7 Ways to Remove Lint From Your Clothes

 

We’ve all had days where we’re running late to a social event, one foot out the door, only to realize our clothes are covered in stubborn bunches of lint. Your trusty lint roller would be useful if it wasn’t empty and maybe you’re trying to be more eco-friendly lately. So what are you supposed to do to save yourself from the stress of having to change?

We’ve got your back (As well as the rest of your wardrobe!) fully covered. Read up on how in this handy little guide full of tips and tricks so you can be back on schedule and looking good in no time!

Why Are Your Clothes Covered in Lint?

Lint, according to Merriam-Webster, is “fuzz consisting especially of fine ravelings and short fibers of yarn and fabric.” Similarly, Livescience.com describes lint as “… the accumulation of fibers that slough off clothing, linens and other textiles.”

So in fewer terms, lint is little pieces of your clothing that come off from friction or washing and clump together to make specks or pills on your clothes or that big grey cloud you clean out of your dryer’s lint trap.

Lint is almost always made up of tiny fibers from our clothes, scraped loose through everyday wear and tear. The little clumps tend to stick together because of static cling, meaning you’ll see them most often just after doing the laundry.

Preventing Clothes from Getting Lint

There actually are tons of ways to prevent lint buildup during regular washing and drying. The main thing to keep in mind is that lint loves friction, static, and heat. So if you can prevent all three of these offenders, you can generally expect lint to avoid your wardrobe. Here are a few laundry tricks you can try to keep your clothes lint-free:

✨Wash your clothes in cold water and on a low-heat drying cycle, like gentle or permanent press. These cycles lead to far less lint buildup due to less intense heat and movement.
✨Place heavier fabrics and clothing with buttons and zippers in a separate load. Buttons and zippers cause more friction during washing and drying, and when they come into contact with more delicate garments, it leads to more lint and snags.
✨If you have blankets or sweaters that produce a lot of lint, try to wash them separately from everything else. Never wash your towels (notorious lint producers) with your clothing.
✨Dryers form the most lint due to the heat, friction, and static they produce. When possible, line drying can avoid all three, plus it’s more eco-friendly! If you can’t line-dry your clothes, at least consider hang-drying thinner garments to avoid the dryer lint traps.

Rewashing & Redrying Clothes Removes Lint?

If you’ve got the time, another quick round in the washer or dryer is an almost guaranteed way to rid yourself of the lingering lint. Since your lint-covered clothes are already clean, you can skip the detergent and stick to a quick or light wash cycle, and if they’re already dry, run a cool, delicate cycle in the dryer with a dryer sheet or wool balls. Just remember not to put any lint-shedders back in the rewash or the dryer with clothes that are lint-magnets!

7 Tips to Remove Lint (Without a Lint Roller!)

Wash Clothes Inside Out
This is particularly effective for garments you know are heavy-shedders or lint magnets. Washing your clothes inside out helps keep lint contained by keeping it from shedding onto your entire laundry load.

Distilled White Vinegar
White vinegar is famously our favorite around-the-house product. Distilled white vinegar, when used for laundry, can prevent static cling and helps soften clothes and blankets. It also acts as a cleaner and whitener, tackling odors and stains naturally. Just add one cup of distilled white vinegar into your washing machine’s rinse cup or dump it directly into the load during the rinse cycle.

Utilize the “Air Only” Setting on Your Dryer

Even though they’re underused or forgotten, the “air-only,” “air dry,” or “air fluff” settings on your dryer are perfect for grabbing lint without over drying clothes. Because air-only cycles use unheated, room-temperature air, it’s perfect for shaking off lint and drawing it toward your dryer’s lint screen.

Use Dryer Sheets
It might seem like a no-brainer, but incorporating a dryer sheet into your laundry routine will help reduce lint and soften up clothes. But did you know that dryer sheets are also great lint magnets even outside of the dryer? Just grab a laundry sheet and rub your lint-covered clothes with it, as you would a lint roller. After a few quick passes, your clothes should be lint-free!

Use a Pumice Stone
Natural solutions can sometimes be the best solutions to a problem. Pumice stones are way more than just a natural skin exfoliator and scouring tool. Due to its abrasive texture, it actually makes for an excellent lint remover! Simply gently rub a pumice stone along your lint-covered clothes, and watch the lint fall off without putting up much of a fight.

Try a Gentle Cloth Brush
For more high-quality and non-washable clothing like cashmere and silk, or for your favorite wool coat, we suggest looking into a soft clothing brush. Clothing brushes usually have a wood handle and coarse bristles of horse or boar hair, this makes them a natural product (but not vegan). With a little light, gentle brushing in one direction, the brush lifts lint, dirt, and dust off those delicate pieces in your closet. You can be much more commanding on your heavier fabrics like wool or corduroy, even using scrubbing or sweeping motions if it works for those particular pieces.

Use a Hairdryer
If you’re in a pinch or just covered in stubborn lint, your hair dryer can be a handy tool that makes it quicker and easier to remove lint. Hang your clothing on a hanger, set your hair dryer to the coolest setting, and turn it on high. Brush the clothing with a dryer sheet, pumice stone, or cloth brush, and use your other hand to hold the blow dryer in a way that sends lint flying from your clothes and face.

Looking for a better way to rid your clothes of pilling and lint accumulation? Check out the best recommended de-linting tools for 2023!

Plus here are a few bonus suggestions from our favorite retailers:
✨Amazon’s Best De-Linting Products here!
✨Lint Removal Products Available at Walmart!
✨Lint Removal Products Available at Target!

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