experience with liquid or powdered detergents. They also claim that you will only need one rinse cycle, instead of multiple, reducing the amount of water used, and the amount of time it takes to run a load.
The concept behind the dryer balls is that they bounce and hit your laundry so that they get fluffy and stay wrinkle free while drying. It’s supposed to be a way to lift and separate the clothes, preventing static cling and helping clothes keep their shape and not shrink.
The Hype
The hype gets added on any product claiming to save the Earth. This is a rather bold idea, and telling people that they are doing something eco-friendly is a great marketing ploy. In this instance they make the color of the laundry balls green, and sometimes refer to them as Eco Laundry Balls.
While it may or may not be more friendly to the environment is beside the point. By telling consumers that they are helping Mother Nature by buying a product, it adds instant hype.
The Cost
Laundry balls are designed to appeal to the budget-conscious consumer. In fact, you’re supposed to be able to save money by using them, they claim to replace 48 bottles of laundry detergent with one ball.
You can pick up the green ball referred to on this page at Amazon for less than $13 which ships free with their Super Saver shipping, just get your order to $25 or more.
The Commitment
You’ll have to ditch your regular laundry soap and dryer sheets and start using the laundry balls. This might be easy for you if you’re sick and tired of buying disposable cleaning products. However, if you’ve grown used to the smell of laundry that’s been washed with your usual soap it’s going to take a little getting used to.
Evaluation
The laundry balls that were used in the testing were able to successfully wash a load of laundry and have it coming out looking and smelling clean and fresh.
Do Laundry Balls Really Work?
Yes, they do the job of getting your clothes clean without the use of detergent. The dryer balls also do a great job of removing the need for fabric softener sheets.
There has been negative feedback from some users, but this can be explained by this being a new method that replaces an old, long-established one. People are resistant to change, and anything that aims to disrupt the status quo will get met with backlash, every time. For the price and potential cost savings, they are worth a try to make your own mind up.
Our Recommendation
If you suffer from skin allergies, you will likely find relieve from replacing your detergent and dryer sheets with laundry balls. This is the number one irritant for people that experience itching and rashes that can’t be explained.
Not much to say, we’ve used ours for about a year. Have added some vinegar when doing a large or especially dirty load. And we use some drops of EO in our dryer to give a fresher scent than the neutral scent the washer ball gives.
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I just bought a set of these Beron brand. The first time I used them I was surprised because I put them in some of my worst laundry. (my dirty kitchen cloths) and they came out with no smell. I use fresh cotton kitchen cloths all day and they pile up in a bucket that I wash every few days. They get pretty tangy.
It does say on the box that you can use a little detergent (20% of normal amount) or fab softener if you need to. I would not use bleach, but I don’t allow that nasty stuff in my house anyway. It isn’t kind to fabrics either.
I expect to still need a good sodium percarbonate soak for some things, but for most things I think these will work just fine.
For those who complained they stopped working, you are supposed to replace them like once a year and refresh them in the sun monthly. Kind of like charcoal bags which are another product I love.
Read your labels and follow directions if you want the best results. It’s surprising how often people bash a product online that they weren’t even using correctly🤦🏻♀️.
Hi, I was a big sceptic about laundry balls & reading many different views for many yrs. I finally decided to try them & I am so happy I did.I used tide for more than 35 yrs & they were suppose to be the best you can get well their wrong. Just like Tide I pretreated stains with stain remover. These balls I pre soaked for 30 minutes then use them with my laundry & I could not believe what I was seeing. The clothes were so clean my household thought they were new especially the towels. Don’t believe these sceptic people. For $ 15-$ 20 you have nothing to loose except cleaner clothes & no laundry detergent buildup. Recharge them in light or sunlight twice a month to recharge them. Their great for the planet too. Five stars
I’ve had one of these for over a year. I will absolutely say that it works. Regular laundry comes out without any scent, unlike detergent washes. I do have to pretreat stains, which I do with white soap, hydrogen peroxide, or alcohol, as opposed to chemical products. My laundry is just as clean as it was with detegent, that I also had to pretreat. The biggest difference, my husband no longer suffers from skin conditions that tormented him for many years.
Can you use bleach with laundry balls?
I have begun using the laundry balls and wool dryer balls because of cost and more natural ways to do things that don’t use chemicals that can both damage the environment and most importantly you. They work just a sc well as detergent in my laundry, cleans stains and are easy to use. Were slightly more costly in beginning but feel worth it. Glad I “fell for this gadget” and bought them. Using them solely at this time and happy with results so far.
