The magic of freshly purchased clothing often expires after the first wear when unsightly lint appears on the textiles. But where do they actually come from – and how do you get rid of them? We’ll tell you.
When lint forms into small nodules, this is called pilling. This process is started by friction and movement – or even cleaning in the washing machine. This often affects clothing made from natural materials such as wool or cotton. But textiles made from synthetic fibers can also have unsightly knots. So they say nothing about the quality or origin of the material, but are to be understood as a kind of annoying side effect. The question arises: How can lint be removed? And can they perhaps even be prevented?
This is how easy it is to remove lint
Depending on whether you want to remove stubborn pilling or loose lint, there are different options and live hacks:
- A is suitable for removing stubborn knots: it cuts them off very carefully without damaging the fabric.
- Using ordinary adhesive tape (a wide strip is enough), you can easily remove lint and hair from clothing as it sticks to it.
- With a Animal hair can be particularly easily removed from clothing. There is even that are washable.
- A classic one On the other hand, it picks up loose fibers and hair by brushing them against the grain over textiles.
- If the lint sticks out from the edge of the clothing rather than thin streaks, these can be cut off with ordinary scissors.
- Another household trick is to use a kitchen sponge: you can use the yellow, soft side to remove lint.
- This technology works equally well or even better with one which can be used to wipe lint and hair from textiles (through electrostatic charging).
- Alternatively, you can also use old nylon tights: slip them over your hand and rub them over the lint on the clothing (in one direction).
This is how you counteract the formation of lint
To ensure that less lint forms on your clothing (unfortunately it cannot be completely avoided), you can take preventive measures: A general recommendation is to always turn the laundry inside out before cleaning it in the machine – this will reduce friction be reduced. It can also be helpful to wash the textiles in a detergent before each wash admit. And to empty your pockets beforehand. Another recommendation is to wash delicate clothing by hand and not to put it in the dryer. However, you should avoid adding vinegar before each wash cycle, as it is intended to reduce the static charge (and thus the formation of pills), but it also damages the rubber seals of the machine.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
