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Naturally freshen your laundry. iStockphoto.comImportant Points to Remember
- The Downy fabric-softener ball is a timed, self-contained device designed for top-loading washers, releasing fabric softener at the optimal time during the wash cycle.
- This mechanism functions based on Newton's first law of motion: the ball stays afloat until the spin cycle begins. The spinning force moves a weighted gasket within the ball, which then opens to dispense the fabric softener.
- The ball is specifically engineered for top-load washers, relying on the vertical motion and spin cycle force to activate its release mechanism effectively.
The Downy fabric-softener ball is one of the most ingenious yet simple inventions. This self-contained timing device eliminates the need to manually add fabric softener at the right moment in your laundry cycle.
The ball cleverly applies Newton's first law of motion — "An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force" — to release fabric softener at just the right time during the wash.
At the start, the ball floats on top of the water in a top-loading washer (this ball doesn't work in front-loading washers due to the need for vertical movement). It stays in place during the initial wash cycles. The fabric softener is sealed inside the ball by a rubber gasket connected to a weighted rubber part that hangs toward the center. This seal is tough enough to resist significant force, which you can test yourself.
As the spin cycle begins, the ball is forcefully pushed against the side of the washer. This is where Newton's first law takes action.
As the ball moves towards the washer's wall, both the hard outer shell and the rubber weight inside are moving at a specific speed and direction — they have momentum. Upon impact with the wall, the shell stops immediately, but the weight continues moving inside the ball. Once the weight reaches a certain angle, it triggers the gasket, causing it to open. This results in the ball sinking and allowing water to mix with the fabric softener. The mixture is then released into your laundry at the perfect moment — no need for you to time it manually!
