Have you ever wondered how to use laundry balls… or even if they actually work?
Well, for the last 2 years, I have been washing everything with eco-friendly laundry balls, and I’m sharing my experience and answering many of your questions in today’s post!
And yes, I literally have not purchased any laundry detergent in 2 years!
I do sometimes add a splash of bleach with our whites and a sprinkle of OxyClean if the clothing is very dirty. But other than that, I’ve been washing all our clothing, bedding, towels, winter gear, swimsuits, couch slipcovers, and much more with plain water and laundry balls!
Pretty cool… huh!?!
I’ve gotten SOOOOOOOO questions about how to use laundry balls (ever since I first mentioned them in my Favorite Things post a couple of years ago) that I decided it was finally time to do one full dedicated post to the infamous “Laundry Balls”!
NOTE: This is NOT a sponsored post. However, I am using my Amazon affiliate link. If you click through and make a purchase, I will get a very small commission (thanks!) Read my full disclosure policy.
Let’s do a little Q & A!
NOTE: My answers below are based on my own experience of using laundry balls these past 2 years — as well as research I’ve done online myself. I have NO scientific background! 🙂
Which laundry balls do I use?
I purchased the BERON brand from Amazon roughly 2 years ago now. I actually just purchased another set last month as one of our balls was starting to crack open.
They were $18.95 for a 2-pack (I use both at the same time).
So what exactly are laundry balls?
They are rubbery softball-size balls filled with hundreds of tiny bio-ceramic balls, which provide an all-natural way to wash without any harmful chemicals or detergent.
They are great for anyone with sensitive skin, anyone with allergies, or anyone who doesn’t like their clothing to have strong detergent smells (me!)
Each ball contains Alkali Balls, Far Infrared Balls, Anti-Microbial Balls, and Chlorine-Removal Balls (see image below for more description),
.
How do laundry balls work?
From what I understand, the hundreds of ceramic balls inside the rubbery ball increase the pH level of the water when they move around in the washer.
They help reduce negative ions in the water, creating a natural Hydrogen Peroxide type effect, which adheres to dirt to keep the clothes cleaner and fresher during the wash.
Do laundry balls actually clean well?
The use of laundry balls is widely debated — some claim they aren’t any more effective than using plain water. Others claim they are a revolutionary discovery!
I’m sure you’re not surprised to know that I fall somewhere in the middle!
I’m positive they are much more effective than using plain water because I’ve done my own testing. I’ve tried washing towels with plain hot water (no balls or detergent) and they came out smelling musty. Then I washed them with the laundry balls and they came out smelling clean (not scented, but clean).
Will they work in any type of washing machine?
Yes, top-loading, front-loading, high efficiency, etc.
NOTE: I always use warm or hot water as that’s what was recommended on the box.
Are they safe for all fabrics?
In my experience… YES!
I have successfully cleaned colors, whites, delicate items, couch slipcovers, and everything in between.
How long will they last?
This obviously depends on how many loads of laundry you do each week. One set of laundry balls is said to be able to wash up to 1500 loads of laundry. This should last an average family about 3 years (doing 9-10 loads per week)
How do you use them?
When you first get your laundry balls, you’ll want to soak them in water for 30 minutes.
After that, you can simply toss them into the washing machine (on top of the clothing) before you turn it on… that’s it!
It’s best not to cram your washer totally full — I usually try to leave a little extra space at the top to make sure the clothing has enough room to move around with the balls.
They claim to work best with warm or hot water (I never use cold water).
They can sit in the washer (with the door/lid open) in between uses — it is good for them to completely dry out once in a while.
Once a month, put them outside to sit in the sun for a couple of hours to “recharge”.
What if it’s not sunny where we live?
It doesn’t matter — the laundry balls just need to be outside for a couple of hours (even in rainy, snowy, or cloudy weather) to re-charge.
I always do this on the 1st of the month.
Can you use detergent or bleach with them?
Yes, if you want to use a small amount of detergent with them, you can… I do not.
You can also use bleach, OxyClean, stain remover, fabric softener, or even essential oils with the laundry balls. I usually do not use any of these things though, and our laundry comes out clean!
