Why put tennis balls in the washing machine: effect in practice

You have probably heard that for washing down jackets and other winter clothes it is recommended to put tennis balls in the drum of the car. How useful is this technique, what kind of balls are safe for the device, is it possible to do without them? The range of modern balls for washing is huge, everything is not limited to ordinary sports equipment.

Do Tennis Balls Help

Usually tennis balls are used for washing jackets and down jackets, rarely for other types of clothing and textiles. Reception originates in old washing methods with “beater” for quick removal of dirt.

Why do housewives put tennis balls in the washing machine:

1. The accessory helps to remove dirt from the deepest layers of filler.
2. Balls do not allow the filler to crumple: when the drum is spinning, they bounce off the walls and “whip” the material. During normal washing, fluff or sintepuh is piled up, it is very difficult to straighten it with your hands. From this, winter clothing loses its heat-shielding properties.
3. Special balls for washing, and not just tennis balls, are able to fight against fungus, help get rid of bad smell.
4. During rinsing, the additional mechanical effect of the accessory helps to wash all detergent.

Tennis balls do not harm the car, they are quite light. But if you are afraid, then use special laundry supplies purchased at the hardware store.

Tip
If you washed the winter down jacket and noticed that the fluff was knocked down by large lumps, first wait for it to dry completely, and then begin to straighten the filler with your fingers. When wet, it cannot be divided and evenly distributed. Help yourself with a stick: by placing a dry jacket in a transparent bag, beat it off.

What kind of balls to wash

A tennis ball is a cheap option for washing down jackets, but housewives should know that special balls with advanced functionality are sold.

What types of laundry balls exist:

1. Tourmaline - special balls with cleaning granules inside. Manufacturers recommend washing things with these balls without adding detergent. One such ball is enough to wash the down jacket. The shelf life of the subject is quite long - up to 3 years. Periodically, you need to expose it in the sun.
2. Magnetic balls - record holders by expiration date. Such an item does not deteriorate for 20 years. These balls are quite heavy, albeit small. For one wash cycle, use 5-6 balls. Advantages - parallel softening of water and protection of the device from scale.
3. Embossed rubber - light balls with "pimples", beat the filler well. They are used to wash any laundry. Continuous drying after water procedures is required, the shelf life is 1 year, or until the first signs of deformation. Rubber varieties are the cheapest, but short-lived.
4. Embossed for sale balls made of plastic.

Tennis ball preparation

A special ball can be replaced with a tennis one, but in this case the subject will need preparation before the very first cycle. Usually sports equipment has a bright yellow color. To prevent the ball from accidentally staining the light fabric of the jacket, the yellowness must be removed.

What should be done:

1. Boil water in a saucepan and lower the balls into it for a couple of minutes.
2. Then carefully remove them and immerse in bleach.
3. When the color comes off, rinse the balls thoroughly in warm water. All bleach residues must be washed off.
4. Decolorize tennis balls just before the first wash; this procedure is not needed in the future.
5. Another way is to dilute White with water and soak the balls in the solution for a couple of hours.

Use only new tennis balls for washing. Keep them dry in the bathroom and do not use for other purposes. Balls for tennis work most effectively: they are quite heavy, and fewer are needed.

How many tennis balls do you need

To wash the down jacket, 4-5 balls are enough. Some put 2-3, some - up to 8 pieces. It all depends on the volume of the drum and the weight of the down jacket itself. After a couple of experiments, you will understand how many balls you need for your typewriter.

For reference
purityis.decorexpro.com/en/ magazine warns that when washing with a lot of balls, the noise will be higher.

How to replace tennis balls

Instead of tennis balls, a jacket can be washed with home-made foil balls. They are rolled up tightly from a leaf, the optimal size is with inshell walnuts or a little more.

As a replacement, children's rubber balls for swimming and games are suitable.

A bit about washing jackets and down jackets

Do not forget that regardless of whether you use additives or not, the down jacket must be prepared for machine wash. Shake out the contents of the pockets, fasten all the zippers and buttons, disconnect the fur collar or the decorative part of the hood.

Use a gentle washing gel. It is allowed to use an air conditioner to mitigate.

Wash down jackets separately, do not mix with other things. For one jacket - one wash cycle. Do not forget to set the appropriate mode - best delicate, at low temperatures and low revs. Hot water is harmful to both jackets and tennis balls. Repeated rinsing is not superfluous. Spin is also carried out at the lowest speed.

Tip
Frequent washing of the down jacket is optional. Only send clothing to the machine if there is obvious contamination on the collar, cuffs, or other places. From constant mechanical stress, fluff can climb out, and synthetic filler lose its quality.

Massage with tennis balls has a positive effect on the quality of washing and the condition of down jackets and jackets. Try this simple method, and caring for clothes with fillers will be much easier and faster.