Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/787644
Arecentcolumn,"Fab- ric Softener Products Are the Problem, Not the Solu- tion," struck a chord with thousands of readers. I know be- cause you sent me messages and letters, which I love — even those of you who are not 100 percent sat- isfied making the switch from problematic laundry softeners to what I find are amazing wool dryer balls. But first, let's review the problem. THE TROUBLE WITH FABRIC SOFTENERS. The medical website WebMD reports that the perfumes and additives in laundry products may cause skin problems. Fabric softeners are very allergenic and can cause eczema, which ap- pears as dry, itchy skin. Dryer sheets contain volatile organic com- pounds like acetalde- hyde and butane, which can cause respiratory ir- ritation. Fabric softener chemicals known as qua- ternary ammonium com- pounds have been linked to asthma. Acetone, also used in dryer sheets, can cause nervous system ef- fects like headaches or diz- ziness. WHY WOOL DRYER BALLS. These things look like overgrown ten- nis balls and are made of 100 percent wool yarn that over time becomes felted, making them especially durable and not at all prone to unraveling. One set of wool dryer balls will last for what seems like forever, softening thou- sands of loads of laundry — no batteries, refills, re- pairs or reconditioning re- quired. It's one purchase and done. HOW WOOL DRYER BALLS WORK. Imagine a big load of wet bath towels going into the dryer. You hit Start, and that mas- sive wad of wet fabric flops around, the pieces sticking together for quite awhile before the layers become dry enough to separate and allow warm air to cir- culate. That slows the dry- ing time, wasting time and energy. Now imagine six wool dryer balls bouncing around (I use an entire set of six in every load), work- ing their way between the layers of fabric, separat- ing them so the warm air can circulate efficiently from the very start of the cycle. I've tested dry- ing times with and with- out wool dryer balls, and the results are quite amaz- ing. Wool dryer balls cut at least 25 percent of the dry- ing time. I have also found these balls stuck tightly in the sleeve of a long-sleeve T-shirt and the pocket of a pair of jeans! They work their way into tight spaces, and that's what makes them so awesome. Because dryer balls also agitate against the fibers in clothes and linens, ev- erything feels softer com- ing out of the dryer. And when used properly, they also take care of static cling. HOW TO USE WOOL DRYER BALLS. Because they have room to bounce around wet clothes and linens, dryer balls do their best and fastest work when the dryer is not crammed full. You'll find that two medium-size loads will dry faster and more efficiently than one gigantic load. Dryer balls need room to work. ADDING FRAGRANCE TO A DRYER LOAD. Some of you wrote saying you really miss the lovely fra- grance you had when us- ing dryer sheets. If this is important to you, here's a much healthier and bet- ter alternative: Squeeze a few drops of essential oil on each of the dryer balls. Give them time to absorb the oil deep into the fibers — a few hours is advis- able. The more the oils are absorbed into the dryer balls before use, the more slowly the fragrance will be dispersed in the dryer. You'll begin to notice a subtle nontoxic fragrance in your clean, soft laundry. STATIC ELECTRICITY. The biggest complaint I have received from readers is that while dryer sheets eliminate static cling, wool dryer balls do not. In fact, several readers wrote to tell me that static cling makes them want to throw the balls out and go back to their old dryer sheets. Don't do that. Really ... there is an explanation and a simple solution. Much of the reason static occurs is due to overdrying clothes. You are definitely going to no- tice static if the dryer is allowed to run too long, with or without wool dryer balls. Overdrying wastes gas and electricity, wears out your clothes prematurely (as evidenced by all that lint) and, as you are learn- ing, causes static cling, es- pecially on a day with low humidity. Another cause of static is synthetic materials like polyester, nylon, rayon and acrylic. Try to sep- arate synthetics to keep the rest of your laun- dry static-free. Then ei- ther dry the synthetics by hanging them on a line or putting them in the dryer, making sure you end the drying cycle before they are totally dry. Here's what I do, since I do not have the time to stand in the laundry room watching and wait- ing for things to dry the perfect amount of time: I spray my wool dryer balls with water, getting them quite wet. The laundry dries faster than the wool dryer balls because they are so dense and thus ele- vate the humidity level in the dryer. It works like a charm and does not harm the dryer balls in any way or increase the drying time. Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate. com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE How to use wool dryer balls and why you should Mary Hunt The American Legion will be honoring the Four Chaplains at a memorial to be hosted at noon Tuesday, Feb. 21, at the Red Bluff Veterans Memorial Hall, 735 Oak St. Dec. 7, 1940 America was attacked by Japan and President Roosevelt called it "a date that will live in infamy." As the war effort progressed, in 1943 a pleasure ship was refitted as a troop transport and named the USS Dorches- ter. Aboard the Dorches- ter were 902 service men including four chaplains headed to Europe. The four Chaplains in- cluded one Catholic priest named Father John Wash- ington, a rabbi named Alex- ander Goode and two min- isters, Chaplain George Fox and Chaplain Clark Poling. The Dorchester traveled along the North Atlantic, making a stop at a port in Canada. After a short stay, it again set off with Green- land as its next stop. The Dorchester was es- corted by other American ships as there had been re- ports of Wolf Pack U-Boats in the area of the convoy, but since the Dorches- ter was not as fast as the other ships it began to fall back. On Feb. 3, 1943, the Dorchester was about 90 nautical miles from Greenland and the cap- tain, aware of the U-Boats, ordered all personnel to wear their life jackets at all times. Many did, but many did not. Those down in the hull of the ship did not be- cause it was too hot and uncomfortable. In the dark of the night about 1 a.m. on Feb. 3, 1943 theDorchesterwasstruckby a U-Boat torpedo that set off panic throughout the ship. The men in the hull could not see as all lights on the ship were dead and, unable to see, many were unable to puttheirlifejacketsonmuch less reach the top deck. An- other problem was created by fact that due to the tilt of the ship many of the life- boats could not be released. As panic prevailed, the four chaplains did all they could to help the ser- vice men aboard the ship. Knowing what their fate was, the four chaplains gave their life jackets to four of the other service men so that they could pos- sibly survive. The Dorchester tilted quickly and as the service men who were able to get on a lifeboat looked back they could see those still on the ship had lit flares and there stood the four chaplains, locked arm in arm, praying and singing in glory to God, in whom they all had great faith. The Dorchester sank in less than 18 minutes into the darkness of the abyss of the sea, but 200 service- men survived. As ships came to help, man after man recounted the brave story of the four chaplains who later would be memo- rialized in stained glass at the National Cathedral as well as in 1948 when the U.S. Postal Service issued "The Immortal Chaplains Interfaith in Action" stamp. Later, in 1960, Congress issued a rare honor to the four chaplains — a medal for valor that has never been repeated. A documen- tary titled Sacrifice At Sea was also made, which can be viewed on YouTube with asearchforFourChaplains. Thoughbusypeoplewith changing viewpoints, the four chaplains ought to be remembered and the sacri- fice of the four men should not slip away. In order to keep the memory alive, the American Legion invites the public to join them at the Feb. 21 ceremony. AMERICAN LEGION Four Chaplains memorial to be hosted Feb. 21 CONTRIBUTED Professional Ballet Company Paradosi will be holding a dance workshop Saturday, March 4 at Selah Dance Academy,w 446 Antelope Blvd. in Red Bluff. Classes will be available in ballet, jazz, contemporary and tap for ages 4 to adult. Call Selah for class times or more information, 727-9154. PARADOSI BALLET COMPANY DANCE WORKSHOP Vote NOW Best of Tehama County 2017 Go to www.redbluffdailynews.com Click this Vote Icon, top of page VOTING ENDS FEBRUARY 24 TH AT 5PM Click this Vote Icon, top of page REWARD $3000+ missing2ATV's, Generators 25-6volt batteries, 10-Solar panels, 27 ton troy log splitter, trailer and much more CallRay 408-561-0757 or Sheriff 530-529-7900 Saturday,February25th 12– 8 pm ¦ carlino's room at rolling hills casino Don'tmisstheChowderCookofffrom12–4pm! TICKETS$10 Includesacommemorativetastingglass,chowdercookofftastings,and$5freeslotplay $1 Tasting Fee at Each Wine Booth TicketsavailableattheRollingHillsCasino,BannerBank(Chico,RedBluff,Corning), Rabobank (Corning & Red Bluff), Corning Chamber of Commerce, Red Bluff Chamber of Commerce, online at www.ticketforce.com, and at the door! S t d F b th TheConnection/ His Way Church ComeWorshipwithUs Tuesday & Saturday at 6pm WithPastorsJohnandChuck 446 Walnut Street Downtown Red Bluff (across from Post Office) www.hiswayonline.org www.theconnection@vpweb.com 734MainStreet 530-690-2477 11am-9pm Mon.-Thur. 11am - 10pm Fri. & Sat. 11am-8pm Sun. 9 CRAFT BEERS ON TAP Pizza Restaurant LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, February 16, 2017 » MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6