
How To Fluff Pillows In The Tumble Dryer With Tennis Balls! (plus alternatives)
When they’re first bought, pillows are fluffy and cosy to use. However, as time passes, the same pillows will get flat and clumpy. This is the time when they’ll need to be fluffed.
Like many people, you may also be fluffing your pillows by hand. But what if we told you that all you need are a couple of tennis balls in the dryer, and you’ll have fluffy pillows again?
Using Tennis Balls to Fluff Pillows: How do you do it?
Believe it or not, fluffing pillows is very simple to do when you’re using tennis balls.
Gone are the days when you have to manually fluff a pillow using your hands – which is not only tiring but a waste of time.
To fluff pillows, all you need to do is put the clean tennis balls and pillows inside your dryer. Next, set the setting on delicate and wait for the spin to complete. Once it’s done, there you have it: fluffy pillows that are fresh, cosy, and just like new.
But how is this possible?
When the tennis balls agitate the pillows and bounce inside the dryer drum, they release pressure on the bedding and allow its fibres to separate.

As a result, the feathers or cotton that are clumping together are released, which makes the pillow return to its fluffy state.
NOTE: Only put your dryer on a low setting. Otherwise, the heat can melt the rubber in the tennis ball and make your pillows have an unpleasant smell.
Don’t have Tennis Balls? Here are some alternatives:
Not all of us have tennis balls just lying around our homes. If you don’t have them, you can also use the following:
T-shirts tied into balls
Using an old shirt you don’t mind wrinkling, tie opposite ends together and pull tight. This will make a knot. Repeat this until you have the shirt forming a ball-like shape. Once done, you can throw it in the dryer with your pillow.
Rubber balls
Do you have small rubber balls in your home? They can also be a good alternative in case you don’t have tennis balls. Just make sure that you only use the low setting on your dryer, or the rubber will melt.

Stuffed toys
It’s time to borrow your kid’s stuffed animals or toys and put them to good use! As long as it does not have hard or plastic parts that can damage your pillows, they can also help fluff the fibres and make them cosy again.
Dryer balls
Finally, if you are already using wool or rubber dryer balls to remove the moisture in your garments, why not use them to fluff your pillows too? Dryer balls can not only speed up the drying process of your clothes, but also agitate your bedding until it restores its fluffiness.
- SUPERIOR QUALITY WOOL – 100% New Zealand premium wool with no synthetic fillers, rolled into tight, extra-large balls and felted for a natural, long lasting product.
- REUSABLE FABRIC SOFTENER – Replace chemically infused dryer sheets and liquid fabric softeners with an eco-friendly and natural alternative that will last more than a thousand dryer loads.
Benefits of using Tennis Balls in the dryer
Aside from fluffing your pillows out, did you know that you can use tennis balls in your dryer for a variety of purposes?
One of the things tennis balls are good at is drying garments quickly. Since they agitate the fabrics, this leaves more room between the fibres and allows air to move freely inside the drum. As a result, the drying time for your garments is significantly reduced.

Next, tennis balls make your clothes less staticky. Have you ever notice your shirt clinging weirdly to your skin when wearing it?
This usually happens when the clothes get static due to the friction released when the clothes rub together in the dryer. Putting balls inside when drying allows the clothes to have more space and lessens the contact they have with each other.
Finally, tennis balls can save you time and money! What happens when you don’t have to re-dry your clothes because they’re still damp even after being in the tumble dryer? That’s right, you’ll reduce your energy bills, which leads up to significant savings in the long run!
SEE ALSO: Can You Tumble Dry A Pillow? (is it safe or will it damage it)
Ready to get the Tennis Balls bouncing?
Although it may seem weird, tennis balls are great for laundry use, especially when you want to fluff the pillows out.
It also helps that these neon things will not only make your bedding cosy but also make your garments dry quickly and less staticky!
Do you have laundry-related tips or questions? Feel free to leave them in the comments!
SEE ALSO: How Often Does Bedding Need To Be Washed? (what you must know)
Frequently Asked Questions
The number of tennis balls you’ll put in the dryer will depend on the bulk of your pillows. If you’re putting many pillows that are bulky, using 3 or more tennis balls is necessary to fluff them thoroughly.
Yes, tennis balls can be used as an alternative to tumble dryer balls. However, they can be too rough on your clothing, especially delicate ones.
To fluff garments and bedding, you can use tennis balls or dryer balls made of wool or rubber.
No, dryer balls will not damage your tumble dryer. If they are too loud in the dryer, use a towel to cushion the sound.
It’s best to store the tennis balls in a ventilated area so that they’re ready to use on your next laundry session.