Category: Organization/Cleaning

Drying laundry with wool dryer balls

Last year I wrote about more environmentally friendly ways to dry laundry, and mentioned that I had never tried wool dryer balls.  There is a lot of buzz online about these dryer balls.  But I am allergic to wool, so I avoided them.  Until a couple months ago.  

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.  See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Title for Drying Laundry with Wood Dryer Balls

My mom had been asking me about wool dryer balls for quite some time.  She kept telling me that all the wool dryer balls she was finding online and in stores said “hypoallergenic” and “safe for babies.”  I was still skeptical, but decided to some research.  I figured if I could find a single person who said they were allergic to wool but could wear clothes dried with wool dryer balls, I would give it a try.  

Well, it took me about 3 hours, but finally I found a review in Amazon that that said the reviewer had a wool allergy but could use wool dryer balls.  Ok, my requirement had been met, I had to try wool dryer balls. 

Organic wool dryer balls

I decided to try organic wool dryer balls – no need for me to expose my clothing to additional pesticides and synthetic chemicals.  There were a lot of options on Amazon.  I am not saying anything against any product, but the one I happened to get was this Sheep Soft wool dryer ball set. 

Sheep Soft wool dryer balls with cotton bag

Why use wool dryer balls

I have found the main benefits to using wool dryer balls are that they:

  • speed dry time
  • can scent laundry when used with essential oils
  • are reusable hundreds of times
  • are 100% natural, compostable
  • leave no wax that will coat lint collector and reduce air flow
Dryer sheet replacement

Wood dryer balls are typically considered a replacement to disposable dryer sheets.  A few drops of essential oils can be added to the wool dryer balls to lightly scent linens, similar to a disposable dryer sheet.  The main benefit is that with dryer balls instead of dryer sheets, no synthetic chemicals are added to the laundry.  Additionally,  the dryer balls are reusable for hundreds or thousands of washes.  At my current rate of 1-2 loads of laundry per week, this one set will last me 5-10 years!  There is virtually no waste with wool dryer balls, and when they eventually need disposal, they are compostable!  Another bonus of swapping out wool dryer balls for dryer sheets is that there is no more wax coating the dryer lint collector mesh.  This reduces air flow through the dryer and uses more energy to dry – more on this in another post!

set of 4 wool dryer balls on dryer

Wool dryer balls to speed dry times

The dryer balls can help move the linens around in the dryer, helping to dry clothing faster.  Basically, the wool dryer balls work their way between layers of clothes, sheets, towels, etc. in the dryer and help get air flowing over more surfaces of the linens.  This helps the clothing dry faster.  When the clothing dries faster, the dryer runs for a shorter time, so less energy is used to dry the same load of laundry.  Time saver and energy saver!

Dissipating static in the dryer

The wool dryer balls seem to help dissipate a little static.  However, I still use the wash cloth with safety pins to help dissipate static in my dryer.  It’s simple and was essentially free – I had an old washcloth and a package of safety pins – and it’s the most effective static dissipator I have used. Alternately, you could attach a safety pin to one or more of the dryer balls to have the same effect.  

Another way to reduce static is to separate natural and synthetic fabrics, and dry separately.  Synthetics dry faster and generate static when they’re fully dry.  I air dry many of my synthetic fabrics like dress shirts and workout clothes.  I use the wool dryer balls in my loads of cotton – clothing, towels and sheets – and I have very little to no static. 

How I use wool dryer balls

To use my wool dryer balls, I toss (or place) them in the dryer with my laundry.  I currently own 4, and use all 4 in each load of laundry.  I plan to purchase more, and use 6-8 in each load of laundry to further speed dry times.  I use wool dryer balls with small or medium loads of laundry.  This allows the linens and dryer balls plenty of space to bounce around and get good air flow all around, which improves dry time.  Yes, sometimes I have large loads of laundry.  But after separating synthetics to air dry, the remaining cotton laundry is small-medium.  I usually air dry towels and sheets.  When I employ my natural laundry drying methods, the amount that goes into the dryer never completely fills it. 

