Bazsux: This product reduces laundry frustration and energy use

We’ve all been there. Those seemingly lightweight sheets go into the laundry separate and free, but come out the other side as a giant wadded ball. That ball often causes the washing machine to go off-balance, stopping the load mid-wash. It also creates a mess in the dryer when it creates a cocoon of wet items to be untangled and re-dried. Wad-Free for Bed Sheets solves the issue of tangled, twisted sheets with the goal of saving time, money and energy.

The company Wad-Free displayed in Shark Tank with a woman wearing a floor-length blue dress

“I was fed up with the way my sheets would wad up in the washer and dryer,” said Wad-Free Inventor and Owner Cyndi Bray. “I was tired of wrestling with wet sheets. It was maddening how much time and energy I was wasting just getting my sheets to dry. Since a solution to this ubiquitous problem didn’t exist, I tasked myself with inventing one. The sheet wad has finally met its match!”

A package of Wad-Free with a blue cloth and two white squares attached to it

Faced with the obvious problem, Bray wasn’t deterred by the fact that she had no experience in product design, engineering or marketing. Instead, she dug into the science and successfully launched Wad-Free during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The square device works like the old-school sheet straps with the knob that clips into a channel to hold the sheet corner in place. Before doing a load of laundry, attach a Wad-Free to both the bottom and top sheet. It comes as a set of two for this reason. Then wash your sheets as usual. The “parachute” effect keeps the sheets from tangling together or becoming twisted in the wash. When the wash cycle is done, dry as usual. Wad-Free also keeps the sheets from balling up in the dryer.

The simple act of keeping sheets from tangling provides cleaner sheets and saves you from having to rewash. This saves water, detergent, time and energy. Even better, keeping the sheets loose in the dryer significantly cuts back on the time required to reach a dry state, again saving time and money while improving energy efficiency.

A pile of sheets with two white squares attached to it sits in a laundry basket beside a laundry machine

Bray suggested attaching Wad-Free for Bed Sheets as you remove them from the bed so the corners are easy to locate. The device doesn’t have to be directly on the corner, but works best when placed as close as possible. Once all four corners are properly attached, each sheet is shaped a bit like a hot air balloon and ready to wash.

Wad-Free can be used on any size of sheet. If you have a split-mattress bed, you may need two packages since you have a total of three sheets. However, reviewers reported if they used the Wad-Free on two sheets, the third remained untangled without it.

Wad-Free is made entirely in the U.S. and all oil-free, odor-free and non-toxic materials are sourced within the country. It won’t melt in the dryer, become damaged in the process or result in damage to the surface of either appliance. It’s safe to use in all laundry temperature settings and isn’t affected by laundry products, including bleach. However, Bray recommended following the actual washing and drying instructions for the material you’re washing, which is typically a gentle cycle and low dryer settings.

The Wad-Free 2-pack (enough for one sheet set) is $18.99 on the website. Also available at Amazon.

Two hands putting the Wad-Free into a washing machine

Review of Wad-Free

The concept is simple, yet I’m pretty sure it includes a bit of pixie dust in the recipe because, I’ll be honest, I don’t understand how it works. In the end, though, I don’t care if it includes magic. The company sent me a sample product to try out. I’ve had the opportunity to use it and found it to work great.

The product is easy to use and there are step-by-step instructions to follow if you have any questions. It added a few extra minutes to the chore of washing the sheets. However, the sheets came out of the washing machine loose and ready for the dryer. I even threw in some kitchen hand towels and a few other, smaller items to test the separation ability and it stood up to the challenge.

The marketing materials claim up to 75% less drying time, but I can’t confirm this claim. I will say they were definitely dry in less time than without the Wad-Free. Even better, I didn’t have to untangle the mess or search for wet items wedged into the pockets of balled-up sheets. This kept me from having to restart the load or put any of the items back in for further drying.

I was disappointed to see the product is made from plastic. I’d rather see a combination of elastic/fabric and steel since I avoid plastic whenever possible (a HUGE challenge in the modern world).

With a bit of research, I found the material is actually two types of durable non-toxic plastic. The base is made of a recycled type of polypropylene and the straps are a custom-compounded TPE (thermoplastic elastomer). Not great, but they appear to be durable and, at least in theory, are endlessly reusable, so I’m hoping for a long and resource-saving relationship with my Wad-Free before it ever sees a landfill.

+ Wad-Free

Images via Wad-Free

Editor’s Note: This product review is not sponsored by Wad-Free. All opinions on the products and company are the author’s own.

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