How To Make DIY Dryer Balls and Keep Laundry Fresh

Ready for a fun and super easy DIY project that’s not only eco-friendly but actually useful too? If you’re tired of buying dryer sheets and want a reusable, natural alternative, then you’ve got to try making these DIY dryer balls!

These nifty little balls help to reduce drying time, save on electricity, and soften your clothes without the use of any potentially harmful chemicals. They’re super easy to make and will last you for years, making them a smart choice for any household!

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How do dryer balls work?

Ever wonder how dryer balls actually work? I dug into this topic and learned a ton! Wool dryer balls help separate your clothing while drying, giving it increased aeration. This basically means that more hot air reaches a larger surface area of the fabric, which makes it faster and more efficient to dry your clothes.

This means you’ll speed up your laundry drying time, and you’ll save money on your electric bill too.

These DIY dryer balls also prevent static and reduce wrinkles, making them a must-have in your dryer!

Supplies

To make these wool dryer balls, you’ll need to have:

• Yarn
• Carded wool
• Knee-high stockings or an old pair of stockings with a run (just trim off from the ankle down)
• Dish soap
• Warm water
• Essential oil of your choice – this is optional but recommended! I love lavender, lemongrass, or bergamot, personally!

How to make wool dryer balls

This tutorial on how to make wool dryer balls is actually quite fun and easy. It’s a great DIY for the kids to help too! 

You will want to start by getting some yarn (any color or type) and winding it into balls that are about 2 inches in diameter – these will serve as the core of the wool ball.

Yarn is much cheaper than wool, so this is an inexpensive way to put some bulk into your wool ball. Plus, it makes for a denser core, which in turn will help separate your clothes more easily in the dryer.

Next up is the wool!

When you get your carded wool out, you should see that the fibers are going in one direction generally. You will want to pull apart a layer and rip off a strip of wool that is approximately 6 inches by 3 inches. Start with one strip of wool going horizontal and tightly wrap the wool around the yarn ball.

Then you will do this again, but have the strip of wool going the other way so that the wool fibers crisscross each other. Again, wrap the wool tightly into a ball.

It won’t be perfectly round – but that’s okay. It does not need to be at this point.

Wrap 4 or 5 “strips” of wool around the yarn ball, with each strip going in the opposite direction. Again, it does not need to be in a perfect circle at this point, but you do want to try and make sure that the same amount of wool is evenly wrapped around the yarn ball core.

Next, grab your knee-high stocking and put the wool ball in the stocking. This will help hold the shape during the felting process.

Now here’s the fun part – felting!

All you have to do is put a large amount of dish soap on the wool ball. Wet it down, and then squeeze and knead the soapy wool ball, like you would dough, for a few minutes. When the wool is nice and sudsy, wet, and squished together, rinse it out and shape it the best you can into a ball.

After you get them into this round shape, take them out of the stockings, and put them in the dryer for about 45 minutes on high. The dryer shrinks the wool and completes the felting process. It also smoothes out the wool balls into almost perfectly round balls!

Be sure to take the wool balls out of the stockings before putting them in the dryer, or the wool will “felt” to the stockings, making it very difficult to remove the stockings. (Yes, I learned this the hard way!) 

That’s it! I told you it was easy! See how smooth my DIY dryer balls turned out?

How to use wool dryer balls

Using these dryer balls is incredibly simple and efficient. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Load your dryer: Put your wet laundry into the dryer as you normally would.
2. Add the wool dryer balls: Place 3-6 wool dryer balls in with your laundry. The number of balls you use depends on the size of your load. A small to medium load needs about three balls, while larger loads should use five to six.
3. Optional – add essential oils: If you want your laundry to have a light scent, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to each ball. This step is optional and should be done every 5-10 loads or when you notice the scent fading.
4. Start your dryer: Turn on your dryer as usual. The DIY dryer balls will bounce around, creating air pockets and helping to fluff up your clothes. They also absorb moisture, which can reduce drying time.
5. Store for next use: Once the drying cycle is done, simply leave the balls in the dryer or store them in a dry, ventilated area. They’re reusable for up to a thousand loads!

FAQs

How long does a dryer ball last?

Each dryer ball lasts a surprisingly long time—about 1,000 loads of laundry. Depending on how much laundry you do in your household, this can be anywhere from 2-5 years!

How many dryer balls should I put in the dryer?

A smaller load will need fewer balls than a bigger one. For best results, I’d use 2-3 in a small to medium load of laundry and 5-6 in a large load.

How can I make my laundry smell good naturally?

If you want to add some natural scent to your laundry, have a bottle of your favorite essential oil nearby and put a few drops on each wool dryer ball before you add them to your load. This will freshen your load while you speed up your drying time!

Does a tennis ball do the same thing as a dryer ball?

While tennis balls work similarly, I prefer wool because I like using natural fibers and not having to wonder if the plastic/rubber chemicals from the tennis balls are being added to my family’s clothing.

Remember, wool dryer balls are not only a natural way to soften your clothes and reduce wrinkles, but they’re also much more sustainable than single-use dryer sheets. Happy eco-friendly drying!

More natural solutions to yry

• Homemade Foaming Liquid Hand Soap
• Easy Lavender Goat Milk Soap Recipe
• All Natural Homemade Shampoo for Kids
• All Natural Homemade Cleaner with Castile Soap