I have used wool dryer balls when drying light colored clothes, dark colored clothes, sheets, towels, and mattress pads.  I didn’t notice fibers on any of the linens.  Some people have complained of white wool fibers on dark clothing…so someone created a solution!  While a little less common than the off-white colored ones, there are grey dryer balls that could be use if  concerned about fibers on dark linens.  However, all the grey dryer balls I found were either dyed grey or did not specify, so I prefer the natural, dye-free white ones.

After using wool dryer balls in the dryer, I remove them with the laundry and allow the dryer balls to air dry on my dryer, in their cute cotton carry bag.  I am careful to check the clothing and linens to find all the dryer balls.  They like to get themselves stuck in jacket sleeves and pant legs.  One of my wool dryer balls is currently hiding, likely in some clothing in my closet.  

Set of 4 wool dryer balls in cotton bag

Wool allergies

I have very sensitive skin.  In the past I got contact dermatitis on my legs, through cotton pants, from sitting on a bed where cats had slept.  I am also allergic to wool.  Since allergens in cat dander had passed through my cotton clothing to my skin, I was very concerned that I would be allergic to clothes and other linens that bounced all around my dryer with these wool dryer balls.  

I am happy to report that I have not had any sensitivities from using wool dryer balls.  I have slept on sheets dried with wool dryer balls.  I have dried myself with towels dried with wool dryer balls.  I have wiped my eyes using a wash cloth dried with wool dryer balls.  I have worn yoga pants dried with wool dryer balls.  I have worn jeans dried inside-out with wool dryer balls in the dryer.  And I have not had a single spot of irritated skin. I am not entirely sure why, but I am not allergic to wool dryer balls when used in my dryer. 

Cost

A set of 6 dryer balls costs between $10 and $20 on Amazon.  The Sheep Soft Organic Wool Dryer Balls that I use are (at the time of writing) $7.99 for 4.  

Let’s assume I bought 2-4 packs, for $15.98.  Many sites claim that the dryer balls last for “thousands” of washes.  I will assume they will last 1000 washes.  I do laundry 1-2 times a week.  I’ll round up to 2 times/week.  52 weeks/year x 2 loads of laundry/week = 104 loads of laundry per year.  1000 dry cycles / 104 dry cycles/year=9.6 years or about 9 years and 7 months.  $15.98/9.583 years = $1.67 per year.  $15.98/1000=$0.01598 per load. 

A quick search for dryer sheets is coming up with $8.94 for 240, $7.12 for 160, $4.92 for 120, $5.57 for 160,  $9.49 for 240, $3.97 for 105.  The best unit price I found was $0.03475 per sheet, or $0.0348 per load.  $0.0348 x 1000=$34.75.  

The dryer sheets are $34.75/$15.98=2.17 times more expensive than wool dryer balls.  Plus, there are many other benefits to using dryer balls over dryer sheets.  What are you waiting for?  Buy yourself some wool dryer balls!

 

Do you have any green laundry hacks?  Please share in the comments below!

Cleaning with Bar Keeper’s Friend

Several years ago, a good friend of mine introduced me to Bar Keeper’s Friend.  “It’s amazing.  It cleans everything.  You need to try it.”  I honestly don’t know if I even had a specific cleaning need at the time.  But I found ways to clean with it, and I absolutely love it.

Disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links.  See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Bar Keeper's Friend Title

Note: Bar Keeper’s Friend is not as “natural” as I prefer, however I still feel it is beneficial in my cleaning regime, and I have not found any other product or cleaning method that accomplishes the same thing. 

How I use Bar Keeper’s Friend Cleanser and Polisher

To use Bar Keeper’s Friend, I:

photo of Bar Keeper's Friend instructions

  1. Sprinkle a little of the powder on the area to be cleaned, 
  2. Dampen a kitchen cloth with water (a paper towel may be used)
  3. Using the dampened area of the cloth, I rub the Bar Keeper’s friend into the area to be cleaned.  If more water is needed, I spray water onto the surface to be cleaned. 
  4. Once done cleaning, I rinse the cloth well with clean water.  I then use this damp cloth to wipe down all areas that the Bar Keeper’s Friend touched (e.g. stove surface).  I rinse the cloth out as needed.  If I used Bar Keeper’s Friend on a smaller surface that I can fit in the sink (e.g. pots), I wash out the product using my liquid castile soap and water.  

