Why do we need foil balls in the laundry?

A rational housewife knows that some useful household goods from the store have “homemade” analogues. Almost the only difference between such assistants is the price. A striking example of this is laundry balls. You can buy them at the hardware store or make them yourself from a sheet of foil and spend the money you save on something more important. Well, at least for some chocolate.

Foil balls - why are they put in the washing machine?

The life hack appeared on the Internet and is actively used by women who are accustomed to running a household based on traditional methods. With the help of foil balls, several problems are solved:

• fight against the coarsening of fleecy and terry materials (we are talking about a problem that arises after washing);
• increase the effectiveness of washing powder and conditioner (things wash better);
• remove static electricity;
• save chemicals.

Some effects are understandable and actually observed. Moreover, having learned about the life hack, large manufacturers of household products began to produce ready-made laundry balls. True, they are made not of metal, but of plastic and materials similar in properties. The product helps make rough fabric softer by “beating” it, and also helps remove dirt better - that is, it solves the same problems as foil balls.

Other effects - such as the elimination of static electricity - although supported by a semblance of scientific basis, are still questioned by skeptics. Believe it or not - the choice is only yours. Many people recommend checking it personally, but there are also experts who insist that using foil balls during washing can harm both the machine and things.

They support their hypothesis by the fact that during the active rotation of the drum, tiny particles come off from the hand-formed ball. Then some of them, along with water, get inside the washing machine and accumulate there, while the other rubs and damages the fibers of clothing.

How to properly use foil balls when washing

Possible harm can be minimized - if it occurs at all, which is questionable - by folding the foil more tightly and then placing the already formed ball in gauze or fine mesh. Some people prefer to use a handkerchief, but its material is too thick.

After several washes, the ball will become well compacted, but this does not mean that it can be taken out of the net and started using without it. There will still be a risk of pieces of foil peeling off.

You can make balls as follows:

• take a roll of food foil or a large number of “golden” chocolate wrappers;
• crumple a small piece of foil in your palm;
• wrap the pellets with another sheet, crimp tightly on all sides (try to maintain the round shape of the workpiece);
• repeat until the ball is approximately the size of a ping pong ball;
• Compact the growing ball by rolling it on the table.

You need to stop shortly before the wad of foil becomes slightly smaller in size than a tennis ball. After this, pack the ball in a net or gauze and start using it for its intended purpose.

Place the foil ball directly into the drum of the machine. After washing, it is dried on a hard surface.

The approximate shelf life of such an au pair: 4-12 months. But experienced users recommend changing the device to a new one at least once every six months.