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I Washed Over 50 Sets of Sheets With Wad-Free and My Opinion Hasn’t Changed

Can this piece of plastic really be a $20 game-changer when washing sheets and other bulky blankets? See my thoughts below
Michelle Larson Avatar
Wad-Free Review product photo
Photo: Michelle Larson for Bob Vila

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I’ve had the Wad-Free tangle preventer for over a year, and I used it to wash our household sheets a collective four to six times each month during that time. Featured on Shark Tank, this simple yet clever tool gained attention for preventing the annoyance and wasted time caused by tangled and twisted sheets. While it took me a few tries to get the hang of installing it, I think those initial efforts—and the couple of minutes it adds to laundry day—are worth it. 

Rating: 4.5/5

Wad-Free

Buy Wad-Free for Bed Sheets Wad Preventer

At first glance, the Wad-Free doesn’t look like much. It comes with two 4-inch by 4-inch plastic squares (enough for a set of sheets), each with four plastic slots with tabs that attach to the corners of a bed sheet. To use it, cover each tab with a different sheet corner, slide the tabs to lock everything in place, and wash and dry as normal. The device keeps the corners separated so the sheets don’t end up in a tightly tangled ball that doesn’t get fully clean or stays damp in the middle no matter how many times it’s fluffed and re-dried.

Simple enough, right? Yes, but also no. The first handful of times I used the Wad-Free I had to watch how-to videos to get the installation process down. The process is easy once you’ve got it, but it’s not intuitive. Even once I thought I had it, I didn’t always cover the tabs with enough fabric to stay put during washing and drying, causing the fabric to fall out and ball up. Now, I can attach each square to each sheet automatically and in a matter of minutes.

Here’s my process:

  1. Toss one Wad-Free on the flat sheet while it’s still on the bed, insert all four corners, and set aside.
  2. Pull the corners of the fitted sheet off the mattress and insert those into the other unit.
  3. Place both sheets in the wash and set to a delicate or normal cycle with no more than medium spin speed. 
  4. Wash and dry, leaving the Wad-Free installed for both processes. 
  • Wad-Free Review product photo
  • Wad-Free Review Wad-Free attached to fitted sheet
  • Wad-Free Review Wad-Free on sheets after drying
  • Wad-Free Review
  • Wad-Free Review Wad-Free on top of fitted sheet
  • Wad-Free Review Wad-Free on sheets before washing
  • Wad-Free Review Wad-Free on sheets after washing
  • Wad-Free Review Crinkled sheet corners after using Wad-Free

When the bed sheets come out of the dryer, the corners may be crinkled from the tight grip of the tabs. If this bothers you, simply remove the Wad-Free a few minutes before the sheets are dry to knock those wrinkles out. 

The best part of using the Wad-Free wad preventer is that I never open my washer or dryer door to find a tangled ball of sheets—even when I throw a few towels or T-shirts in with the load. As long as I secure each sheet corner sufficiently, the small plastic squares stay in place and stand up to hot water as well as high drying heat. Even after dozens of trips through my washer and dryer, my squares look identical to when I first opened the package.

Everyone in our family has the percale version of these Brooklinen sheets, and my wad preventers have never damaged them. However, Wad-Free is not for use with silk, rayon, bamboo, eucalyptus, or beechwood sheets. The squares themselves are made from non-toxic materials and free of latex, PVC, BPA, and phthalates, and the company also makes a Wad-Free for blankets and duvet covers

At just under $20 per set, the highly-durable Wad-Free bed sheet wad preventer gets sheets cleaner (since soap and water can better reach all parts) and dries sheets up to 75 percent faster. It stops sheets from becoming tangled and prevents loads from becoming unbalanced. Yes, it takes a little practice to get used to installing them, and yes, the process adds a few minutes to washing your sheets. But for the annoyance and energy it saves? Totally worth it. 

Where to Buy Wad-Free for Bed Sheets Wad Preventer

Get the Wad-Free for Bed Sheets Wad Preventer at:

 
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