Why I Throw Tennis Balls into My Dryer (And You Should Too)

Doing laundry is arguably one of the most tedious household chores. For years, my routine was strictly on autopilot: wash the clothes, move them to the dryer, throw in a heavily scented dryer sheet, and hit start.

But recently, I started looking into ways to make my laundry routine a bit more eco-friendly and a lot less reliant on buying single-use products. I discovered that traditional dryer sheets are actually coated in synthetic waxes and fragrances that can leave a residue on your clothes and in your machine over time.

So, I decided to try a classic, slightly old-school laundry hack that I had read about on a zero-waste forum: using tennis balls as homemade dryer balls. I was skeptical at first, but after doing this for the past few months, I am completely hooked.

What Do Tennis Balls Actually Do in the Dryer?

The concept is incredibly straightforward. When you toss a few clean tennis balls into the dryer with your wet clothes, they bounce around as the drum spins.

This bouncing action does three incredibly useful things:

1. They Prevent Clumping (Especially with Towels and Bedding) If you have ever tried to dry a heavy comforter or a large load of bath towels, you know they tend to roll up into one massive, damp ball. The outside gets bone dry, but the inside stays wet. The tennis balls act like little agitators, constantly pounding into the fabric and breaking up those clumps so the hot air can circulate evenly.

2. They Actually Reduce Drying Time Because the tennis balls are constantly separating the clothes and improving airflow, your laundry actually dries significantly faster. I have noticed that my heavy towel loads take about 15-20% less time to dry now. Over the course of a year, that adds up to a noticeable saving on my electricity bill.

3. They Naturally Soften Fabrics This was the most surprising part for me. As the heavy tennis balls gently beat against the fibers of your clothes, they naturally soften the fabric and reduce stiffness, completely eliminating the need for chemical fabric softeners or dryer sheets. My clothes come out feeling incredibly soft and fluffy.

How I Set This Up

Getting started is as easy as it sounds, but there is one crucial step you absolutely cannot skip.

You must use brand new, perfectly clean tennis balls. Please do not go outside, throw a ball for your dog, and then throw that slobber-covered ball in with your clean white bedsheets!

I bought a cheap, pressurized can of three generic tennis balls from the sporting goods section. Before I used them the very first time, I actually threw the tennis balls into the washing machine on a hot cycle (with no clothes) and then dried them on high heat. This just ensures that any loose fuzz or manufacturing dyes are stripped away before they touch my clothes.

Now, I just keep those three dedicated tennis balls sitting on top of my dryer. Whenever I throw a load in, I toss them in on top.

A Quick Warning About the Noise

I have to be completely honest with you: this hack is not silent. When you first start the dryer, you will definitely hear the thump, thump, thump of the tennis balls hitting the metal drum.

If your laundry room is right next to your bedroom and you like to do laundry late at night, this might drive you a little crazy. However, once the clothes start to fluff up, the noise gets significantly muffled. For me, the slightly annoying sound for the first ten minutes is entirely worth the benefits.

If you are looking for a completely zero-waste, incredibly cheap way to make your laundry softer and dry faster, skip the expensive wool dryer balls online and just grab a can of tennis balls next time you are at the store. It is a strangely satisfying life hack that actually works!