Big Balls!

Sometimes Jenny is just so far ahead of the curve.  When her personal assistant was born I went to meet him, hold him while she showered, drink tea with my friend, do loads of laundry...whatever.  I just wanted to be there.  She had this crazy idea about making dryer balls from wool.  Apparently dryer sheets aren't good for cloth diapers, but wool dryer balls would work like gangbusters.  (CLOTH? you say!  I know, right?  But that's how she rolls.)  As I watched her wind them from wool yarn, wash them in hot water, and dry them so they would felt a bit I kept hearing this song in my head...

As you can see, I didn't take the process very seriously.

But over the past few years my skin has become more sensitive and my dermatologist finally told me I need to give up all (most) things scented.  And, in fact, if I could give up dryer sheets completely, that would be great.  Oy.  But dryer sheets make things smell CLEAN!  How could I live without that satisfying scent of Bounce Outdoor Fresh?  But finally, I decided there had to be a way to soften clothes and reduce static without rubbing chemicals on each load.

To soften:

I had to stop the washer right before the rinse cycle and add a 1/4 cup of white vinegar.  My washing machine was so old I had to listen for the perfect moment.  It was ridiculous...I'd be cooking and drop the spoon, "Oh hold on, it's the rinse cycle!"  Let's say 43% of the time my clothes were soft.

To reduce static I tried:

-foil balls - it was just okay

-bobby pins - no

-safety pins! - I had high hopes, but no.

-vinegar spray in the dryer - oh holy bucket that smelled terrible despite the crunchy granola blogger's protestations that the smell would go away in the dryer!  Um, no.

-the nubby plastic dryer balls - the plastic chipped away and polluted my dryer

In desperation I purchased three big wool dryer balls on Amazon.  Oh. My. Gosh.  They soften (no more vinegar), they dewrinkle, they reduce static, AND they reduce drying time.  Oh man, I totally deserve a "toldja so."  It took me three years to learn on my own what Jenny had taught me in the first place.

-Daisy