How does the downy ball know when to open up in the washer?
It doesn’t ‘know,’ it’s purely mechanical. Look at the ball, the top is connected to a strap of rubber, which is connected to the bottom of the ball through the middle of the ball. In the middle of the strap, there is a bulge, containing a chunk of metal, also covered by rubber, that acts as a weight and pulls on the strap which opens the lid when the basket spins, after the wash cycle is done and the water has drained. If any part of the ball has gotten worn or old, it can fail to open, or can open when it’s not supposed to. If you’ve used it in the ‘heavy duty’ cycle, there is a chance that it’s rough enough to open up the ball too early, even if it’s in great shape. Also, it cannot be used in a front-loading machine.
