This old-school hack is bouncing around #CleanTok again, and for good reason. Here's how to use it to get extra-fluffy bedding.
Here’s How to Get the Fluffiest Comforter Ever—You’ll Feel Like You’re Sleeping on a Cloud!
Published on Feb. 19, 2025
Keeping up with an ever-growing laundry pile has become something of a sport in my house, especially in the winter, when bulky clothing fills up the laundry hamper that much faster. Right now, it’s Laundry: 1, Humans: 0. There’s plenty of time in this game, though, and I intend to come out victorious, even after deciding to add a comforter to the mix.
It’s not that I’m worried about spending time folding and storing my comforter for the season—it’s going right back on the bed, after all. But I am reluctant to have it lose any fluffiness in the process. Or I was until I remembered an old dryer hack that has recently resurfaced on #CleanTok. It requires an inexpensive purchase that can be used again and again. But no, you won’t find it anywhere near the laundry aisle.
I talked to two cleaning experts to find out how to make this trick work for you. Want to get the fluffiest comforter ever? Keep reading.
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What is the secret to getting a super fluffy comforter?
Remember how I said that laundry is like a sport? Well, here’s the way to beat the game, at least when it comes to fluffing up blankets and bedding in the dryer: tennis balls. Three clean ones, to be exact. All you have to do is add them to the dryer along with the laundry load.
TikToker Ana Gonzalez (aka @anagainzalez) was gracious enough to share this not-so-new hack with her followers after getting such amazing results with her own fluffy bedding.
@anagainzalez No more clumpy comforter 😉 #fyp ♬ original sound – ana gonzalez
This down-comforter trick might be trending on TikTok, but it’s been around for a while. And it gets the experts’ seal of approval. “Tennis balls work great for fluffing up comforters in the dryer,” says Mónica Taher, chief operating officer of Avanti Green Eco Cleaning. “They keep things moving around inside the dryer, which helps the comforter dry evenly and stay nice and fluffy.
It’s great to see such a useful trick reach a new generation. And quite a few comments on Gonzalez’s video prove it still works:
- ClaudisME86 says, “She is right!”
- Ale says, “I can attest to this!! My husband tried it on our comforter and it def worked. It’s super fluffy.”
- Ashley Monique says, “Been doing this for years.” (Proof that the comforter, tennis balls and appliance survive the process.)
My pro tip: If you watch TV or have a sleeping child near the tennis match that’s about to go on in your dryer, plan accordingly!
What are the other benefits of using tennis balls like this?
If you’ve ever fluffed up a bed pillow by smacking it with your hand (or karate-chopped your throw pillows to make them look like they belong in a magazine), you get the idea of how tennis balls repeatedly bouncing against clothes and linens as they dry can leave them fluffier.
Aside from making a ruckus, the bouncing balls create air pockets, which allow the items to dry faster. If you’ve ever had to reset the dryer to finish still-damp towels, try tennis balls next time. With every bounce, the towels will tumble more freely and dry more easily—with far less static too.
Can you use tennis balls in this way for any other items?
Yes, you can use tennis balls to fluff up anything that needs it, including pillows and down coats and jackets. But again, this hack goes beyond the fluff factor by actually saving dry time.
Just don’t increase the dryer’s temperature to speed up the process. According to Viviana Holguin, the people experience leader at Maid Brigade, it’s best to keep the heat on low when tennis balls are in play. “They’re not made to withstand high temperatures and could leave a rubber smell on the fabrics or transfer dye onto the clothes,” she says.
Aside from not overstuffing the dryer, Holguin’s top tip is to slip socks over the tennis balls to protect the fabrics, reduce noise and prevent any dye transfer.
Can dryer balls work the same kind of magic?
If you’ve already ditched dryer sheets in favor of wool dryer balls, you could try the same three-ball technique with your bedding, as Kiva Brent demonstrated on TikTok with a pillow. Yes, these balls will separate the clothes and help them dry more quickly. But don’t expect the same oomph as you’d get from tennis balls.
“Wool balls can work, but tennis balls tend to be more effective because they are firmer,” says Holguin. “However, wool balls have their advantages—they are quieter, gentler on fabrics and do a better job at reducing static and wrinkles.”
Could it hurt to toss in a couple wool balls with the tennis balls? Not at all, but you’ve got to leave enough room in the dryer for them to bounce around.
How the tennis ball trick worked for me
I recently washed the comforter on my king bed. It’s thin, more like a quilt, but it does have some fluff to it. I’m happy to say that it was fluffier after I took it for a spin with a trio of Penn tennis balls. (You can use whatever brand you have on hand.)
The balls weren’t as noisy as they would have been if I’d had a smaller item in the dryer. Still, I could definitely hear them volleying around the drum. I stopped the dryer a couple of times to rearrange the fabric so that it didn’t get too bunched up, but don’t feel like you have to supervise the dryer if you don’t have time.
One thing I’ve learned the hard way is to attempt to locate the tennis balls before taking the comforter out of the machine. This is easier said than done, especially if they’re hiding in the folds of your now-fluffy king-size blanket. I caught one on a bounce but had to go chasing another across the room—I told you laundry was a sport!—but I corralled all three back into the canister for next time.
Other tips for a fluffy comforter
If you don’t want to purchase tennis balls for the sake of laundry, there are other ways to more or less mimic the effect. Taher says clean sneakers with the laces tied up can do the trick. “It might be noisier, but they will help reduce the drying time,” she says. Clean, dry towels are also great for absorbing moisture, she adds.
I once received a clever dryer product called Wad-Free to test on bedsheets. There’s a version specially made for blankets and duvet covers too. This nifty gadget gathers the corners of a sheet or blanket to prevent it from bundling up like a burrito, so it cuts down on dry time.
But if you don’t have room in your dryer for a large comforter, let alone anything else, there’s hope. Here are some tips to keep the fluff while air-drying items:
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Lay flat to dry. When it comes to laundry care labels, there’s a difference between line drying and drying flat. You’ll want to do the latter for your comforter or anything that has a down or fluffy filling, according to bedding company Apsmile, which shared this tip on its TikTok account. Hanging it up will certainly dry it, but gravity will take hold, and the filling will retreat to the bottom. By laying it flat to dry—two dryer racks spread out can work if you don’t have the table room—you’ll be able to keep the filling spread out, helping your comforter keep its shape.
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Pat and fluff it by hand. Go ahead and play the bongos on your drying comforter. Give it a squeeze like they do in the commercials. Karate-chop it like a throw pillow. It will all help restore the fluffiness while it dries.
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Make the bed with flair. When making the bed with your fresh-out-of-the-dryer linens, pretend you’re playing the parachute game from your school days: Lift your comforter high above the bed and then let it float back down. It looks cool, sure, but the movement also makes the comforter extra fluffy.
About the experts
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At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece, Barbara Bellesi Zito tapped her experience as a longtime journalist who covers home topics, including cleaning. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Viviana Holguin, people experience leader at Maid Brigade; email interview, Feb. 13, 2025
- Mónica Taher, chief operating officer of Avanti Green Eco Cleaning; email interview, Feb. 13, 2025
- Ana Gonzalez: “No more clumpy comforter”
- Kiva Brent: “This is the best fluffy bedding hack”
- Apsmilelive: “A trick to show you how to make your duvet fluffier the more you wash it”