Bar Keeper's Friend with aluminum pot,cloth, and spray bottle

As with any cleaner, I use only as much as I need, I ensure that I wash my hands thoroughly after contacting Bar Keeper’s Friend.  I recommend wearing gloves when using, but I won’t lie, I don’t, and I’ve never had a reaction. 

Where I Use Bar Keeper’s Friend 

I use Bar Keeper’s Friend Cleanser and Polisher for a variety of uses, mainly in the kitchen.  The manufacturer also provides suggested uses on their website and on the packaging. 

photo of Bar Keeper's Friend back

Sink

I have a stainless steel sink.  It stains.  There’s this one spot that always gets a rust stain.  And Bar Keeper’s Friend makes it go away.  It’s like magic.  Additionally, I scrub my whole sink with Bar Keeper’s Friend a couple times a year a least.  While it is pretty easy to keep stainless steel looking good with regular washing out with just water and castile soap, Bar Keeper’s Friend really cleans well, and makes my sink look brand new.

Brushed nickel kitchen faucet

On my kitchen sink, I have a brushed nickle faucet, handle, and soap dispenser.  These get a lot of water spots on them when I am washing dishes.  Just a little Bar Keeper’s friend on a damp cloth will polish the kitchen faucet and accessories very well. 

Stainless steel pots

I have a couple heavy bottom stainless steel pots. Recently I noticed a few rust spots on the bottom of my favorite pot.  I grabbed my Bar Keeper’s Friend, sprinkled a little on the rust stain, rubbed in with a damp cloth, and the rust was gone.  I ended up polishing the entire pot with Bar Keeper’s friend, and it shines like new.  To ensure that any residue was removed before I cook in this pot again, I made sure to wash the pot very, very well with castile soap and water after.  Note: do NOT use Bar Keeper’s Friend on cast iron cookware.

Pot before/during/after cleaning with Bar Keeper's Friend
Before cleaning, top left polished, entire pot polished, entire pot polished and washed
Stove

I have used Bar Keeper’s Friend to clean both a glass cooktop stove and the ceramic top of my gas stove.  Bar Keeper’s Friend does a great job of polishing the glass or ceramic surface.  It is not gritty and has never left a scratch in these smooth surfaces, and it does a fantastic job of removing the stains left by burned on liquids.  Note: do NOT use Bar Keeper’s Friend on the cast iron grates of your gas stove.  

Counters

I have ugly old laminate Formica countertops, and Bar Keeper’s Friend does a great job to cleaning the water stains.  It also does a fine job of general cleaning, but I typically just use castile soap and water or vinegar and water for everyday countertop cleaning.  When I do use Bar Keeper’s Friend on my counters, I make sure after to use a very damp cloth and wipe down the counters well to attempt to remove any traces of Bar Keeper’s Friend.  Note:  I do not have a stone countertop, and cannot say if Bar Keeper’s Friend is safe to use on other counter surfaces.   However, the manufacturer’s Safety Data Sheet for Bar Keeper’s Friend says not to use on granite or marble or porous surfaces, so I would use extreme caution if you have a stone countertop.  

Random other metal surfaces

The Bar Keeper’s Friend Safety Data Sheet specifies that you should not use the product on “cast iron, granite, marble, wood, fabric, leather, painted surfaces, mirrors, gold, or silver (sterling silver is OK).”  Other than those caution items, I am willing to try Bar Keeper’s Friend on pretty much anything.  As she was taking down Christmas ornaments, my mom noticed that a metal ornament had some signs of discoloration spots.  Rust, maybe?  I suggested that my mom try polishing it with Bar Keeper’s Friend, though I cautioned that I did not know if it would discolor the metal.  She tried it, and, voila, the ornament looks shiny and new!  

mixed metal ornament after cleaning with Bar Keeper's Friend
mixed metal ornament after polishing with Bar Keeper’s Friend

Note:  I HIGHLY recommend that if you want to try Bar Keeper’s Friend on a surface on which you have never tried it before, test on a small space in an area that is not easily visible.  This way, you won’t show damage if the Bar Keeper’s Friend reacts with the new material. 

