Organic Wool
Organic wool presents less harm than conventional wool production, as both the feed and forage for the sheep must be organic, and no pesticides or insecticides can be used to treat the sheep. Organic wool can be harvested yearly without harming the sheep, and does not involve toxic “sheep dips” where farmers drench the sheep in harmful chemicals. Organically raised sheep are housed in ways that prevent overgrazing, and are not dependent on antibiotics or other drugs, as they live in healthy conditions. Wool is highly absorbent, so it requires little water to dye the finished fabrics. Wool is odor resistant, so you can get away with skipping washes (and saving water!), plus when wool is untreated it’s biodegradable.
Compostable
This product contains material that can break down into soil in either a backyard or industrial composting system. These products are declared compostable by the manufacturer, but may not third-party certified. Contact your local waste-hauler or composting facility to determine where these materials may be accepted. Certain materials may be better fit for industrial facilities than backyard composting systems. Industrial facilities may not exist in your area.
Leaping Bunny
Cruelty Free International certifies that cosmetic and household products are not tested on animals. These companies are audited to ensure that the ingredients and finished products are not causing harm to animals.
Empowers Women
This company promotes the empowerment of women by providing safe employment opportunities and working conditions, promoting community programs and gender equality, or donating time or funds towards women’s education and empowerment opportunities.
1% for the Planet
This company partners with 1% for the Planet, a nonprofit organization that helps promote environmental stewardship. Members commit to donating at least 1% of their sales to the program, which helps connect them to high-impact environmental nonprofits across the globe.
Charitable
This company donates a portion of their time or profits to charitable efforts in their community or abroad.
Plants a Tree
The company that makes this product has a program to plant trees in proportion with their sales. Planting trees helps to combat deforestation, reduce atmospheric CO2, and preserve the health of ecosystems across the globe.
Safe and Fair Labor
We support safe and fair labor practices when producing sustainable products. This company cares for their workers by fostering a safe work environment and providing their employees with fair wage.
Handmade
We support small businesses and craftspeople who create each of their products with care. Handmade products are generally produced on a small scale, without the use of large energy consuming factories and production facilities. Buying handmade helps support art, communities, and people’s livelihoods.
Low Impact Dyes
Companies can adopt multiple practices to dye their textiles and products in a more environmentally safe way. Low impact dyes usually do not contain toxins such as heavy metals, plasticizers, fluorocarbons, and formaldehyde. Sustainable dyes can also be water or plant based, or use less water than conventional dyeing methods.
Steer clear of chemical-laden dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener and instead opt for the Cool Friends Eco Dryer Balls from Friendsheep! These dryer balls naturally soften and fluff your laundry, reduce static cling, and decrease dry time. These dryer balls are made from 100% organic and cruelty-free certified New Zealand Wool and therefore are also completely biodegradable. They're handmade in Nepal by women with disabilities who are paid a fair wage and operate in safe, equitable working cRead Moreonditions. There are no chemicals or additives used in the dryer balls, so it's an ideal product for those with sensetive skin and babies.
Question
jeremy04012000 –
how long does each ball last, and how many do you put in each load?
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EarthHero –
Hi Jeremy! Great question. These dryer balls can last for years (usually 2-5) with proper care, though this can vary depending on how often you use them! For large loads, we like to use all six dryer balls, but for smaller loads, you can get away with using only four if you’d like.
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sam72lyle (verified owner) –
These are so adorable! I’m gifting them to my daughter. I’ve used wool dryer balls for several years now and LOVE them.
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CINDY M. (verified owner) –
Great product for reducing drying time and avoiding chemicals in dryer sheets. Plus the whimsical characters make them great for gift giving! Win-win!
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Dan (verified owner) –
These are adorable and their design hasn’t degraded at all after a month of almost daily use. They work very well in terms of keeping the towels and blankets fluffed and not bunching up/drying poorly. No wool is coming off of these, unlike other similar products sold elsewhere. Overall, very happy that these will last a long time.
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Kindness (verified owner) –
Loved these balls so much I bought a second set for a friend – they are super cute and appear to be more hardy than less expensive versions.
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Question
pamela33joy –
Do black fibers on the dryer ball stick to light fabrics and do the white fibers stick to dark fabric?
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EarthHero –
Hi Pamela, the fibers on these dryer balls do not rub off onto other fabrics. We love them for a cute, useful way to reduce static and drying time!
