How to Keep Sheets From Balling Up in the Dryer With These 6 Tips From Laundry Experts

Few things are more annoying than discovering your sheets are a massive, tangled ball in the dryer after you've made the effort to finally knock out that big load of laundry. Not only does this mean your sheets might still be damp and require more drying time, but it’s also just a pain to untangle! So, what do you do to prevent this irksome issue? We asked cleaning experts for their best tried-and-true tricks to combat the problem.

Shake It Out

According to Kathy Cohoon of Two Maids, a residential cleaning service, keeping sheets untangled can be as easy as shaking your sheets before tossing them in the dryer so the top sheet and fitted sheet don’t get tangled up.

Set some realistic expectations, though: ”Because of their size and shape, it’s difficult to completely prevent sheets from balling up in the washer," adds Sammy Wang, a fabric senior scientist at Procter & Gamble.

Take a Pause

“If you have a bigger bed—meaning bigger sheets—pause the dry cycle halfway and (again) shake out your sheets to keep them bunch-free and allow them to fully dry,” Cohoon suggests.  Also, don’t mix bed linens in with an already big load of laundry. Those excess items in the machine may get caught in the corners of fitted sheets and bunch up.

If space and weather allow, skip the dryer altogether and opt to line-dry sheets. It may feel like an unnecessary step, but this will help prevent the dreaded ball. Plus, this can extend the lifespan of your fabrics—exposure to high heat degrades textiles over time.

Add Dryer or Tennis Balls

Wool dryer balls or clean tennis balls may help your sheets stay untangled. “Tennis balls with their weight and bounce can help keep fabrics separated in the dryer as they’re tumbling,” says Wang.

Add a Clean Towel

Adding a clean towel to your dryer can do a similar job to a tennis or dryer ball. It can help keep sheets untangled, reduce dry time, and help to absorb excess moisture. Just remember the towel should be fresh and clean—adding a soiled towel will just make your sheets smell funky and you'll have to rewash them.

Create Separation

“Don’t wash and dry too many sets of sheets in the same load!" Wang advises. "The more large pieces of fabric in a load (like sheets), the more they can get tangled up." Try separating sheet sets across two different loads. For example, one load with the fitted sheet (and other items) and another load with the flat sheet (and other items). 

And remember, you never want to overload your washing machine! Don't force more laundry in than the drum can hold. Top-loaders should never have clothes above the agitator, and front-loaders should be about 3/4-full for a larger load.

Buy a Detangling Product

If you're desperate and willing to spend a few extra dollars, there are products on the market dedicated to fixing the clumping issue, such as the Wad-Free Bed Sheet Detanglers, which are small plastic squares you attach to the corners of your sheets to keep the ends from twirling together.

Our shopping writer, Stephanie Osmanski, has tested the Wad-Free with great success, writing, "I get drier, wrinkle-free sheets in significantly less time, and I no longer have to untwist and detangle sheets from the other items in the wash." Sold!