A Few More Laundry Ball Resources To Consider:
This explains (in detail) how these laundry balls are supposed to work. However, it pretty much bashes the idea of laundry balls, saying they aren’t any more effective than using plain water. It has fairly extensive content with lots of sources to explain more.
2. An article from Does It Really Work?:
This article claims that YES, laundry balls do, in fact, work. There are tons of comments weighing in on the subject too.
3. Best Review’s Top 10 Laundry Ball Brands
BERON is #1 with a score of 9.7 out of 10.
More information on BARON Laundry Balls via their Amazon Page.
More of My Favorite Laundry Tips and Tricks:
10 Life-Changing Tips When You’re Overwhelmed with Laundry
Why I’m Still Not Sorting Laundry
.
Like I mentioned above, this not a sponsored post, nor am I “brand loyal” to BERON in any way.
I simply wanted to share everything I’ve learned about how to use laundry balls these past 2 years. If nothing else, now I’ll have a handy resource to send people when they email me their questions!
Laundry Balls work for us for now… I’d love to hear YOUR thoughts!
Sandra Smith says
I’m building an off grid homestead, & plan to recycle our grey water for irrigation (including garden & fruit trees) so I went on a hunt for safe ways to wash our bodies, dishes & laundry. I came across this article and others like it in my search and tried them. I. Am. Dumb-Founded how well these work!!
Just try them –
Andrea says
This is so cool Sandra — enjoy your off-grid living!!
Sandra says
Should you use these washing balls in a steam cycle in the washer?
Andrea says
Hi Sandra — I’ve honestly never used the steam cycle, so I’m not entirely sure. I wonder if you Googled “can I use laundry balls for a steam cycle on __________ washer” and insert the brand/make of your washer. You’d probably get your answer 🙂
Sandra Smith says
UPDATE: I do use them in the steam cycle and they are Wonderful!! I always do my towels on the sanitize steam cycle (& still can come out musty) but with these ceramic washer balls they come out so clean and ZERO musty smell! I must say I’m kinda floored!
Andrea says
Thanks for coming back here to update us Sandra! I’ve been wondering about this but really don’t have a need to use the steam cycle, so I appreciate your experiment on our behalf! I’m thrilled the laundry balls still work well for you!
Nan says
I just bought a laundry ball and am stunned at how well it works. I, too dislike fragrance and love the way my clothes smell and feel. I also use dryer balls. I have a front loader on a stand and am 5 feet tall pouring detergent into the drawer was not easy. So this was a win-win! I really can’t believe it works, but it does!
Andrea says
yay — I’m thrilled to here this! I’ve also had a great experience with Laundry Balls (it’s hard to believe they actually work!)
Rose says
I don’t like using hot water (except in the summer for bath towels) because of the wear on the clothes and to keep down fossil fuel usage, however I solved the using of hot or warm water with my laundry balls by just adding maybe one-quarter warm water to the washer and the rest cold. I also use a cold rinse. The clothes come out very clean and fresh smelling. Very happy with the laundry balls!
Andrea says
thanks so much for sharing, Rose! Glad to know the laundry balls are working well for you — even without using hot water!
Lee says
We have a combo machine and I’m looking at alternatives for laundry, I read a comment reply where you stated you
they went to the dryer and there’s no issue….. Could they be used in a combo machine? It makes sense, they work for cleaning the clothes. What about the drying cycle? stands to reason their design could possibly assist in separating the clothes through the dry cycle and allow them to dry more quickly.
What say you?
Andrea says
I think it would be fine for a combo machine.
Raewyn says
Do you leave the eco ball in just for the wash cycle, then take it out? or do you leave the eco ball in for both wash and rinse cycle?.
Thankyou for your response.
Andrea says
you can leave them in for the entire wash cycle — no need to remove them. I’ve even accidentally put them in the dryer too 🙂 They were fine!
Sarah says
Hi Andrea! I’m in between detergents and was wondering if you are still enjoying your laundry balls and still using them?
Andrea says
HI Sarah, yes, I’m still using the laundry balls 🙂 If you order them from Amazon you can always try them and return if you don’t like!
