Want to ditch the chemicals in your household? Dryer sheets are a great place to start - especially since you can switch to wool dryer balls like those from Ovella Wool on Etsy.
When I started cloth diapering my now two year old son, I started looking at our lifestyle a bit more closely, and I realized that we are INUNDATED with chemicals. From the items produce we buy at the grocery store, to the cleaning products we use to keep our house tidy, to the clothing we put on our bodies. Every. single. thing. has. chemicals. Now, I'm not saying that we're a completely organic, pesticide-free, toxin-free household by any means, but I do make conscious purchasing decisions where I can to reduce our exposure. Some things are easier than others. One very, very EASY thing for me to do was eliminate dryer sheets from our household.
Here's 3 reasons why I chose to replace dryer sheets with wool dryer balls in our home:
1.) Reduces chemical exposure. This is a big one for me. I get it, fabric softeners and dryer sheets were designed to make our clothes a little softer, be less staticky, and smell a little nicer... but is that necessary? Not really. Especially when you can use wool dryer balls with the same effects. Guess how many chemicals are used to make a dryer sheet? I have NO CLUE - you know why? Because there are no regulations mandating the ingredients be listed on these types of products. Guess how many toxins are in a wool dryer ball.... zero. When you tumble your clothing with the dryer balls, they basically bang into your garments and soften them up. This also reduces static. Still wanting that fresh scent? All you have to do is add a drop of your favorite essential oil to your dryer balls and you're good to go!
2.) Saves money. I don't know about you, but I do at least one load of laundry per day, sometimes two. Plus, my husband seemed to think more was better when it came to using dryer sheets and often used two sheets per load! A box of 80 dryer sheets costs about $4 in our town. That's equates to a lot of money over time. Wool dryer balls are a fabulous alternative and only cost about $25 to $30 per 6-pack and will last at least a year, and sometimes up to 1,000 loads. Another way they help to save money is that they decrease drying time by up to 25%. That means lower electricity bills over the long haul.
3.) Cloth diaper safe! This was another big factor for me. Dryer sheets can leave a film of residue on cloth diapers and that coating will cause diapers to repel, hence they aren't cloth diaper "safe". Wool dryer balls on the other hand, are totally safe and help reduce drying time and soften up those diapers. They're really a time saver if you like all-in-ones like we do. This goes beyond diapers though. Think about your towels and anything else you'd like to be absorbent.
If you're new to wool dyer balls, you're probably wondering where you can get them. Unfortunately, these aren't "mainstream" yet, but there are some wonderful people making them, including Ovella Wool. Ovella Wool is a one-woman operation out of Michigan. As a cloth diapering mom of 3 children, Justen made her own wool dryer balls, then started getting requests from her family and friends. Eventually, she started producing them for the rest of us, selling them in her Etsy shop.
Overalla Wool sent me a 6-pack of their wool dryer balls (at no cost) to facilitate a review. My previous dryer balls were starting to show their age, so this was perfect timing. Ovella Wool sent me a set of their beautiful multi-color, hand-dyed wool dryer balls from the "Terra Collection". They come beautifully packaged, so they're perfect for gifting.
As you can see, these wool dryer balls are not average - they're so pretty! Ovella Wool uses local farm-raised sheep from their home state of Michigan in all of their balls. The dyes that are used in this collection are all natural, and include Madder Root, Logwood, Fustic Wood, Cochineal, and Beets. I just LOVE the colors! I was a bit hesitant to use them because I was afraid the colors would run onto our clothing, but Ovella assured me they wouldn't and they were right. They work perfectly and the colors don't run at all.
Wool Dryer Balls
As you can see, each dryer ball is about the size of a tennis ball. For optimal drying you'll want to use all 6 at once. These balls are felted, which means they will never fall apart and will retain their shape. They may become a little denser and smaller in size after repeated use. I did notice that these were a lot lighter in weight than my previous wool dryer balls, but I expect them to become denser and heavier over time. They'll also get a
Overall, I LOVE using wool dryer balls and am so thankful to Ovella Wool for sending me this gorgeous set to review for you! They're lovely and really brighten up our laundry routine. I've added a few drops of lavender essential oil for a calming, soothing scent and am loving it!
Connect: You can connect with Ovella Wool on Facebook and follow her on Pinterest and Instagram.
Buy it: You can purchase Ovella Wool dryer balls on Etsy.
Disclosure: I received these wool dryer balls at no cost to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
Kelly Faber says
I would love the natural wool dryer set too! 🙂
Nicole Deardorf says
i would love the limitada collection.
Carrie H. says
I love that they are colored sounds silly, but it will make them so much easier to find in my household of males (aka endless white socks land)
crystal davis says
Limited Edition Breast Cancer Awarness
Rebecca Johnson says
I learned that they can also reduce dry time by 10-25%
Beth Patt says
I learned that they use natural dyes on their products.
Tracy Gordon says
I like the breast cancer awareness wool dryer balls.
Rachel C says
I learned that there are different colors to choose from, and lots of benefits. I'd love to try these and support a great etsy shop!
Melissa A says
Just added these to my baby registry. I like that it helps with wrinkles, anything to not have to pull out that iron!
Brenda P says
I like the Doces collection!
