I have been using dryer balls for the last two months and found them terrific. No more wrinkles and my clothes are not effected at all. I use powder detergent for white clothes and liquid for color clothes...I add white vingar to my rinse....

I used dryer balls after we first moved into our home and didn't have our indoor and outdoor lines installed yet, and had to use the dryer. I loved them! They reduced the drying time by at least 25%, or more. Towels were fluffier.

I noticed a new type of dryer balls that has a portion of them that does something to reduce static. The old-style blue ones (both the round ones and Nellie's that are elipitical-shaped - I've used both) don't really do squat to reduce static. I used a spritz bottle of water to "kill" static in the dryer since I never use liquid softener or softener sheets.

I originally tried tennis balls (cheaper alternative), but they emitted a toxic smell that I was sensitive to.

You can also make wool yarn-wrapped dryer balls, although I've never tried them to give you an opinion. You can find instructions at TipNut.com - http://tipnut.com/how-to-make-wool-dryer-balls/

If you are looking for a powdered detergent to replace All Free and Clear, I'd recommend Charlie's Soap. I went from using homemade laundry soap to All Free and Clear. After reading the many threads posted here about Charlie's Soap, I tried 2 of the 80-load bags and then purchased the 1280-load, 5-gallon bucket - 15-months ago. We figure it will last us 3-1/2 years (6-7-loads of laundry per week).

It's a great detergent for people who hang their clothing to dry (which we do either indoors or outdoors - rarely dry anything in the dryer). Charlie's soap doesn't leave soap residue in clothing and they are soft - not that characteristic STIFF - even line-dried.

-Grainlady

I use liquid because it has a soy softener in it, and vinegar. I don't use any other softener or dryer sheets. I also use the dryer balls and they do seem to help. I'm trying to change to natural fabrics but it's difficult with boys who like to wear the nylon "sports" pants. Our house is fairly dry in the winter and even with the soy softener and dryer balls the synthetics amass a lot of static.

Some users insist that powdered is the only way to go. Manufacturers say either is fine. When it comes down to it, powdered vs liquid is a personal choice. There's people who will tell you one will remove stains without even adding it to the machine while using the other will cause the oceans to dry up. I've used both, have both and interchange. I'm currently using Tide Free/Sensitive liquid because I got a deal on it. I still have a box of powder on the shelf and I'll probably use that when the current bottle is used up. Then I have about 3 more bottles to use after that so I'm set for detergent for a long time too. You can use either in your machine. It doesn't hurt to try more than one kind. I started with powder way back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth, I think I started with powder, went to liquid, back to powder, back to liquid, back to powder and now using liquid and will go to powder on the next need as I said. I DO see different cleaning results in BRANDS, but no appreciable difference just because one is a powder or a liquid. And I'll be bitten in the backside for saying that but that's my experience over the last 35 years.

Some feel that liquids work better on some things and powder does better on others. Again, your water, doseage, soiling, temperature and other things will make a difference. I recommend people feel free to try different brands and see what they like and feel works best for them.

I've been using dryer balls for about a year I suppose. I think it helps the drying in some loads, but not all. It's tough for me to really judge the difference in time since I started using them when I got my new dryer and when I got the new dryer I also shortened the vent pipe and the dryer is about 25% larger capacity than the old one so by itself, it should be drying faster, and the dryer balls should help.

CAN dryer balls damage clothes? Well, in the strict sense, yes I suppose they COULD, considering the knobs could catch on loose threads or when it goes into a pocket (which they have at times) I imagine the weight on top tumbling conceivably could damage something. So technically, yes they could, but I hasten to add that I can't attribute any damage to them and the amount would be minimal and probably more of a fluke. IF they do help cut drying time, they'd offset the possibility of damage IMO.

Dryer balls are SUPPOSED to cut static, and I don't know if they do. Some say yes, some say no. I'll still have a little static in my poly blend T-shirts but I haven't done a test to see without. I don't lose sleep over a little static. I live in the northland and we use furnaces in the winter. The air gets dry, and there's static. If you have your house at the right humidity level anyway, the amount of static will be greatly reduced. I'll continue to use the dryer balls because I have them. I suspect they do enough good that since I have them, I may as well continue to use them. Also I use 5-6 of them since I have an oversized dryer and I think that makes a difference.

I use 4 of the ordinary blue round dryer balls -- I don't find that they reduce static much, but I think things dry more quickly with less wrinkling.

I used them in my old Kenmore dryer, then in a new Maytag for 5 months. Right now I'm doing laundry at one of my daughters' or our apartment laundromat -- so I've used them in 5 very different dryers, with good results, never any damage.

I use about a TBSP of softener with vinegar for rinse. I do have some static that I didn't have when I used full measure of FS, but I'm so much happier with the feel and absorbancy of things that I'm willing to live with a little static!!