How do balls help when washing down jackets in a washing machine?

How to wash a down jacket yourself without unpleasant consequences? This question is very relevant.

Dry cleaning services are quite expensive, and keeping things in good condition is essential.

Laundry balls have become an indispensable assistant for owners of down jackets. These simple items will help you wash your jacket well and keep it in its original shape.

Why do we need it?

The main task when washing a down jacket is to keep its filler intact. It is due to the fact that a layer of air is retained between the particles of down that the jacket is so warm and light. Under the influence of water, the filler thickens, knocks down into lumps, significantly losing its warming qualities and presentable appearance.

Balloons useful for the following:

• constantly moving inside the drum of the washing machine in a chaotic manner, they hit the jacket, not allowing the fluff to gather into lumps;
• the impact on the down jacket literally "knocks out" all the old dirt from the surface of the fabric;
• when rinsing, due to intensive movement, all surplus household chemicals are removed with which the thing was saturated during washing;
• the consumption of detergents is reduced, due to the fact that with such a process, things are perfectly washed and with a small amount of household chemicals;
• due to active mechanical action, the time required for rinsing and spinning is reduced, thereby saving energy and water.

Varieties: what are there and what are needed?

The variety of balls for washing allows you to make a choice according to individual preferences, guided by the functional purpose, appearance, cost.

Balloons differ in the type of materials from which they are made:

• polyvinyl chloride (PVC);
• polypropylene;
• tourmaline;
• magnetic.

By appointment:

• for washing and drying;
• to remove pellets;
• to soften the fabric.

Also balls have differences in:

• sizes;
• forms;
• coloring.

The balloons are sold in supermarkets, home appliance and household goods stores, and online stores.

For all balls, there is the same procedure for use: they are placed together with things in the drum of the washing machine and taken out after the end of the process.

An indisputable advantage is a long useful life such devices, which ranges from 3 to 10 years, depending on the type and conditions of use.

The disadvantages include an increased background noise that occurs during washing due to the impact of balls on the walls of the drum of the machine.

Hedgehogs

These balls owe this name to their appearance. The spiked surface really resembles a bristling hedgehog.

They are made from polyvinyl chloride, a material very similar to rubber. The price is quite affordable and is about 120 - 150 rubles per set consisting of two units.

You can use these balls, both for down jackets and for other clothes and linen.

Pvc

Instead of many "spikes", the surface of these balls is covered with bulges, some of which have holes. When washing, water enters the inside of the ball, and when the drum rotates, it acts on the clothes in a point, improving the washing efficiency and removing excess detergents, preventing the formation of stains on the fabric.

The cost of such a ball is higher than that of a hedgehog. Its purchase will cost 300 rubles apiece. The service life of PVC balls is 3-5 years.

After use, the balls must be dried to avoid stagnation of water in them and the appearance of an unpleasant odor.

Magnetic

They are a smooth ball with holes, inside the shell, which contains a magnet. When washing:

• a magnetic field is created, due to which the water hardness decreases,
• the effect of the action of detergents is enhanced.

The tangible weight of the balls has an active "massage" effect, which allows you to wash even significant dirt.

The pricing policy of balls with magnets differs depending on the manufacturer, material and size of the product, on average from 100 rubles per unit of goods.

Tourmaline

Behind the intriguing name is a plastic container that resembles a baby rattle.

Inside there are small balls of red, gray and white colors, consisting of mineral compounds, including tourmaline.

When using these balls, an alkaline environment is created in the water, which has a disinfecting and washing effect, which can significantly reduce the amount of funds used.

The cost of tourmaline balls is quite high and is 1300-2200 rubles for a set of two balls. The term of use is about three years.

Polypropylene "anti-rolls"

This kind of balls is used to remove lumps from the inside of jackets. They are brightly colored and consist of a large number of small loops on the outer surface.

Exactly loops play the role of attachments that collect:

• pellets,
• threads,
• hair,
• other small debris,

preventing clogging of the drain filter washing machine.

The greatest efficiency in use is shown when washing woolen fabric. Most often sold in sets of 6 or 12. The cost of a set of 12 pieces is about 700 rubles.

Option from Fix Price

Balls are the conventional name for these products. They made of rather hard, but flexible plastic and look like fishnet butterflies.

Sold in the Fix Price chain of stores, in sets of 3, the cost of packaging is 60-70 rubles. The principle of operation is the same as that of PVC balls.

Tennis balls

A popular analogue of special balls for washing down jackets are ordinary tennis balls. You can buy them at sporting goods stores.

Before washing, be sure to soak the balls in hot water with bleach to prevent unwanted staining of the jacket... Then rinse thoroughly.

A set of three balls will cost 300 rubles. The useful life is about 3 years.

Photos of various models

How many pieces does it take to wash a jacket?

The effectiveness of washing largely depends on the uniform effect on the surface of the garment, therefore, at least 4 balls should be used at the same time. Operating experience has proven that the best result is the distribution of balls inside jacket pockets and sleeves.

For balls with magnets and tourmaline balls, this number can increase to 6 pieces.

Of great importance for high-quality washing is the compact arrangement of the down jacket inside the drum of the washing machine. A neatly folded item is better "beaten off" by balls during washing, as a result of which the filler is evenly distributed and dries out faster.

Another point concerns the size of the balls, the less the weight and size of the ball, the more they are needed to achieve maximum effect.

What can be replaced?

In addition to tennis balls, as an alternative to special balls for washing down jackets in a washing machine, children's rubber hedgehog balls or balls with a smooth surface with a diameter of at least 10 cm can be used.

Some housewives recommend trying out washing a down jacket with knitting threads. For this tight balls of thread are placed inside a clean sock, tied and sent to wash.

An interesting way came up with thrifty users.

In order not to spend money on the purchase of special balls, you can wash jackets using ordinary raw potatoes.

• A few fist-sized tubers are selected,
• wash thoroughly,
• laid out in separate plastic bags,
• tighten the knot tightly
• spread evenly inside the drum,
• start washing.

The disadvantages of these methods are the fragility of the materials used and the danger of unwanted staining of the down jacket fabric.

Conclusion

Summing up and summarizing the information, as well as user reviews on the use of balls, based on their own experience, we can conclude that for washing down jackets the most suitable are PVC balls.

Magnetic balls have also worked well, while polypropylene and tourmaline balls are not quite suitable for outerwear.

The right choice will help keep your down jacket in perfect condition for a long time, as well as save time and money.