Two months ago I ran out of dryer sheets while I was doing laundry, and desperately searched the Internet for a way to dry in the dryer without getting static cling-ed to death by the clothes coming out of the machine. I read about using a ball of aluminum foil as a replacement for the sheets. I tried it, and it didn't work well. But then I thought about how it was supposed to work, and I figured the theory was sound, but there wasn't enough surface area on the ball of foil to actually function as it was supposed to. So I tried the next load with three balls of foil... and had very little static. Four balls did the trick, and even my sheets and towels come out of the dryer static-free. I've been using the same foil balls over again for each load, and I no longer have dryer sheets on my shopping list.
I wonder how big the balls are, like tennis ball or golf ball sized? I would consider using this because not only will it save money, it will save on the amount of trash that I throw out. I'm big on recycling whenever and however I can and this tip fits my criteria. I will gladly exchange one roll of aluminum for a lifetime of garbage.
Nice! My husband always buys scented fabric softener and I am allergic to anything with scent or perfume. I will have to try this next time when I have a load of my clothes or towels in the dryer. Thanks so much for this great advice. I'll come back and let you know if it works for me!
The balls are around golf ball size I guess. I wasn't exact in the amount of foil I used, so some might be a little bigger, some a little smaller. They smooth out and shrink a little after the first load, but then hold their shape and size after that.
Thanks for this tip! I will definitely give this a try the next time I am in a bind. I just like the smell of dryer sheets even though I know they're full of chemicals. =(
Wow this is indeed a good tip! It'll definitely help many of us save a whole lot on those dryer sheets! Anyway, for those who still user dryer sheets, I though I could just share some tips on how you could reuse them before they are dumped. 1. Gently rub them across your blinds (make sure they are clean and free of dust first), TV and computer screens and these surfaces would prevent dust from building up on its surfaces! 2. How them over your carpets, clothing and sofas to help remove hairs and animal fur! 3. Wipe them across your shower blinds, doors and walls to get rid of soap scum. 4. Scrunch up a few used dryer sheets and place them at the bottom of a vase before replacing the flowers and your decoration would constantly be giving out a faint scent to freshen the surrounding air!
Thank you for this! I have a strange allergy to dryer sheets and have had to stop using them. Just like you, I have static cling to the tenth power. I am going to try this trick and see if it works for me too. It also seems very cost effective as well since you can reuse the tinfoil balls.
The aluminum foil tip is a great one! This is definately something I am going to have to give a try. I like the fact that the foil balls can be reused over and over agin, too. It would definately be cheaper than buying dryer sheets all the time. I am just surprised I had never heard of this before. Thanks for sharing this with us!
I will give the foil a try also, and thanks for that tip. I am tired of buying dryer sheets everytime I wash almost, so that is so good to know. I learn a lot of different ideas on this forum and I am so happy to be a member. I had never heard of that before and I am so glad because that is a way for all of us to save money and put that money on something else. Since you can use them over and over again, that will save some good money by the end of a year.
Wow. What a great tip. I can't believe the savings and cost cutting magazines I read haven't found this. Thanks for sharing. I actually have dryer sheets in my list right now. I can't wait to try it.
Yeah, I have never heard of this foil tip before. Great tip and thanks for sharing. These hardly cost anything and most often can be recycled. I will try this out with my next wash load. Thanks!
This is a great tip. I will have to use this tip, we don't really use dryer sheets in our laundry, just lazy. This is truly a good way to recycle.
I have had mixed results using foil as well. The first time I tried it the result was great. The second time, not so much. I think I used two balls each time, but I can't remember. Most recently I tried again and it did work, but then on another load I left the clothes in too long and had static. I really think the time factor is a big part of it. I will have to try again with four balls and see what happens. The good thing is that they are reusable.
I gave up on dryer sheets a long time ago. For one, the scents bother me. Secondly, they are a useless waste of my very small income. So I have tried a few different things: I bought something called Dryer Balls for the Dollar Store. They were tennis ball sized plastic balls with nubs all over them. They soften clothing and reduced static but they were loud in the dryer. Now I'm onto the use nothing approach. My clothing isn't all that static-y. And static doesn't bother me too much when it does arise. But I think I will give the tinfoil a shot! Sounds smart and a good balance between nothing and my loud Dryer Balls.
Wow, thank you so much for the Tip about the Aluminum Foil Balls. I do not have any allergens to them, however, if I could save money that makes me very happy. Thank you for also telling us the details about how many we would need and the size. I also like the fact that it is reusable. I also like how someone else was giving the tips on how to reuse your dryer sheets and not just throwing them away. I am a person that I use them and once I fold my clothes they get thrown away. You gave us so many other ways to use the Dryer sheets, so thank you as well!
Seriously? You mean I've been buying dryer sheets all this time and did not have to? Oh well, when you know better you do better. I like dryer sheets though, because I can use them to put in my dresser drawers and in my closets to make things smell nicely scented, however it is good to know that one does not need to buy dryer sheets. What is interesting to me is the fact that you can use the same aluminum balls over and over again. I would think that after awhile whatever it is that makes the aluminum stop the clothes from being full of static, would wear off after awhile, but I guess not.
I have never heard of this tip. I like the scented dryer sheets it makes the clothes smell great. If I ran out one day I would have to try this tip.
This is an interesting tip. I do use dryer sheets but I have to be very careful what type I use. I live with individuals who have a bad reaction to strong perfume scents, so I try to find dryer sheets that are fragrance free. These aren't that easy to find, I might try the foil idea to see if it will work to stop static in the dryer as well. Thank you for sharing this information with us.
This is a great tip. I hate dryer sheets and I don't use them. My clothes, especially my skirts, have been clinging to my legs lately. It's not attractive! :0 So, I'm going to give this aluminum ball tip a try. Thank you for the tip.
