while you're ahead…

Just quick one today… crazy week, don’t make me go there, we would all be sorry…

I’ve been meaning to mention these things for ages because I think they’re really good.

Let’s start from the beginning: First, I have a tumble dryer.  I love it.  My tumble dryer is on a lot (less so in the summer obviously but with three children that play a lot of sports and need kit turned around in 24 hours sometimes… it’s an essential item in the household.

Second, I don’t like softeners  No,  ok, I ‘like’ them because they make clothes and towels soft, but I don’t ‘like’ them because they leave a sticky residue everywhere, it’s more chemicals in the water and more rubbish, be it the packaging or the leftover sheets thingies etc. I sometimes use a really tiny amount of the liquid ones the washing machines, much less than the recommended dose and mainly only for old towels.  And sometimes I use the sheets ones that go in the tumble dryer directly.   In the past  I’ve tried replacing them with those spiky plastic balls you’re supposed to put in the tumble dryer with your clothes…  mmmmhhh me not happy with those… I swear they were too rough and suddenly tee-shirts developed little holes everywhere.

Bad balls.

Enter ‘woolly balls’.  Woolly balls are soft and dense and they are kind with my clothes and everything comes out nice and soft.  Also, there might be an argument for the the lanoline in the wool… I don’t know.  Regardless, I think they’re fabulous.

You can buy them on Amazon, or you can easily make your own, there are hundreds of instructions on google.

I bought only two – who knows why – but I’m going to make another one just because I want to try making one… also mine are rather large, which I think it’s good, when you buy them check the size although if you use more in the drum and they are slightly smaller it wouldn’t matter.

If you’re worried about a red ball in dryer with your whites…don’t. Nothing ever happened to either but if you do make your own make sure your wool is definitively colour fast!

They really help softening up your clothes and I promise you they don’t leave any fluff on them at all.  I promise.

AND they are the most wonderfully tactile thing ever.  You simply can’t resist touching them and holding them.  It’s very weird but then again… I always think wool has that effect on me…