Kim says
Thank you for this information. I’ve ordered the laundry balls and I’m excited to see how they work!!
Andrea says
yay — fun! I hope you like them too 🙂
The laundry balls make it really easy for kids to do their own laundry too!
Michele says
I have been using laundry balls for four years now (I’m about to order my third set.). I find they work equally well in cold and in hot water. The hardest thing for me to adjust to was the absence of any scent. With no laundry detergent to signal “clean” with its smell, it took me a few washes to realize that literally no odor meant really clean.
I do recharge mine in the sun on the windowsill each month.
I do use stain stick (or equivalent) if there is a stain to remove, but other than that, I don’t add detergent, because that’s just one more compound the balls have to remove!
One tip: because the large outer ball is plastic, it can have rough spots that can catch on delicate fabrics, so i keep my laundry ball in a lingerie bag when washing.
I don’t remember the brand name I bought from Amazon, but there was only one ball in the box, so I use only one.
🙂
Andrea says
Great idea to put the laundry balls in a mess garment bag! I have a bunch of those bags and this would be a good use for them. Thanks!
Deanna says
Yes, I agree. Laundry balls work just as well on cold water. I seldom use warm and only use hot for my towels because I use body oil after my shower or cleaning rags if they don’t come clean because of a cleaning project.
Andrea says
Good to know the laundry balls also work in cold water (I personally usually use hot or warm). Thanks for sharing, Deanna!
Deanna says
Yes. I was super impressed and suprised with the clean non fragrance smell for sheets and clothes.
Andrea says
Yes, I also love the “non-frangrance” smell! I don’t like strong smells and neither do my kids!
Amber says
I’ve been using this exact same kind of laundry balls for about 6 months now. I definitely agree that my clothes smell clean. I’ve put sweaty clothes, clothes with poop on, etc and no odors are present after washing. However I do feel like they don’t completely get stains out. I keep oxyclean and stain stick on hand for tough stains. I also do use them with cold water, as I have quite a few clothes and items that need to be washed cold.
Shelita says
Do you use liquid fabric softener with these?
Jane Frasier says
Wondering if it is ok to use during the rinse cycle. Will the clothes get rinsed well?
Andrea says
yes, they rinse just fine — I don’t take the balls out of the washer during the cycle
Dorothy Bailey says
Do I need to use both balls in a wash?
Andrea says
I always do — and my box recommended using both balls.
Joan Ehrnstein says
I always add plain white vinegar to the water, set my washer on pre-wash so the clothes have soaking time as suggested by the manufacturer, and my clothes come out clean and fresh. I have sensitive skin so these have been a godsend for me
Teresa says
OK, you convinced me to give these a try! Thanks for the article.
Cat says
I have recently purchased a set of laundry balls and find they do in fact work very well. Bought a second set yesterday to put up for later use. Love this product
Andrea says
yay — glad you are enjoying them too (and saving a bunch on laundry detergent!)
Diana says
Has anyone seen these for sale in a store? Where else could one find them besides Amazon?
Andrea says
I personally have not seen them in a store, but I haven’t looked extensively either. It’s so easy to just order on Amazon 🙂
Diana says
I rarely buy anything from Amazon and don’t want to pay for shipping if I don’t have enough to order 🙂 I haven’t looked elsewhere online either.
I am a Michigan reader 🙂 🙂
Andrea says
hello fellow Michiganer 🙂
Yes, I totally understand that you don’t want to pay for shipping from Amazon (I don’t particularly love supporting them, but since we have Amazon prime, it makes it a little too easy!
I’d check Bed Bath and Beyond — or maybe eve Khols. They always have random stuff! Good luck!
Shelita says
Try ebay
Lee Ann Cameron says
I have found them on Facebook Market place and tried them out and loved them. Ollies is a discount chain here in Florida and the Eastern US… they have had them for $7.99 so got some extras and they seem to work as well. I have given them to a few family members and they are happy with them
Andrea says
wow — good deal!
Personally, I’d probably shy away from buying them used because they are “only” good for 1500 washes and you don’t know how many times the previous owners used them. However, if they seem to be working for you, that’s great!