Lynda, Using two dryer sheets is really not good for your clothing. It will actually wear the fabric down. Here is a solution for you that I have been using for years.
Go out and buy your favorite fabric softener, the one you love the most, in spite of the cost. Now follow this recipe to the T and you will really like the results and the cost will be insignificant.
Find an old t-shirt that you no longer want. Cut it up into 4-6 pieces at about 6″x 6″
Find an old container with a lid (I used an old 35 ounce Coffeemate Creamer plastic container, an empty Coffee Can will work as well)
Pour one capful of the liquid fabric softener into the container
Add 2 capfuls of water, shake
When ready to dry a load of laundry, put in your reusable dryer sheets (the cut up t-shirt pieces) shake, take out one sheet, squeeze the excess liquid (Just enough that is is not dripping) add to the dryer load and dry as you normally do.
You may want more than one sheet,, depending on the size of your load. I usually have a good sized load and use 3 sheets.
Experiment and use what works best for your size load. You will still have the smell, the softness, all the benefits but you will be using so much less.
I have found out that when I made too much softener it will spoil. So only make what you will use in a week or two. Again, that will depend on how much laundry you do.
Good luck.
How often do they need to go in the sun? What are these dryer balls people are mentioning
I have been using dryer balls for years and love them. I hang most of my clothing but what I do not hang gets dried with dryer balls. Switched from detergent to laundry balls and love it. My clothes come out of the wash feeling softer. I still spot soak/clean tough stains directly prior to putting them in my machine.
want rma number to send back Jblun33@aol.com JOanne Blundon 33 minnesota ave Somerville ma 02145
Actually the balls need to be put in the sun to reactivate them 🙂
I have used various brands of laundry balls for over 20 years. They don’t work well on stains but for ordinary laundry they are great. I have saved a ton of money and even the underwear passes the “smell test”! I can’t reccomend a brand though, but I think I got them on Amazon. Highly reccomend them.
I have also switched to the laundry balls and on occasion do actually add a tiny teaspoon full of downy because I’m used to the aroma….this keeps me from wanting to switching back to the old method.
They work a few times , because there is soap left in your clothes from the last washing and it takes a few washings to actually get rid of all soap. People always put in way too much soap and it does not get rinced out properly.
I have heard from a couple of family members that laundry balls are not worth trying. They don’t work – or if they do, they stop working after only a few uses, making the cost so not worth it. I will definitely stick to dryer sheets – I use two per dryer load – and they work just fine. The cost is worth the results I get and the awesome scent they leave on my clothes. Dryer balls are not on my must-try list.
Sounds like they work for short periods of time but not all that effective in the long run. So I should use baking soda and vinegar instead of fabric softener and then grate Ivory soap in place of laundry detergent. One thing about the vinegar part: Does it cause the laundry room to give off a strong odor? Great tips Claire! I’ll be sure to steer clear of laundry ball then.
You can make your own fabric softener by adding some baking soda to the wash and white vinegar to the rinse. (I use a quarter cup of each) Yes, I know it’s still adding something, but baking soda and vinegar are less toxic and safer than store bought fabric softener.
I have use laundry balls before and I find that they work great at first, because there is usually a build up of detergent in the clothes from previous washings. Then, after awhile, the ball stop working so well and I go back to detergent. Lately though, I’ve been grating Ivory soap (about a quarter of a bar) and using that every other wash. We really do use way too much laundry detergent. I found once I stopped using so much, my clothes really just felt cleaner.
Hi,
Anna I was wondering what brand laundry balls you are using? There are mixed reviewed out on the internet. And all the people I have found that have said laundry worked for them, they have not listed the brand that worked for them. I am very interested in using laundry balls but there have been two prosecuted cases of fraud in relation to laundry balls, where the product did not work as promised. The first case was in New Zealand, the man plead guilty to fraud. I appreciate your response. Take Care.
I’m not 100% sure on the laundry balls to replace detergent if i’m honest, but i certainly am a fan of the dryer balls.
I’ve started using these dryer balls to help stop the creases and help stop static cling on the clothes, and sure enough they do the job perfectly.
I’m not all up on the ECO band wagon, but saving the the cash on dryer sheets etc certainly is a bonus.
I have actually switched to laundry balls and I must say at first I wasn´t convinced at all, I was just stuck in the old ways, but they work really good and I have managed to save some money on laundry, they work but I am still tempted to go back sometimes to fabric softener, but I will keep giving the laundry balls a chance.