Putting Aluminum Foil In Your Washing Machine Isn't The Genius Hack Some May Think It Is

Washing machines are great. They take away the hassle of washing clothes manually, giving you more time for other things. These machines are also very popular on TikTok, as users pop up with new tricks almost every day to make laundry easier. Last time, it was adding vinegar to clean and soften fabrics, which we debunked as not being very effective. Instead, vinegar's acidic nature could even damage the rubber seals inside a machine. This time, the hack involves adding balls of aluminum foil to the wash.

So, here's how it works. Put your dirty laundry in a washer. Take two or three balls of aluminum foil, each about 2 inches in diameter, and add them to the laundry. The idea behind the hack is that clothes rubbing against one another can generate static electricity. This can cause your clothes to stick together, which affects how well they clean. That's where the aluminum foil comes in. Because aluminum conducts electricity, the foil helps dissipate the static charge. This hack is similar to using dryer sheets, which reduce static cling during drying and can also make fabrics feel softer.

If you search online, you'll find plenty of creators claiming that aluminum foil balls work wonders. Some say it helps with cleaning, while others claim it also reduces lint buildup. But is that true? Well, not really. Yes, adding dryer sheets is legit. As clothes rub together in a dryer, they can build up static charge, making them cling to your body or to other garments. But these videos keep forgetting one thing. When you're washing clothes, there's water. And as we all learned in school, regular water, with different ions and minerals, conducts electricity. As the clothes rub, water dissipates the static. Since there's no strong evidence that adding aluminum foil balls improves cleaning performance, you'd be better off using the foil to boost Wi-Fi or block RFID signals.

That said, if you're keen to use aluminum foil, or just want to try it yourself, we recommend tightly squeezing the foil into a compact ball. Do not leave sharp edges. Loose foil can break off and damage your washing machine's fragile components. Those small pieces can also cut through your clothes, so be careful.