Tennis balls in the dryer

Lake Huron · 01-16-2021, 01:45 PM

Ok ladies and gentlemen. There's a lot of smart people out there and I want to hear from all of you.

DW heard this from somewhere, I have no idea where, but the last month or two she's been putting tennis balls in the dryer to " help dry the clothes faster". We have them front loading high efficient washer and dryer that'll make you get a second mortgage to afford the things. All I hear is this constant thumping from the balls beating the poor drum to death. I dont care if it saves me $20 a month in my natural gas bill. I'll slap an extra half hour of overtime a month to pay for it. It's still cheaper to do that than pay for a new dryer, then you have to get the matching washer for the new dryer, bla, bla, bla.... you know how it goes.

So heres the question, does adding tennis balls hurt the dryer??
As far as wearing it out prematurely, bearings, belts, motor, etc...
I say yes and if it does she is buying the next one
She says no.
Settle this for us....

Bookemdanno · 01-16-2021, 01:49 PM

I don't know necessarily if the tennis balls hurt the dryer, but is she using "real" tennis balls? My wife uses the dryer balls too and makes me put them in the dryer when I get in trouble and have to do the laundry, but the balls we have are ALOT softer than a tennis ball...lol!

Grumpy · 01-16-2021, 01:52 PM

Shouldn't hurt the dyer since the drum rides on rollers...

craigav · 01-16-2021, 01:52 PM

I had used them for a year or so, they help soften the laundry w/o the need for softener. However they are loud and really didn't do any better (imo) than using a quieter dryer sheet. I never had any damage occur from using them. I will add, that I also tried wrapping the tennis balls in aluminum foil, and sure enough that helped reduce static cling quite a bit, and you don't need a lot of aluminum foil just enough to wrap the ball well, which saves a lot of foil so you will have enough left over to make a cool hat... lol (jk about the hat). ~CA

GABob · 01-16-2021, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigav

I had used them for a year or so, they help soften the laundry w/o the need for softener. However they are loud and really didn't do any better (imo) than using a quieter dryer sheet. I never had any damage occur from using them. I will add, that I also tried wrapping the tennis balls in aluminum foil, and sure enough that helped reduce static cling quite a bit, and you don't need a lot of aluminum foil just enough to wrap the ball well, which saves a lot of foil so you will have enough left over to make a cool hat... lol (jk about the hat). ~CA

... and just where do you think I have to borrow all that foil from?

**norty1** · 01-16-2021, 04:09 PM

My dryer repairman told me the dryer sheets apply a coating to the vent hose that attracts dust and cause the dryer to overheat if the hose is not cleaned often.

Grumpy · 01-16-2021, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norty1

My dryer repairman told me the dryer sheets apply a coating to the vent hose that attracts dust and cause the dryer to overheat if the hose is not cleaned often.

Covers the lint screen too, they should be washed at least once a month with a little dish detergent. The way to check is to see if it holds water.

RPR · 01-16-2021, 05:10 PM

We have used dryer sheets that are “free and clear” from day one. No problem with filter clogging.

Lake Huron · 01-16-2021, 05:11 PM

[QUOTE=Bookemdanno;929286]I don't know necessarily if the tennis balls hurt the dryer, but is she using "real" tennis balls? snip...

Oh yeah, real tennis balls.
Our daughter plays tennis in school so we have boxes of tennis balls around the house. We have a tennis ball machine for her to practice with. We tried a case of brand new balls in it, WHAT A MESS!! The inside of the machine looked like Kermit the Frog had a fuzzy green aneurism in there! It took me hours to take it all apart, clean it up and put back together. So now we get cases of used indoor balls. They still have some fuzz on them unlike the outdoor ones that are pretty much bald.
I've checked the lint traps and haven't seen any green fuzz clogging things up, so the balls are holding up well, its just the banging around that has me concerned.

Kim Gass · 01-16-2021, 05:44 PM

tennis balls here. It is the best way to redistribute down in garments and sleeping bags. I don't use them at home but do use the wool dryer balls to speed up drying. You can buy them online or any craft fair.

JimD · 01-16-2021, 07:13 PM

When the balls get a bit dirty does she put them in the dishwasher? Maybe dry in the microwave. Don't want the other appliances feeling left out.

**Midnightmoon** · 01-16-2021, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lake Huron

snip...

We tried a case of brand new balls in it, WHAT A MESS!! The inside of the machine looked like Kermit the Frog had a fuzzy green aneurism in there! It took me hours to take it all apart, clean it up and put back together.

You have no idea how long I laughed after reading this.....

Lake Huron · 01-16-2021, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimD

When the balls get a bit dirty does she put them in the dishwasher? Maybe dry in the microwave. Don't want the other appliances feeling left out.

That's a good one! Lol!

**JFlightRisk** · 01-16-2021, 10:46 PM

I had a down filled jacket that had to have a sneaker in the drier with it to fluff up the feathers. Ya shoulda heard THAT bounce around. Never hurt the machine at all...I don't think...

edatlanta · 01-17-2021, 05:39 AM

Splendide says to not use dryer sheets for the reasons mentioned above. I have never used these, but I do use dryer balls. They are rubber ones that were originally soft, but pretty hard now. I definitely believe they help and certainly don't cost anything to use.

Lake Huron · 01-17-2021, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midnightmoon

You have no idea how long I laughed after reading this.....

I bet you did, for a while. I bet the look on my face was priceless when I opened it up and found it packed with all that fuzz. I wasn't laughing when I was cleaning the mess up, but it is pretty funny now! Lol!

CAG · 01-17-2021, 10:09 AM

My wife used these.

https://www.amazon.com/SnugPad-Dryer...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

michael.g · 01-18-2021, 09:28 AM

We use wool dryer balls in our dryer. I think they were $12 for 6 balls. We use 3 at a time and they last about 6 months. They are a lot softer than tennis balls. The only time I hear them is if it's a small load that is being dried.

-Michael

JudyB · 01-23-2021, 12:53 PM

Just so I get this right......tennis/dryer balls in the dryer and fabric softener sheets in my RV vents?? Who advertises these products for the wrong reasons????

Retired mountain folk · 01-23-2021, 01:01 PM

Ok, here is the scoop..... you put tennis balls in the dryer when you are drying items such as “down”. It breaks up the clumps as it dries. Unless you have something in there that needs beating to break up the clumped material or stuffing, like comforters, down jackets, it is useless. I’ve been doing that since it first came out back in the late 60’s in I think, either family circle or good housekeeping or ? As the “new idea”. It’s too long ago to remember actually where it was first published. I have three tennis balls I just keep for my comforters over and over, they are around 50 years old. But still work and are very clean. Hehehe. It’s bad enough hearing them when doing that kind of wash but all the time, never. Doesn’t do anything for normal clothes but make noise. May make it dry a little faster as it’s beating your clothes to loosen up wet clothes but not worth the noise. Good luck.

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