What happens if you put foil balls in the washing machine?

Women have many housekeeping secrets. One of them is using foil balls when washing clothes in the washing machine. Many believe this method helps clean clothes more thoroughly. Is this advice helpful? Does foil really improve laundry cleaning, or is it just another hoax promoted on social media?

The purpose of the foil balls

What's the point of adding foil balls to the drum? It turns out housewives knew about them and used them even before modern washing machines and effective household cleaning products hit the market. The foil kept clothes clean and soft after washing. It also eliminated static electricity.

Important! A popular tip: take a sheet of foil, roll it into a small ball, and place it in the washing machine drum along with your laundry.

Foil balls serve several purposes at once:

• increasing the efficiency of washing without additional soaking and boiling due to mechanical action on fabrics;
• reduction in consumption of detergents and, consequently, the costs of their purchase;
• softening of linen;
• no streaks after rinsing;
• elimination of static electricity.

Foil balls are a simple and inexpensive way to improve washing results. They can be an alternative to expensive detergents and anti-static fabric softeners. Many housewives are familiar with the problem of static electricity. Some fabrics become so electrified that even a single movement can cause sparks. The drum rim of the washing machine is supposed to dissipate the electricity, but it doesn't always do the job. Foil balls can help. Foil is made with aluminum, which eliminates static.

When adding wash balls to the drum, washing machine owners worry about them snagging and damaging their appliance. These concerns are unfounded. When washing thick fabrics, such as terry towels, foil does not cause damage or deformation. Use wash balls with caution when cleaning delicate fabrics such as silk, chiffon, and lace. To prevent pieces of foil from separating from the lump, you can place it in a protective laundry bag.

Unusual items that improve washing

In addition to the foil balls that housewives have long known about, many devices have emerged to improve the quality of laundry. One of these is the magnetic ball. Let's consider the properties and advantages of this item. Specialized laundry balls are made of rubber or plastic. Magnets are embedded inside the devices. These magnets soften water by acting on the molecules of insoluble salts, causing them to move randomly and change shape. Manufacturers of magnetic balls claim the following advantages for their products:

• items are washed better because water penetrates the fabric fibers more easily;
• rotating in the drum of the washing machine along with the laundry, magnetic balls knock out particles of dirt and dust from it;
• The products help to use detergents more economically;
• The service life of magnetic balls is 10 years. Some manufacturers claim they can be used for 20 years or more;
• The use of magnetic balls does not pose a threat to human health.

Tennis balls are an alternative to magnetic ones. They are commonly used to clean down jackets. Several balls are placed in the washing machine drum. They break up the down and prevent the fillings from sticking together.

Please note: Before washing items containing tennis balls, ensure they are colorfast.

Tennis balls can be used in the drum not only for down jackets but also for other items. This allows you to:

• make linen softer;
• protect them from pilling;
• improve the quality of washing without turning on additional machine modes or using detergents;
• reduce washing time by a quarter.

Another unusual item that improves washing is a regular wet wipe. Adding it to the drum with your laundry helps remove fur, lint, hair, and threads. It might seem like wet wipes wouldn't be able to handle this task, but experience has proven that it works.

As the washing machine drum rotates, the cloth moves around inside, collecting lint and hair. This results in cleaner clothes, while most of the dirt remains on the cloth. Similarly, you can use special anti-shedding wipes. They not only collect small particles but also protect whites and colored laundry from staining. Using household appliances when washing, housewives are constantly inventing new ways to improve washing efficiency. Sometimes, the results of these experiments are successful.

   

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