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Kelsey Hilmes (verified owner) –
If you don’t mind these thunking around in your dryer, they work great for lessening your dry time. I also put some scented oil on a couple of them and it helped make my laundry smell nice. Definitely don’t notice a “fabric softener” effect, just reduced dry time. Still nice.
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kiracat68 (verified owner) –
Love these dryer balls; bought another set to gift! They’re so practical, long-lasting, and easy to switch into a laundry routine! We leave them in the dryer all the time, now. 100% recommend.
On the other hand, they turn our dryer into a bit of a drum machine. It doesn’t bother us, with our dryer in the basement, but they bang about as they tumble. This is an easy swap but might not suit someone using a laundromat or in an apartment where a louder laundry load might annoy a neighbor.
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cebracco (verified owner) –
We got these as a gift for someone who loves animals, and they are just as cute as they are in the picture! She loves them!
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Sandra (verified owner) –
These make me smile and I adore them. Ordered more for gifts!
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Marie Stiernelof (verified owner) –
Bought these as a gift for someone. I have them too, and love them. Practical and adorable.
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nkyamada (verified owner) –
These live up to their claims. I have been using these for almost 2 months now (2 loads of laundry per week) and am so impressed with how much they cut down on the dry time. Our loads take 30-40% less time and there are less wrinkles. Love this company and their values too!
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chen.alyce (verified owner) –
We’ve been using these dryer balls for about 1 month now. Everything seems to be going quite well. I have not observed any changes relative to using liquid fabric softener. I hope they can continue to perform well, and keep static at bay, as we enter the colder, dryer months.
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bachmansarahe (verified owner) –
I\’ve noticed a lot less lint and wrinkles.
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jscottdartlist (verified owner) –
I love how cute these little penguins are! So far they’ve dramatically reduced the drying time for my clothes and they’ve held up well on the first run!
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dana koenke (verified owner) –
Okay come on these are the cutest things ever i HAD to buy them & was totally not disappointed. its such a huge bonus too having these made sustainability by such an awesome company. i would recommend these to literally anyone i would come across for the rest of my life. everything about them is amazing & they work! you can even add essential oils to add some nice scent to your load.
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Faith (verified owner) –
I bought these so I could wash my down blanket, but now I love using them in every load.
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hannahrc15 (verified owner) –
When I first got these, I was worried that they would just be cute and not much else. After a week, they’re just as good as traditional dryer sheets, minus the waste and unnecessary ingredients. The only downside is that my golden retriever thinks they’re toys, but that’s on him.
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Marie (verified owner) –
These are so freaking cute! I love em. Work great and have been holding up really well.
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walle7411 (verified owner) –
These are just adorable. I wanted them to add essential oil to have a lingering scent on my laundry. Does not disappoint !!
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juliarlr (verified owner) –
I bought these when my boyfriend moved in because he likes his clothes to be as soft as possible and they worked great to replace fabric softener. Plus they’re super cute!
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Shelby Thomas –
I have only used these a couple of times so far, but I really enjoy the product. I think it helps dry my clothes faster than a dry sheet. Here are a few things I didn’t expect when I purchased them. 1. The instructions suggest you use all 6 balls in every load. I had assumed you would use 1 per load, but it really hasn’t been a problem. 2. The product itself has no fragrance, but you can put a few drops of essential oils on one of the balls and it’ll give your clothes a nice scent. I love fragrance, so this is a big plus for me.
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syd.jackson42 (verified owner) –
I got these for my mother because she love’s penguins and she was in need of some dryer balls. They work great and always fun to find among the laundry.
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Amanda Jones (verified owner) –
We used to have plastic dryer balls that looked like hedgehogs; we used them until they fell to pieces. These are quieter in the machine, cuter and I feel much better about using them in every wash!
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Question
ehoffer –
Are these reusable?
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EarthHero –
Hi! These are reusable and should last many years. 🙂
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Question
Nadia –
Do they have a sent? And if not can you add a sent for example, adding essential oil?
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EarthHero –
Hi Nadia! These 100% wool balls are not scented, but adding a few drops of essential oil to them will make for some seriously fresh smelling clothes. Check this one out, by Friendsheep!
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Question
agrosenberg –
How many dryer balls would be recommended per use, and how big are they?
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EarthHero –
Great question! Friendsheep Eco Dryer Balls are about 3 inches in diameter each – about the size of a baseball! We recommend you use 4 balls for small loads and 6 for full loads, but using all 6 for all loads will help shorten the drying time overall!
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