dryer ball

English

Dryer balls in a tumble dryer

Etymology

From dryer +‎ ball.

Noun

dryer ball (plural dryer balls)

1. A ball-shaped object used in a tumble dryer to accelerate the drying process, soften clothes or reduce static electricity as a substitute for fabric softener.
   • 2023, Venrah Ali, For the Love of a Mother, Grandmother, Friend, FriesenPress, →ISBN, page 136:

     He sees dryer balls in the dryer, grabs one and runs out of the room. His mother catches him, takes the dryer ball and throws it in the dryer. He grabs another dryer ball and runs away but his little legs are no match for his mother's. She takes the dryer ball and throws it in the dryer. It becomes a game.

   • 2018 February 14, Mary Hunt, “All you need to know to make your own wool dryer balls”, in Star-Herald, page 10B:

     To make one dryer ball requires one skein of 100 percent wool yarn because to be effective each dryer ball needs to be weighty. It needs enough heft to bounce around in the dryer as it fluffs and separate the folds of the wet laundry.

   • 2012 August 16, Sarah Miller, “Sustainable Laundry Tips”, in The Madisonian, page 16:

     The felted wool dryer ball is supposed to decrease drying time by up to 25 percent, as well as reduce static cling. I would agree reduce, but I had a tiny bit of static in the few cycles I've been testing.

Related terms

• washing ball