These small plastic or woollen balls are placed directly into the machine on top of your clean washing, helping separate garments, reduce static and fluff up your fabrics as they dry. As a result of improved airflow, tumble dryer balls help your machine be more efficient, resulting in shorter cycle times and a far softer feel across your favourite clothes and fabrics. To investigate, first turn off the machine and unplug it. The location of the heating element, and the connections to it, may vary depending on the brand and model of tumble dryer you have. Once you have finished felting, cut off any excess wool roving. You can then wet the balls with water and soap. The water will cause the fibers to contract and tighten up. This will help the balls keep their shape. Allow the balls to dry completely before using them in your dryer.

If that doesn't work, it could be down to there being an electrical issue with the heating element. White vinegar is a great way to remove oils and detergent from towel fibres. You do not have to wash with this every single week. Instead, add vinegar to every other washing. Some people like to add bicarbonate of soda to the vinegar to remove stains and odours. The best practice is to add one cup of white vinegar to warm water without any other soaps. Run the washer for one cycle and then add baking soda.If you're buying a vented tumble dryer, a lot of them will come with all you need to vent it, so you won't need to buy a separate tumble dryer hose or vent kit. However, with some, you will need to buy them as an additional item. Where the model number (sometimes labelled 'mod') is located will vary from machine to machine. Generally speaking though, they can usually be found in one of the following places: The best way to compare dryer ball sizes is to think of different types of sports balls: golf balls, tennis balls, baseballs. Wool and plastic dryer balls are available in these sizes, ranging in circumference from about five to ten inches. Baseball-size wool dryer balls (“extra-large” dryer balls) are one of the most popular choices. Plastic dryer balls are typically a bit smaller, about the size of tennis balls. Color SnugPad Dryer Balls, made of organic New Zealand wool, are baby-safe and chemical-free. However, they didn’t score many points for quality, durability, or drying power in our tests. Laundry still felt damp after drying for 40 minutes. It is possible that this could be changed with a longer dry time or higher drying temperature.

Dryer balls typically come in sets of three, four, or six. To best decide which is best for you, both experts agree it depends on the size of your laundry loads. For small and medium loads, most brands recommend three to four regular-sized dryer balls or two oversized ones, and five to six (or three to four oversized) dryer balls for large loads. "If you find that your clothes are still taking too long to dry or are coming out wrinkled, try adding a few more dryer balls to the mix," says Barefoot. The balls are designed to reduce hardness and relax the fibers in your clothes, leaving your clothes nice and soft without using any harsh chemicals. Our lab team spent weeks laundering towels, t-shirts, and a queen-size comforter to find the best dryer balls.

The two most popular materials for dryer balls are wool and plastic. Both are durable and non-toxic, and they hold up to repeated use. There are pros and cons to each. Wool dryer balls With an innovative square design made from soft rubber, these dryer balls have smaller spikes that can separate fabrics without the risk of damaging your clothes’ delicate fibres. Tennis balls are fairly resilient things and can happily withstand a cycle in a washing machine (on the correct setting, of course). First, remove any obvious hair or lint, either by hand or using a lint remover. Then either pop into your washing machine in a laundry bag on a warm wash cycle (without detergent) or wash by hand and bring to the boil, before leaving to air dry for a couple of days. If you’re short on time, you can also dry them in the tumble dryer on high heat.