When you wash a blanket or thick bedding, you put a tennis ball in it? It may sound absurd, but it is a method highly recommended by laundry experts. Just throwing a few tennis balls in the dryer will make your blanket dry much faster and more evenly.
“Tennis balls work similar to drying balls, making them especially useful for drying thick bedding like duvets and duvet covers,” explains Steamary co-founder and chief product officer Frei Leebenhaupt, according to The Spruce.
Tennis balls, like reusable wool drying balls, improve air circulation inside the dryer, says Levenhaupt. It separates laundry, removes lint and hair, prevents static electricity, and shortens overall drying time.
“The reason people use tennis balls is because they help fluff up and redistribute the filling inside the comforter,” Kimberly Romin, P&G fabric care scientist, told The Spruce. “It’s effective whether the filling is down, synthetic or cotton.”
Putting tennis balls in the dryer with thick bedding not only improves air circulation, which shortens drying time, but also dries more evenly and reduces soggy spots and lumps, Romin says.
According to experts, it’s perfectly safe to throw tennis balls in the washing machine if you follow a few guidelines. Romin advised, “Hot water can deform the rubber core, so you should use cold or lukewarm water.”
For added protection, he recommended placing tennis balls in a laundry net. This is to minimize noise and reduce the possibility of scratching the inside of the washing machine. You should use new tennis balls instead of old tennis balls that have become rubbery and have dirt and grime on them.
Laundry experts agree that it is safe to put tennis balls in the dryer, just like in the washing machine, by using new tennis balls and maintaining a low or medium heat setting. Romin explained that this will protect not only the duvet and duvet cover, but also the dryer itself. Make sure there is no loose rubber or dust on the tennis balls before putting them in the dryer with freshly washed bedding.
According to Romin, the elastic properties of tennis balls are particularly effective in increasing airflow and keeping thick bedding filling evenly distributed while it dries.
“Wool dry balls don’t have the same effect as tennis balls,” explains Romin, “because they have no elasticity and don’t affect the softness.”
Experts have provided some tips when using tennis balls for laundry purposes. You should always use a new tennis ball. Place them in a zippered laundry bag or white cotton sock to reduce noise and protect the bedding. Use tennis balls when drying thick items such as blankets or duvet covers, rather than delicate clothing such as underwear. When using tennis balls in the washing machine, select the cold or lukewarm water cycle. When using tennis balls in the dryer, stick to a low or medium heat setting.
Here’s how to use tennis balls in the dryer: First, check the tennis ball. Before putting thick bedding in the dryer, inspect the tennis balls. For best results, use a new tennis ball without any loose rubber, lint, or visible grime.
Put the washed bedding in the dryer. Place the washed blanket or duvet cover in the dryer and fluff as needed to loosen knots and tangles.
Add tennis balls to the dryer. Use 4 tennis balls per load of blankets or duvet covers in the dryer. To protect your bedding, you can place it in a zippered laundry bag or white cotton sock.
Choose the correct dryer settings. Follow the advice of laundry experts and choose a low or medium heat setting.
Check the contents of the dryer. After the drying cycle is complete, check the bedding to make sure it is completely dry.
Repeat as necessary. If you see any damp or lumpy areas, fluff and loosen the bedding or adjust the position of the tennis ball in it and dry again on low or medium heat until completely dry.
