Frugal Laundry Hacks: Wool Dryer Balls

Laundry can be the bane of a Mom’s existence.  No sooner than you think you’ve got it all caught up, the piles have reproduced.  Again.  I’ve been looking for frugal laundry hacks to reduce the cost of doing laundry, as well as the time involved in getting clothes clean.  As an added bonus, I’ve been able to reduce my family’s exposure to chemical laden dryer sheets.  Pretty important considering my youngest son’s complex medical considerations.

What Is A Wool Dryer Ball?

*this post contains affiliate links: Wool dryer balls are balls of wool that have been ‘felted’.  The woolen balls have had their fibers disrupted, usually by being placed in hot water, agitated, and then dried.   I use and prefer these.

How Do Wool Dryer Balls Work?

Wool dryer balls work by separating clothes so that warm air circulates better.  The felted wool gently rubs against garment fibers, softening clothes naturally.  They fluff by separating clothes that would otherwise clump together.  This is especially helpful when doing comforters, towels and heavy jeans.

Save Time and Money

Wool dryer balls allow clothes to dry faster, thus reducing your energy costs, and time between loads.
It costs approximately 45 cents to dry a load of laundry in an electric dryer, based on a 5,600-watt dryer, 40-minute run-time, and a 12-cent-per-​kilowatt-hour rate.  And that is just ONE load!  Wool dryer balls can cut that time by as much as 20%, simply by improving the air flow in your dryer.

 Reusable Frugal Laundry Hacks

A dryer sheet is meant to be used once and tossed.  Wool dryer balls can be used for a 1,000+ loads!    These are the brand I use and love.

Are These Safe For Cloth Diapers?

Yes!  Dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener leave a coating of chemicals behind on your items.  This is how you get that soft feeling.  Unfortunately, that thin coating affects how absorbent the cloth diapers will be.  The same holds true for towels.

I Want My Clothes To Smell Good.

The best part of my frugal laundry hacks is that it’s easy to custom create scents for each load of laundry! NATURAL scents with essential oils.

Here are a few of my favorites!  Add each oil to a separate wool dryer ball.  Use 4 dryer balls for a medium load.  6 wool dryer balls for larger loads.  Put 4-5 drops of an essential oil on each dryer ball. You can usually get 3-4 loads of of laundry out of the dryer ball before you need to add more essential oil.

Stress Away + Peppermint
Purification + Lemon
Lemon + Peppermint
Lavender + Lemon + Peppermint
Thieves + Peppermint

Man, I could go on forever here.  But I think you get the idea, be creative and come up with your OWN best laundry day scents!  Can you imagine a laundry day that makes you feel good because of the uplifting blends you are using?

Of course, I’ve made the choice to use Young Living Essential Oils in my home.  I’m amazed at all I received in my Young Living Premium Starter Kit!

More Frugal Laundry Hacks

1. Make sure your laundry loads are full.  The less you run your washer and dryer the more money you save.

2. Save energy and money by washing more loads in cold water.

3. Try using half of your regular laundry detergent. Chances are you won’t be able to tell a difference.

4. Empty your dryer lint trap after every load.  Clean the outside dryer vent a few times a year.

5. Do your laundry at night when electricity providers often offer cheaper rates.

6. Take your laundry out of the dryer before it is completely dry, and allow it to hang dry the rest of the way.

Pro Tip:  Looking for more ways to hack your life easier?  You’ll want to read our posts here and here.