I’m not exactly a domestic goddess, but I do own the laundry tasks in the Callan household. I’ve long been skeptical about dryer balls that are supposed to do the work of dryer sheets, but finally decided it was worth ten bucks to see if they’d do the job.

My main concern was the static issue. This is really the only reason I use sheets in the first place, other than the fact that I like my clothes and linens to smell good. I would seriously be just fine without any softening agent…because obviously, I’m a bit of a hardass.

But static I cannot abide.

So to get down to it, on the plus side, I have not noticed any static. At all.

I’m also pleased to report that I haven’t ended up with smaller items balled into twisted fitted sheets. I hate that.

Does it reduce my drying time? Haven’t noticed…I don’t sit there and listen for the dryer to go off, to be honest. Oh, I guess I could put the buzzer on, but between the kiddie toys’s dinks and doinks, the microwave beeping at me, and the alarm’s computerized lady notifying me of every opened door, I don’t need another appliance yelling at me.

The only downside I’ve come across is that it sounds like I’m drying a pair of sneakers with every load. That could be a dealbreaker, depending on the proximity of your laundry room to areas of your house you want to stay quiet.

I’m pretty pleased with them overall and will be happy not to have to buy dryer sheets again until my dryer decides these things are chew toys and eats them instead of socks.