Few things are more annoying than opening the dryer and finding your clean sheets twisted into one giant knot. The sheets may look wrinkled, and the inside of the bundle can still be damp while the outside feels completely dry.
Luckily, sheets don’t have to turn into a tangled mess every time you dry them. A few small changes can give your bedding more room to move, improve airflow, and help everything come out drier and less wrinkled.
Toss in Wool Dryer Balls
Wool dryer balls can help keep large pieces of laundry from sticking together. As they move around the dryer, they create space between sheets and other items, helping prevent the fabric from wrapping around itself.
They also keep the load moving, which may help with drying time and reduce some wrinkles. For a load of bedding, try using three to six wool dryer balls and see how your sheets come out.
Avoid Overloading the Dryer
Sheets need room to move freely inside the dryer. If the drum is packed with bedding, towels, and clothes, the larger pieces can easily twist together and form a tight bundle.
Try drying sheets in a smaller load instead of stuffing everything into the dryer at once. If you’re washing bulky bedding, drying the sheets separately from towels can give them more room to tumble.
Pay Special Attention to Fitted Sheets
Fitted sheets can cause plenty of trouble in the dryer. Those elastic corners can fold over and create pockets that catch pillowcases, socks, washcloths, and other small items of laundry.
Before moving a fitted sheet from the washer to the dryer, check all four corners and pull out anything that got caught inside. You can also loosely fold the fitted sheet before putting it in the dryer, which may help keep it from swallowing the rest of the load.
Related: 12 Strange but Effective Laundry Hacks Using Everyday Ingredients
Give Sheets a Good Shake Before Drying
A quick shake can make a noticeable difference. Before putting your sheets in the dryer, grab each piece and give it a good snap to loosen twisted sections and separate any fabric that’s stuck together.
This gives the sheets a better start and can help them tumble more freely during the cycle. If you happen to notice the bedding has balled up halfway through drying, pause the machine, pull the sheets apart, and toss them back in. A few seconds of untangling can save you from having to pull out one giant knot at the end of the cycle.
