I run six loads of laundry each week. This cut my bedding's drying time by nearly half.
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I run six loads of laundry each week. This cut my bedding's drying time by nearly half.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more.
I run six loads of laundry each week to keep up with the constant onslaught of hamper pile-ups my five small children make. I’m also a major stickler for clean bedding and run each child’s bedding through the wash with the safest laundry detergents at least once per week.
If you have small children like I do, you know occasional accidents happen that require even more frequent washes. My relatively new dryer has always had to run fully, and then run again, to keep up with all the bedding. Aside from the ridiculously high energy bills for running the dryer so often, I knew I was wasting too much time on the laundry. That’s why I decided to give one of Amazon’s rising laundry stars a try, the Wad-Free for Bed Sheets.
This inexpensive little plastic contraption promised to “Prevent sheets from tangling, twisting, and balling up in both the washing machine and the dryer.” Sounded good enough to me, because we all know it’s the clumping and gathering of material that seems to stop it from drying properly. Truly, balled-up sheets had been the bane of my laundry-doing existence, and I had nearly surrendered to a lifestyle of laundry just being a long-haul process.
One Amazon review from a verified purchaser really hooked me. “It works exactly as promoted,” the review reads. “I’ve used it five times and each time there’s been no twisting of the sheets and no pillowcases or other items balled up and still wet when the dryer timer goes off. It’s super helpful that it comes with two units, one for the top sheet and one for the bottom so I don’t have to split them into separate loads. I no longer dread washing sheets and plan to buy some of these for gifts.”
It’s almost too simple, and I was shocked that I didn’t have to put more than 30 seconds of effort into using it. Each package comes with two Wad-Free squares, each with four slots to handle your sheet’s corners. All you need to do is slide each corner of your sheet into one of the Wad-Free slots, and use the device’s little rubber fasteners to hold them in place. The device ensures that your sheets won’t ball up in the dryer and that airflow is constant and steady throughout the drying process. That’s it. Throw it in the wash with your best smelling laundry detergent, transfer it to the dryer, and save more time than you’d expect.
When I opened the package of two simple-looking plastic Wad-Free pieces, I thought there must be more to it. After all, it is the lowest-tech device I’ve ever seen. But it works, and I don’t know who thought it up, but I’d like to high-five them. At the time of publishing, this dry-time slashing gadget had nearly 1,700 ratings and an excellent 4.3-stars average, and we all seem to agree on one thing: it works.
You can use it with any of your best laundry detergents, and it stands up to use with wool dryer balls. The device nearly eliminates the need to run the dryer a second time when you’ve thrown a load of sheets in. The best part? No chemicals are used or released when you pop the Wad-Free in any given laundry load, so it’s safe for the most sensitive skin types and can even be used with water-only loads.
While the brand says it cuts drying time by up to 75 percent, I found it cut mine by just about half. That’s more than enough for me to save precious time and energy. I’ve also noticed it’s made a noticeable dent in my monthly energy bill by running the dryer half as much. That may only be a few dollars a month in savings, but it means that this time-saving device has basically paid for itself already.
The only downside is relatively minor. The sheet corners that hook into the Wad-Free end up a little creased by the time they’re dry. It’s a small price to pay for saving loads of your time, and the device doesn’t damage or harm bedding. I now use it religiously on all my children’s sheets because frankly, a small crease or two is the least of our issues here. We have bigger laundry fish to fry, and plenty of time to do it because we’re not using the dryer 12 times each week now.
You can score your own Wad-Free for Bed Sheets at Amazon for just under $19. If you run a few bedding sets together in the same load, or wash multiple loads throughout the day, you may want to invest in a second or third set. These also make genius gifts for people who don’t have time to do tons of laundry. When you order yours, expect a hand-written note from the owner. It’s a friendly, personal touch that’ll make you excited to support a small business that genuinely takes the chore-like feeling out of washing the sheets.
I’m not alone in thinking this product is incredibly useful, though. Here are a few five-star Amazon reviews from real customers.
Catherine Cartwright:Â “It’s about time someone came up with an invention like this. The person that created this is a genius! The Wad-Free for Bed Sheets package contains enough for two sheets, comes with easy-to-use instructions, and really works! I love not finding other laundry items wrapped up in the center of the sheet still wet, but I especially appreciate the time and money saved with my laundry drying faster now. I highly recommend this product!”
Averageman:Â “Could not be happier,” the reviewer says, adding that, “This is an obviously very well-made product, I can tell it will last. This is a must-have for anyone doing laundry on a limited time budget. I’m thinking hospitality industry. Owning Airbnbs myself, my turnover time is limited, I have only so much time to spend on laundry, and I can tell you that fitted sheets in dryers are an ABSOLUTE nightmare. This product is a godsend! Not having to separate loads and in effect having double work is making a lot of difference.”
Andy F.:Â “This device is easy to use. You simply attach each of the four corners of the sheet to the Wad-Free and then throw it in the washer with a full load of laundry (I used to have to wash the sheets by themselves). The package came with two so you can do the top and bottom sheet with one package. The wash, rinse, and spin cycles are completed without knotting up or throwing the machine out of balance. Then I simply transferred the load to the dryer and started it. I swear the entire load dried completely in like half the time without me having to stop and untwist everything. The sheets (and the rest of the load) were completely dry the first time, and the sheets were also much less wrinkled.”