Dry times
The coin-operated washer and dryer that I share with the rest of my building never seem to be working properly—and even when they are, clothes that go into the dryer never seem to come out dry. Sometimes they’re not even close. So I wasn’t surpised to see the recent wave of press for Nellie’s Dryerballs that’s been making its rounds in ol’ blogosphere lately. Billed as the way to non-chemically soften fabric and speed up drying by increasing airflow in the tumbler, they do sound like a good little product. But are they worth the cash? Not if you have a few tennis balls to spare. We printed this nifty little trick in Issue 29 (June/July 2007), but in case you missed it, here it is again:
TRUE BOUNCE
Avoid the nasty toxins in fabric softeners (and save a few bucks) by throwing a few tennis balls into the dryer with a load of wash. The balls create air pockets that help clothes dry faster and feel fluffier.
Of course, the greenest, cheapest, and easiest-on-your-clothes method for getting your laundry dry is simply to hang it up and wait. But the tennis ball trick works wonders when your underwear drawer is empty…