Sandra McKenzie says
Just got mine from alibaba 2 for £8
Cat says
I bought mine recently at Ollie’s, Ocala Fl
SJ Garrison says
I found a dual pack at Ollie’s!
Rachel says
You should go through and update this post… the brand you use is spelled differently and the rating on best reviews guide has changed.
Andrea says
thanks Rachel — glad to see the ratings have actually INCREASED!!
Sandy says
Probably a silly question, but does the color of the ball designate a water temperature? I bought some deep purple colored balls and cold water is recommended.
Thanks!
Andrea says
Honestly, I would have said “no” but my instructions say to use warm or hot water. maybe the color does mean something! 🙂
Rachel says
I have been using laundry balls for a few months now and have mixed feelings about them. I use a small bit of detergent and I use 4 balls because my kids are super messy/dirty. Sometimes they come out spotless, other times, it’s like the dirt just redeposited on another piece of clothing (usually white!). I found that they only work well with a deep water wash, which for me kinda negates any savings because I have to use a lot more water than I would ordinarily. I’m still giving it a shot but I may eventually move back to detergent.
Andrea says
You might have different results with different types of water. We have really great city water, so that might be part of it!
Thanks for sharing what does (and does not) work for you!
Dawn Kaestner says
I use Dropps.com pods and love the idea of using aundry balls as a money saver, but if I have to start washing my clothes in warm or hot water I think my utility bill woould negate any savings. But I do see some comments about washing in cold water so maybe there is hope yet!
Virginia Dryden says
I used Dropped laundry pods but did not think they did a very good job. I like the idea behind them, but they just did not cut it for us.
Andrea says
interesting… I’ll have to Google “dropps” to see what they look like!
And honestly, I think so many people get freaked out by their “hot water bill” when in reality, the gas required to heat hot water for one load of laundry is very minimal (at least where I live!)
Debbie says
Interesting! I’ve never heard of laundry balls. I usually wash colors in cold and delicate in cold. I don’t know how these balls will do well in cold water, and if they will damage the delicate load because it’s agitating against the fabric. I don’t know if I’ll want to risk putting it my delicate load and it snag against those fabric. It is interesting though, and I’m glad it’s working for you. How awesome to not have to buy laundry detergent anymore.
Andrea says
I do enjoy being able to skip that smelly isle at the grocery store 🙂
Margaret says
Color me skeptical. I know that laundry detergents are surfectants–they work because they loosen dirt so the water can wash it away; the “clean” smell that people are attracted to is a marketing ploy. I suppose these might work, but I’d like to see more double-blind studies done under controlled conditions.
I have a lot of allergies, so I use an unscented detergent; either Shaklee or the Planet brand from my local co-op.
As far as the relative environmental cost, I also wonder if not using detergent cancels out not using fossil fuels to heat water. That’s a question. I don’t know which has the lower impact overall; I certainly know which would be more expensive for me. (Hint–I was EVERYTHING in cold water.)
Jury’s still out.
Andrea says
it’s super crazy — I totally was skeptical for a long time. I still sometimes “wonder” if they are really working — but my clothes honestly do come out clean, stain-free, and not musty smelling at all.
They are fairly inexpensive, so it wouldn’t be a huge investment if you wanted to give them a try! 🙂
Tiffany says
Got these a few months ago bc of you…. 5 kids, grain farmer dirty husband… more than 10 loads around here per week 😉 they work WONDERFULLY!!!!!!! I have super huge washing machine and was using 3 Tide pods per load to get stuff clean. “Sometimes” I still put one pod in- mostly on bed wetting sheets bc I think they need it, although they prob don’t bc everything else comes out completely void of dirt, smell and chemical smell- thank goodness! (Even my nasty hypoallergenic formula smeIl comes out!) should prob stop using the pods altogether!! Thanks for tip!!!!
Andrea says
glad to know they are working well for you. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah says
Ooh I love a laundry post thank you!
I can’t understand how washing without detergent removes underarm whiffs and deodorant stains. Particularly for teenagers and sporting clothes…one of my pals has lads and says their clothes can be almost toxic to launder!
