We all know the feeling of putting sheets in the dryer and letting it run only to come back when it’s finished to find the sheets in a big wad, still damp after they spent what seems like forever tumbling around in there.
For me, this might be the worst part about sheet-washing day. I actually enjoy putting the sheets back on my bed — especially because we use Baloo Stonewashed Linen Sheets.
Luckily, there’s a solution. Wad-Free promises to help sheets dry up to 75% faster, and after using it for over a year, I can’t imagine washing sheets without it.
The Worst Part About Washing Sheets
I love making the bed, and I don’t even mind stripping the bed and throwing everything into the washer. The worst part? Drying them. They typically get tangled up into a ball, and I have to remember to fluff them up every 20 minutes.
Except that I usually don’t remember.
When I finally remember that I did, in fact, wash the sheets, I head to the dryer to find a big, damp clump. (This is right around bedtime.) Now, I have to wait until they’re dry and then make the bed. By this time, I’m tired and mad that I even decided to wash the sheets in the first place.
Sound familiar? Thank goodness there’s a solution.
Wad-Free for Bed Sheets
What Is Wad-Free?
Specifications
- Non-toxic materials: No latex, PVC, BPA, or phthalates.
- Works with: Flat sheets, fitted sheets, table cloths, yardage, socks, aprons.
- Washing instructions: Attach to sheets and follow fabric care instructions.
- Not for use with: Silk, rayon, bamboo, eucalyptus, beechwood.
Wad-Free is an ingenious little device that significantly reduces the amount of time it takes to dry sheets, saving both time and energy. It’s basically a little plastic square with a hole on each corner and a plastic tab that holds the sheet in place. When attached to bedding, it allows it to dry faster and prevents the three types of wads — the “tornado,” the “hostage-taker,” and the “burrito.”
To use Wad-Free, you can follow the instructions on the website which say to:
- Cover an open tab with fabric
- Poke through the hole
- Slide the covered tab into the channel
When you’re done, the sheet will look like a parachute. If you want to air-dry your sheets, this will help that go faster as well. You can hang the sheet from a clothesline or from a shower curtain rod, balcony, or staircase or even in a spacious closet.
As I was reading through the website to write this, I realized that I’m supposed to be fluffing the sheets back into a parachute shape when I move them from the washer to the dryer. I haven’t been doing that, and they still dry faster than normal, so I imagine they’ll dry even faster now.
Wad-Free also works with tablecloths or fabric yardage and can keep your socks paired.
The founder Cyndi Bray was on Shark Tank in 2021!
Pros
- Reduces dry time.
- Reduces tangling and "wadding."
- Easy to use once you get used to it.
- Works with air drying.
- Cleaner sheets.
- More balanced loads.
Cons
- Takes a little time to get used to putting the sheets on.
- There may be a small dimple in the sheet when the Wad-Free is removed.
- May twist the corners of the sheets.
Ease of Use
The first use is a little tricky, and I read the instructions carefully. Once you get the hang of it, though, it just takes a few extra seconds to get the Wad-Free attached securely to each sheet. A tip on the website says to put the Wad-Free on when stripping the bed. This way, all the corners will be easy to find.
Sheet Size and Material
Wad-Free works with any size sheet. I’ve used it with the kids’ twin sheets and with my king sheets. Our king sheets are stonewashed linen and the kids’ sheets are polyester microfiber (though I’d like to upgrade theirs soon). Don’t use Wad-Free on sheets that contain silk or rayon. This includes bamboo, eucalyptus, and beechwood. The website says that rayon goes by different names, including viscose, modal, lyocell, acetate, Tencel, and more, so it’s important to check the tags.
Faster Dry Time
Wad-Free helps bed sheets dry up to 75% faster, and while I haven’t done a side-by-side test of how long it takes for sheets to dry with or without the Wad-Free, I do have a story.
One day, mid-sheet-wash, our washer broke. It was still full of water, so we pulled the sheets out and wrung them out as best we could. We didn’t want to stick them in the dryer sopping wet, so we spread them out on the deck to dry as much as they could first.
When I grabbed them to put them in the dryer, they were about 90% dry. Normally, I would put the Wad-Free on them, but I had accidentally left them on the floor of my son’s bedroom the week before, and guess what — they were missing (I later found them in a basket of toys in the basement, of course).
I shrugged because the sheets were almost dry, so I figured it wouldn’t take much for the dryer to do its job. Imagine my surprise when I went to take them out of the dryer an hour later and they were still damp. I fluffed them up and put them back in and went about my business. When I went back after the dryer stopped, they were still damp. I couldn’t believe it. That’s when I really realized how much the Wad-Free helps the drying process.
There May Be a Little “Wadding”
While Wad-Free drastically reduces the amount of “wadding” or other items getting trapped inside, there’s no way to prevent this entirely. In reading the website for this article, I found a few tips that I need to implement.
- Fluff the sheets back into the parachute shape before putting them in the dryer: I usually just transfer the pile over, so fluffing them will probably reduce dry time even more.
- Remove the Wad-Free from sheets a few minutes before the bedding is dry: This is to remove the small dimple that it leaves on the sheets.
One thing I’ve noticed is that if I put the Wad-Free right at the corners of the flat sheet, the corners look a little stretched or twisted when I put them on the bed just from being attached to the Wad-Free.
To fix this, I just move the Wad-Free a few inches down and attach it to the side of the sheet rather than right at the corner. This is only an issue on the linen sheets because they tend to hold wrinkles. It’s not an issue at all on the kids’ sheets.
Wad-Free for Bed Sheets
In My Expert Opinion
This product is genius, and I highly recommend it. When I lost one of them for a period of time, I really missed it. I actually need to get another set so I’m able to wash multiple sets of sheets in one day more easily. Right now, I’ll wait until the first set is dry before starting the next set, so I can use the Wad-Free. There’s also a version to use with blankets and duvet covers, but I haven’t tested that one yet.
