This would be a wonderful product, if only it worked! I had a Downy Ball that did not open to disperse the softener so, thinking that it was defective, bought another one. Unfortunately, that one works, perhaps, one out of three times. I must remain near the washing machine, to monitor the cycles. This entirely defeats my reason for buying the Downy Ball (to allow the cycles to work on their own). Again, it would be a great product... if only it worked.

DanKayson

Washington, DC

Using the Downy Ball made doing my laundry a cinch, I just simply fill this ball with fabric softener and throw it in with my wash and it distributes the fabric softener for me, so I don't have to wait till the second rinse to add anymore. You can use any fabric softener with this ball and get the same results.

blackbettie

USA

The downy ball is great, when it works. it doesn't work on a consistent enough basis for it to be a good use of money, but it does work. There are too many down-sides for it to be worth it. The ball often doesn't open in time for the rinse cycle, and the wash cycle ends before the liquid is ever released. There's nothing worse than anticipating soft yummy smelling clothing and ending up with a downy ball that didn't open. It's a big dissapointment. It's also a very small thing and cen get lost in a large load of laundry. It can be hard to find and often gets tossed into the dryer (sometimes while still full,) which is bad for the clothing, the ball, and the dryer. I do not recommend this product to anyone. The brand is great, and the product concept was a stroke of brilliance, but the actual design is not functional enough on a consistent basis to be worth anything or even of any use to me.

KatiSteiner

Jamaica, NY

I love the downy dryer ball! I love how convenient it is. I love the shape of it. I love the weight of it. I love that when I fill it with my Downy fabric softener, that the fabric softener dispenses at the right time. My clothes always come out more soft and cuddly and clean. I love that it's so light so I don't have to carry extra weight of a fabric softener bottle around with me. I recommend this product for the avid fabric softener fan! This product is the best for moms, college students, and families! Definitely recommend this product. The scent always lasts through the wash and dry!

speakyourheart

USA

I love how convenient this ball is. Fabric softener is a must, but unfortunately I didnt always remember to add it before. With this ball, you add your softener at the beginning of the wash. No more having to wait around trying to remember to catch the spin cycle. My 3-year-old loves to toss it in after I've filled it! Performance I highly recommend using Downy fabric Softener with this ball. For some reason, other brands of fabric softener seem to have some difficulty getting completely emptied.

vbagshaw81

Houma, LA

I love the Downy ball so much. I'm not a big fan of dryer sheets so this product is awesome. I love how I just have to add the fabric softener to the ball and throw it in the washer, it is so easy even my kids can do it!

elewis2260

Bixby, OK

What can I say about the Downy Dryer Ball? First, I don't like anything that keeps me in the laundry room any longer than I need to. When using the Downy Dryer Ball I have to open up the little top, pour in liquid fabric softener (the good news is it can be anything you like) try not to spill, drop the ball into my laundry and let it all come out in the wash. I don't like the extra steps that the ball requires. I don't like spilling liquid fabric softener and this is where the hubby and I disagree, I actually LIKE liquid better than sheets but oh well. The Downy Dryer Ball isn't always effective either. Sometimes it all comes out in the wash and other times I still have fabric softener in the ball. Of course there is also the factor of keeping the ball clean, neat and tidy so liquid softeners don't "gunk" it up. I really wanted to like it, but it's just not the fabric softener for me.