Ingredients and safety

The manufacturer, SerVaas Laboratories, openly publishes their ingredient list and safety information online on the Safety Data Sheet for  Bar Keeper’s Friend.  

Typically I get all of my chemical and product health and safety information from the Environmental Working Group.  However, the EWG has not reviewed Bar Keeper’s Friend or each of its individual ingredients.  While I can’t give the EWG’s evaluation, here’s what I was able to find.

Feldspar

Feldspar got an EWG rating of C (on a scale of A-F with A being best) because there is “no data, some concern.”  Since there is “no data” on this, I have trouble believing this “C.”  According to a website about minerals, feldspar is made of naturally occurring minerals in the earth that contain silica and alumina, and makes up about 60% of rocks on earth.  While I would agree that consuming feldspar is not a good idea, I don’t see harm in using it as a cleaner.  

Linear sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate

Linear sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (DDBSA) does not appear in the EWG database, but my research has found that this is an organic compound that is readily biodegradable (it breaks down easily and won’t persist in this form for long in nature), and several studies indicated that this is only harmful to animals in large doses.  It’s a skin and eye irritant, but from my experience this is not bad.  I am highly susceptible to contact dermatitis, but I have never experienced skin irritation after using Bar Keeper’s Friend.  I believe this is due to using the product sparingly, and always thoroughly washing/rinsing the surfaces and my hands after use. 

Oxalic Acid

Oxalic acid (7.5-9.5% by weight)- EWG rating D  – moderate concern for skin irritation, eye irritation, harmful if swallowed, kidney damage, and causes acute toxicity in aquatic life.  However, this product is “readily biodegradable” so I have less concern about this being harmful to the environment because it will not remain oxalic acid for long before breaking down.  Additionally, oxalic acid is naturally ocurring in foods, so I am really not concerned about the small amount of contact that I get on my skin when using Bar Keeper’s Friend.  

How does it work? (non-nerds may want to skip this section)

I’m a science nerd and I always want to understand how things work.  When I first used Bar Keeper’s Friend and saw it remove rust, I needed to understand how.  It’s simple chemistry, really.

   Oxalic acid + rust + water –> water soluble ion + water + hydrogen ions

   6C2H2O2 + Fe2O2 + nH2O –> 2[Fe(C2O4)3]3- + 3H2O + nH2O+ 6H+

Oxalic acid dissolved in water (or Bar Keeper’s Friend dissolved in water) combines with rust to form a water-soluble iron ion, water, and hydrogen ions.  

Fe(C2O4) combines with water forming Fe(C2O4)(H2O and)2 and harmlessly washes away.  Hydrogen ions just lower the pH of the water.

Just like that, poof, the rust disappears from my metal surfaces!  

Bar Keeper's Friend with aluminum pot

Cost

Bar Keeper’s Friend is readily available at grocery stores, Walmart, Amazon, Home Depot, and likely others locations. 

At the time of the writing of this, prices are:

Home Depot $1.48 for 15 oz. ($0.10/oz)

Amazon $9.99 for 2 x 21 oz = 42 oz ($0.24/oz)

Walmart $1.93 for 21 oz ($0.10/oz)

I’ve had a 21 oz container for about 5 years, use it fairly regularly, and still have about 3/4 of the bottle remaining.  It seems to really last a long time, and in my opinion is really economical.  Also, because I use it so sparingly, I have minimal contact with the possibly not-so-good-for-me ingredients. 

 

Have you used Bar Keeper’s Friend?   Where do you use it?  Please share in the comments below!