Anyone who works in the kitchen knows, you go through a lot of linen when you cook. From oven mits, tea towels to table cloths and aprons, all of this will need washing once you’re done cooking and serving. Most folks turn to chemically scented dryer sheets to avoid static cling and to fragrance their linens in some variation of “fresh”.
Recently, this writer was introduced to a nifty little gadget that should be on everyone’s gift-giving list, and not just for the Holidays. BaaLLS are 100% pure virgin wool balls that won’t harbor bacteria, reduce drying times by 40% (for a FULL load) and reduce static cling while they’re at it.
From Skeptic to Believer
The husband was a skeptic. “These woolly balls are going to do all of that?” he asked with eyebrow raised. “The literature here says it also softens clothes, are handmade in the US and since they have no fragrance added, it’s great for people with sensitive skin, like yours,” I replied sweetly.
A full load of kitchen linens, including some bed linens went into the dryer with a set of BaaLLs (four per set), and guess what? Everything was dry in a fraction of the time, reduced static cling and no annoying “mountain breeze” scent that always gave the husband a mild headache anyway (the thought of what goes into those fragrances is scary enough!).
Ban PVC in Your Dryer!
Elaborating on that point, here are a few, salient quotes from the BaaLLs website: “Fabric softeners, dryer sheets and ever dryer balls made from PVC, contain some not-so-snuggly ingredients that are doing a lot of harm to our health and even our planet!” PVC in dryer sheets? No wonder the nieces are always scratching their sensitive skin. And these thoughts: “We dry ourselves with the towels, sleep on the pillow cases, and wear the undergarments that we wash daily – we need our laundry to actually be clean. Clean clean! “ Absolutely.
The creators of the BaaLLs concept is the team at Borden Communications in Canada. They write, “If you want to infuse a scent into the BaaLLs take a baster and use an essential oil like lavender.” Brilliant! Natural, smart, and the perfect hostess gift for any eco-conscious citizen. And the best part is that unlike drying balls, they don’t crack and unlike dryer sheets, they don’t need to be replaced. They’ll likely outlast the dryer!
BaaLLs Use:
- Simply toss all 4 BaaLLS in your dryer with wet laundry and start tumbling.
- The wool BaaLLS will beat the wrinkles out of drying clothes – don’t add anything else!
- Love ‘em and leave ‘em – keep the BaaLLS in your dryer in between your loads.
Mary Luz Mejia - Colombian-born and Canadian raised. After earning an honours History degree from Queen's University and a Journalism post-grad diploma ...
