50 Acts of Green: Day Three - Dryer Balls

As a cash short college student, at first I tried to get by without dryer sheets. Unfortunately, living in old dorm buildings in Western Pennsylvania, eventually the static got to me. I could almost turn on lights wherever I went with all the static electricity build up! So I gave in and started buying dryer sheets. I tried my best at the time to find other ways to use them after a run or two through the dryer, but then I started learning more about what chemicals are used in dryer sheets and how some of them can be bad for the environment. As much as I loved chemistry classes, the old adage "Better living through chemistry" doesn't always seem to apply.

I then started trying to figure out what else to use. The laundry industry does have some alternatives. Most big companies offer a plastic alternative ball for the dryer, many of which are multicolored and spikey. They cut down on static and help the heat move through the load.

Thankfully, there are still more eco-friendly alternatives, in the guise of wool dryer balls. They help cut down on drying time, cut down static electricity, they last for hundreds, maybe even thousands of loads, they are vegan (whereas some dryer sheets contain animal fat), they are plastic free (yay!) and they can be scented in any way that you want with essential oils. I originally bought a small package of plain white dryer balls and loved them. This past Christmas, my fiance's cousin gave me a larger package of Friendsheep Wool Penguin dryer balls and I adore them!

One small act of green, saving, using less plastic, animal products, and potentially harmful chemicals! An all around win!