I wash with hotter temps, particularly towels, bedding which go on at 60 and my kitchen cloths I use a dab of bleach and 90. This is an interesting read: https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/infections/can-clothes-and-towels-spread-germs/
Andrea says
this is an interesting article — thanks for sharing 🙂
My favorite line from the article “(see Why should pregnant women avoid sheep during the lambing season?)” HAHA. I’ll make sure to tell all my pregnant friends to stay away from sheep during the next lambing season!! 🙂
Kelly says
We bought one at your recommendation about a year ago and love them! We’ve even moved in that span of time so we went from an apartment with a laundry room to our own washing machine, and they’ve worked well in all those settings, different water systems, etc.
Also, sometimes at our apartment we used a ball in one washer and detergent in another (since it was a laundry room with multiple washers), and I could never tell the difference when the loads came out!
For the cost savings alone, I think they’re SO worth it, not to mention the environmental side of things.
I have a super sensitive nose to musty/mildew smells, stinky smells, etc., and haven’t noticed any issues. With that said, we were already using “free and clear” detergent, so if someone is looking for that scented fresh laundry smell, this wouldn’t provide it.
We always wash with cold water. I also haven’t been putting them into the sun – will try that now!
Thanks so much for this recommendation!
Andrea says
This is so helpful — thanks for sharing, Kelly!
Aso, congrats on the new house!
Amy says
This is a big nope from me. I believe in science. Science says these are a farce. i will stick with my Tide powder & enjoy my clean clothes.
Liane says
I’m with you. My tap water pH is already 8. I sure don’t need to raise it. Lots of natural product advocates suggest using vinegar which actually lowers pH as it is a weak acid. Adding acid to my tap water makes things worse since it precipitates salts and deposits them. And my biggest problems with laundry, which are stains despite using bleach on dirty white socks and dishrags and pilling. I probably donate a bag a month of unwearable knit clothing due to pilling. I read recently that we should never wash knits with towels because the towels are abrasive. It seems counter productive to add an abrasive rubber ball to the wash. My strategy has been to use Tide pods in the un scented version, and a plant based softener made by Downy. I wash nearly everything that doesn’t come in contact with food in cold water on the delicate or hand wash cycle.
I think the number one reason to do laundry on shirts, tops etc. is to get out underarm odor unless it’s kiddo clothes because in their case it’s food. Towels get musty. Dish towels get food on them. Undies — well I won’t go there but cottons get the hot dryer treatment and delicates (all my undies are basically hand wash labeled) get the hand wash cycle. I would never expose my Shapeez to abrasive balls.
I don’t adhere to fake science. These balls probably don’t do anything that just plain water would do on it’s own.
Andrea says
Stick with your Tide! I can always smell it a mile away — and while I personally prefer scent-free clothing, there’s nothing like the fresh smell of Tide. One of our neighbors uses it and I can always tell when it’s her laundry day. Even the kids will say “what’s that good smell” when we’re outside playing 🙂
Amy says
I actually don’t smell Tide in clothes as it washes out. My clothes smell like “nothing.” You’re probably smelling the fabric softener most people use. I detest fabric softener for that perfume smell. It also makes your clothing more flammable. We can’t use it because my husband wears flame retardant clothing for work. Wool dryer balls for us 🙂
Andrea says
we use the wool dryer balls too! I guess you’re probably right about the fabric softener smell. Does tide have a fabric softener though? I swear, there is a “tide” smell to our neighbor’s clothes!
Mark says
Any scientific articles you can share that indicate that these are a farce?
JJ says
We just got a whole house water softener and reverse osmosis(kitchen sink) due to all of the water issues in our area(cancers linked to issues with water and other environmental factors), and the company gave us 5 years worth of free laundry detergent and cleaning supplies that are more natural. Otherwise I’d try these! I always used Gain flings and LOVED them, especially because with small children I never had to worry about stains. They always came out. I have not had the same results with my free “natural” laundry soap. What do you do/use to remove stains? I often will use a Fels Naptha bar, but I want something that will affect the whole load so I don’t have to investigate every piece of clothing. Haha! Thanks so much!