Saleena Ghanny says
I love that you can scent them with any essential oil 🙂
Christa Lopez says
I also like the Ovella Wool Dryer balls: The Doces collection!
sandra says
i'd like to have the ovella Wool Dryer Balls: The Limitada Collection set of six Limited Edition Breast Cancer Awarness
Alona Y says
I'd also like to have the Natural Wool Dryer ball Set of 6, I've been curious about wool dryer balls for a long time!
Lisa Haberer says
These look fabulous! 🙂
Crystal says
The Breast Cancer Awareness wool dryer balls are wonderful!! It's amazing the talents people have!
Lauren Traynor says
I found it interesting to learn that they're made of local Michigan wool and I love that they are dyed naturally too. 🙂
Sandra Goodrich says
I like Terra Collection best.
Franny Dee says
I like the Doces collection.
Cynthia C says
I like the Natural Wool Dryer ball Set of 6. I learned that they hare hand made.
The Happy Wife/Danielle Garcia says
I love the Doces collection of dryer balls.
Bobbi Gregory says
I have some plastic dryer balls and have been interested in wool.
Cara Markunas says
I like the breast cancer dryer bals
Edie says
Would like the natural wool dryer ball set of 6, and I learned that it helps cut dryer time and thats very important for me.
Hannah Avery says
The Doces collection is pretty too!
alissa farias says
The wool balls made of color are so cute!
Naomi says
I like the colors in The Doces Collection I thing they are pretty.
Allie Hewitt says
I learned that they can even reduce wrinkles - so cool!
Penni says
I like The Feltoro Collection Natural Dog Toys!
Jenny B says
The Doces Collection
Deb Mutz Hartwig says
Would love to try these!
tina page says
i love the halloween ones!
Amber Ludwig says
The breast cancer ribbon ones are so pretty!!!
Laura Kelly says
Ovella Wool Dryer Balls: The Limitada Collection set of six Limited Edition Breast Cancer Awarness
Sara Sharp says
The Docese Collection, doesn't seem you can go wrong there!
Kay B says
I would like the natural set
crystle tellerday says
breast cancer balls
desiree says
i pput the hert on all they look good and then with me be allergic to some i chose the
the multy color one
Jenny Nguyen says
We are all about trying to eliminate harmful chemicals from our daily lives. These wool balls sounds amazing!
robyn donnelly says
I like the soap nuts that I have heard a lot about. But I would love these dryer balls.
Lauren H says
I love the Halloween set!
brittney alger says
Limitada Collection. Halloween inspired wool dryer balls pretty darn neat
Christina Linares says
I had never heard of these wool dryer balls! I really wanna win!
Jayme H. says
I would also like the Halloween inspired wool dryer balls. They are really cute. I always gravitate to seasonally inspired items.
Thanks!
Melissa Olson says
This would be a great way for me to break into all natural cleaning items. Plus, y'all have the best giveaways!
jan says
Ovella wool: The Feltoro Collection Natural Dog toys
vickie says
From the site..they have these dryer balls in Halloween thyme..and October Pink Ribbon balls for Breast cancer awareness...I LOVE that these are not scented..my Dr just told our family that it isn't ONLY chemicals that we MUST stay away from but scents too..and, both leading to cancer and other horrible things.
Maria Iemma says
I love the idea that I will not have to buy any more disposable dryer sheets.
Aurora P says
I like the Ovella Wool Dryer Balls: The Doces
Crystal says
They even have felted wool balls for cats & dogs to play with!
Liz F says
Doces collection is super cute. I have really been wanting to try wool dryer balls to help decrease dry time.
Jillian warner says
Natural wool dryer set
Amanda Felton says
would love to try the Lixo collection
Jodi Armstrong says
love the halloween inspired wool balls
Kaitlin L. says
I'm in love with the Halloween dryer balls!
Ashley Labadie says
I also love the Limitada Collection set of six Limited Edition Breast Cancer Awareness dryer balls
Carrie Stelzer says
I love the colors in the terra collection.
Angela Hendricks says
I love the Halloween inspired dryer balls.
amanda jordan says
I would love to have any of them! We need them so bad!
Margot C says
I adore dryer balls but the fierier ones pill and unravel - Ovella Wool are designed not to do that
Elly Lisda says
I loved the Limtada Collection
Jessica B says
I like the Doces collection.
Lily Kwan says
The Limitada Collection looks very nice!
Anel W. says
I love that they have the Halloween themed ones!
Susan Campbell says
I love the The Limitada Collection. Very cute!!
Marcia Pasilas says
The Feltoro Collection Natural Dog toys
Candi Parent says
I would also like the feltoro Dog toys!! So cute!!
Karen W says
I also really like their Halloween inspired wool dryer balls, cute & unique!
Candie L says
I like the Ovella Wool : The Limitada Collection. Halloween inspired wool dryer balls . Thank you
Melissa W. says
Would love to try this natural alternative to dryer sheets!
Kasie Tillman says
I love the Halloween and Breast Cancer Ribbon Dryer Balls. These are great. I had some plastic dryer balls at one point, but I could hear them banging up against the sides in my smaller loads of clothes. Therefor I went back to dryer sheets. I try to avoid things with a smell because my daughter has eczema. These would be great for her.
Jeanine Carlson says
Do these work to keep static cling off of clothes? I use a dedicated washcloth with diluted fabric softener sprayed onto it for the dryer but I get a lot of static regardless in the wintertime...
Ruth V. says
They will reduce it some, yes.