LisaCarey

Houston, TX

Fabric softener can make a big difference in the softness of clothing but the problem with liquid fabric softeners is that most need to be added during the rinse cycle. If you miss the rinse, then your clothing won't have the benefit of softener. Is there a solution to this problem? Yes, the **Downy Dryer Ball**, an automatic fabric softener dispenser. **Dispenser Commentary:** Downy's automatic fabric softener system is a simple enough concept. It consists of a plastic ball with a rubber stopper. All you do is fill the ball with softener, up to the marked line. You then pull the stopper shut and toss the ball into the washing machine at the beginning of the wash cycle. When the wash cycle is completed and the spin cycle starts, the ball will get knocked around, forcing the stopper to open and release the liquid within, just in time for the rinse cycle to begin. Sounds like a nice little device, doesn't it? Downy, as I recall, first invented this automatic fabric softener system in the late 1970's as a response to customers who complained that they didn't like having to remember to run back to the laundry room during the rinse cycle. It was a novel idea at the time, and it helped improve customer satisfaction. So, is this automatic fabric softener system effective? I used it in the past, but no longer do and there are good reasons why. First, I tend to stick with fabric softener dryer sheets instead of liquid for my fabric softening needs, due to convenience. Second, if I am going to use rinse- only fabric softener, I have found that the agitator- based dispenser is more relaible. The problem with the Downy Ball is that it doesn't always work. Maybe my washing machines over the years have been too gentle when they spin, but I have found that the ball works only about seventy- percent of the time. The other thirty percent of the time, the stopper doesn't open and the fabric softener is never released. **Bottom- Line Viewpoint:** **** ** ** Automatic fabric softener dispensers are helpful, but the Downy Ball isn't the most reliable device out there and the one- third failure rate makes it rather annoying. Sure, I can substitute a dryer sheet for those failures, but I can't endorse any product that fumbles at this high of a rate.

Bryan-Carey

Houston, TX

Downy's handy little **Dryer Ball** (why do they call it that when it never actually sees the inside of your dryer?) is a very, very wise investment in terms of laundry use. If you love using fabric softener but have had problems with remembering to dispense it, fabric softener not working properly, or all that mess and hassle that comes with it, this is the perfect solution to all those worries and needs. This lovely little, blue-rimmed ball can be filled with **any brand of fabric softener, not just Downy.** So, don't be afraid to buy this **even **if you are not a staunch Downy user; that's why I call this a 'wise investment'. I purchased this because I noticed my clothes were much, much softer when I poured the softener **directly into** the wash water versus using the automatic dispenser diluted with around a teaspoon or so of water. Plus, the scent was stronger, and it just seemed to work better - however, I wasn't always around to get to the final rinse, so I needed some extra help. I suddenly remembered about the **Downy Ball** and decided to purchase it, to see if it would help me in anyway. And it certainly does! This is such an easy-to-use, simple device - you just pour in the amount of softener you'll need for the load, pull the stopper nice and tight (take note: **nice and tight!** If you don't, it'll leak), and drop it into the wash basin and forget all your worries, needs, or issues. This does not work until the final rinse - it 'pops' open just at the right moment and releases all the fabric softener, right into the water, but thankfully, not directly onto your clothes, so no more fabric softener spotting and staining. This is not a small little ball, so unless you shove your washing machine to full capacity, you should have absolutely no problems finding this after the wash cycle. It doesn't get damaged by the motion of your washing machine, and is well-designed, simple in use, and also attractive in a modern, intelligent way, even 'cute' by some standards (that little pull on the stopper is really sweet). This is such a convienent, intelligent little laundry aide, I think it would be great for those of us who have a lot of time on their hands, or a lot of laundry, and want to have fresh smelling, soft clothing, without all the hassle of remembering to add softener, or issues with the softener not properly dispensing. And since this is also college season, this would be the perfect addition to your students laundry arsenal, so that if they love their clothes to be soft, fresh, and wrinkle-free, they can get all of that without having to hang over the washer.

NonChoix

Fullerton, CA

i liked the downy dryer ball but i am not sure that it is worth the effort over a sheet of downy. i really love the smell of downy and always use it but the extra step of using the ball over the dryer sheets is kind of a pain and not really worth it. the dryer sheets do just as good a job and they don't get lost like the dryer ball. somehow, we could never seem to find this thing! i am not sure what would happen to it but every time i went to use it i would have to hunt around the laudry room for it. the dryer sheets are so easy that even the extra step of filling it seemed unnecessary to me. in summary, i love the smell of downy and how soft it leaves our clothing but i think that the sheets are the way to go.

SFUERY

Lexington, MA