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Why You Should Dry Your Sheets With a Tennis Ball

A woman put laundry in the dryer.
Kzenon/Shutterstock.com

We all love fresh, clean laundry, especially when your sheets are fluffy and soft. But sometimes they can take forever to dry.

The next time you throw your sheets in the dryer, add a tennis ball to help them dry faster.

How does this work? Tennis balls consist of wool or nylon. These materials absorb water to dry your sheets faster. They also react with the water to create heat, shortening the drying time. Add that to the extra movement from the ball bouncing around in the dryer which helps your sheets dry faster, and you’ve got a quality laundry hack.

Handy Laundry Wool Dryer Balls

Get a more permanent solution with dryer balls.

Additionally, the material from a tennis ball can help soften your sheets in the dryer, and it’s a great alternative to chemical-based fabric softeners which can leave behind residues. The trick is also particularly great when drying and fluffing pillows, jackets, and bulky comforters as they help prevent those weird lumpy bits from forming.

In terms of using this hack, we suggest using a clean tennis ball—not the one you use to play with your dog. If it’s brand new, wrap it in a sock so the color won’t bleed into your sheets.

The next time you dry your sheets, throw in a tennis ball and watch the magic happen. In addition to shortening our laundry time, we’re also big fans of finding ways to save money while regularly washing our laundry.

Kelsey Opel Kelsey Opel
Kelsey Opel is a freelance writer and digital storyteller based in Austin, Texas. She enjoys writing for food, entertainment and mental health spaces. Off the clock, she loves indulging in an avocado margarita and chips and queso at her favorite Tex-Mex spot in town. Read Full Bio »
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