Melissa says
Hi JJ,
I am curious about who you used for the whole house water softener and reverse osmosis. Would you be willing to share the company you used, that is, if it is a national company. We are in Oklahoma.
Thank you!
Amy says
Melissa, we have very hard water with iron and love our Kinetico softener & RO system. Worth every penny!
Melissa says
Thank you Amy for the tip.
JJ says
Hey, Melissa! We used Clear Water Concepts. They use Westinghouse for the water softening system(Lifetime guarantee!!!–which sold us!!!). We also have a UV Ray light, because we have a well(coliform bacteria is a beast and shocking the well doesn’t guarantee you are rid of it). So the UV Ray light kills the bacteria. The reverse osmosis removes it from the water for safe drinking and cooking. They do a free water test in your home, which was a cool science experiment for our kids. Haha! Our TDS level should have been 10. It was 80. Our pH level was surprisingly 7. But that can always change. So this keeps it regular. Our water was also hard, so cleaning was a nightmare. I had never had a well before, and I honestly hated having one. I was fighting lime like it was my worst enemy. Now things are so much better!!! And we aren’t spending $80-100 on bottled water a month. We also aren’t buying cleaning products because of the free products we got.
When my doctor had found nodules on my thyroid(LADIES get your thyroid checked by your doctor yearly…make them feel for any nodules!), it really scared me since there has been a thyroid cancer outbreak in our area. Two of our neighbors had thyroid cancer and one died of ovarian cancer. Our dog died of thyroid cancer.
I shared my concerns with my doctor, and he totally brushed it off. My ENT doctor said they had conducted studies of the air and soil AND both showed no signs linked to cancer. Then a report just came out that the city water had cancer causing links detected because of the chemical reaction with the cleaning agents used to clean the city water. Thankfully after biopsies, mine were shown to be benign! In a different state, my aunt had cancer along with two of her neighbors. They had their water tested and got a whole house system with reverse osmosis, because her cancer had come back. She has been cancer free now with the clean water. They were the ones who suggested reverse osmosis for clean drinking water.
I am very passionate about drinking water now, especially! It can really kill you. Literally. The water company we used also recommended never buying bottled water UNLESS it says, “Treated by reverse osmosis”(Great Value, Sam’s Club, and Nestle are some that do). Reverse osmosis removes the impurities. If you look at a lot of bottled water, it says, “Municipal water”. You’re literally buying city water. Spring water is horrible. When my daughter had salmonella poisoning, the state health department contacted us and asked 100 questions. One question asked was, “Did she have bottled spring water?”
I’ll get off my soap box now(haha! Pun intended!–sorry, Andrea, to crash your laundry post with my lengthy reply mostly about drinking water!).
Andrea says
this is awesome — thanks for the detailed information!
Andrea says
wow — this is awesome. I might have to tell my sister about this as they have “bad” water. She’d love a system for her entire house!
As for stain removal — I’m horrible and truly don’t do anything 🙂 I just put a little OxyClean in every load 🙂
JJ says
Thank you, Andrea! I started doing that and it seems to help.
Andrea says
glad to help!
Jenny says
When you saw you just put “a little” Oxyclean, what does that mean? Do you basically follow the label instructions, or are you adding less than that?
Andrea says
honestly, I don’t even know what the suggested amount is! I just dump about a tablespoons worth into each load!
Ann says
I am really close to being ready to try these. The warm/hot water gets me as I am afraid that our shirts etc will shrink if I do. I always wash the main clothes (“darks/lights”) in cold water and that is a hard change for me to wrap my mind around! I also am a machine STUFFER and, although I know that clothes don’t get as clean when I do it, I do it anyway.
Thanks for the thoughts!
Kelly says
Ann, we use these with cold water only (we wash everything in cold) and they’ve turned out great!
Amy says
I use mine with cold water and it works great! Thanks Andrea for the recommendation. I was extremely skeptical but you were right!
Andrea says
good to know — and you’re welcome 🙂
Andrea says
Several people have commented that they do use cold water and the balls work. It might be worth giving them a try 🙂
I will say that stuffing your washer is not great NO MATTER what type of detergent you use — your clothing will get much cleaner if you don’t stuff the machine too full.