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How to Get Stubborn Lint Off of Your Clothes in No Time

The Spruce / Emilie Dunphy

Lint never looks good on clothes. Removing lint can be a frustrating time-waster, whether it came from a clogged lint trap or a dusty closet.

Here are some tips to help you remove lint and prevent this annoyance from happening in the first place.

How to Get Rid of Lint on Clothing

  1. Wash the Clothes Again

    If you've washed a load of clothes and it has excessive lint, try to find the culprit that caused the problem. Pull it out and wash the clothes again (no need to add detergent) but add one cup of distilled white vinegar or a dose of liquid fabric softener to the rinse cycle.

    The washing agitation will help displace the lint and the vinegar will help loosen the lint from the fabric by relaxing the fibers.

  2. Tumble Dry with Microfiber Cloths

    Place the lint-covered item in a clothes dryer with a couple of microfiber cloths (the lint will stick to the microfiber cloths) and tumble until slightly damp. Remove from the dryer and use a clothes brush or sticky lint roller to remove the remaining lint.

  3. Try a Dryer Sheet

    If you have a garment that is covered with lint or pet hair, toss it in the dryer on the air-only cycle with a dryer sheet to help remove as much lint as possible before washing. Be sure the dryer lint filter is clean before starting the air cycle.

  4. Use Anti-Static Spray

    If you don't have time to rewash, spray the garment with an anti-static spray (Static Guard) and then brush with a lint roller or a dry, cellulose sponge. These same tips work for removing dog and cat hair from clothes.

  5. Grab a Sticky Roller, Roll of Tape, or a Rubber Glove

    If you don't have a sticky lint roller, use heavy-duty packing tape wrapped around your fingers to pull off the lint. You can also try brushing the fabric with a damp rubber glove. The lint will stick to the surface.

  6. Add Some Steam

    If a garment has lots of lint, use a clothes steamer or hang it in a steamy bathroom for 15 minutes before using a lint brush. The dampness will help reduce the static that holds the lint more tightly to the fabric.

How to Sort Laundry to Prevent Lint

Preventing excessive lint begins with how you sort your laundry. Some fabrics are lint shedders, others are lint attractors, and the two should not be washed together. Of course, it is best to sort lint shedders by color as well.

Lint Shedders
  • Cotton clothes

  • Cotton terry cloth towels and robes

  • Chenille bedspreads

Lint Attractors
  • Microfiber and synthetic fabrics

  • Knit fabrics

  • Corduroy and other plush fabrics

sorting the laundry
The Spruce / Kori Livingston

How to Get Rid of Lint in Your Washer and Dryer

Some older washers have a lint trap that should be cleaned regularly. It is usually located on the side or upper rim of the tub. Today's washers have self-cleaning lint filters usually located under the agitator in top-load machines and behind the tub of a front-load washer.

While self-cleaning sounds great, it also means that the lint and hair can be trapped if you don't use enough water to wash them completely out of the machine. It is helpful to run a cleaning cycle every month to flush the lint away.

Check Your Water Pump Filter

Excessive lint on clothes after washing may also indicate that the water pump filter is clogged. When that happens, the wash and rinse water with all that suspended lint drains too slowly and leaves deposits on wet clothes.

To clean the pump filter, open the outer housing of your washer. For front-load washers, the lower panel will pop off easily and you can access the clean-out filter. For top-loading washers, follow the directions in your washer manual to access the water pump. You may find lots of lint, coins, buttons, or even a sock that is causing a slow drain and leaving lint on your clothes.

Keep Lint Filter Clean

Every dryer has a lint filter that captures the lint that is lifted away from wet clothes as they dry. It is essential to keep this lint filter clean or lint can redeposit onto clothes because it has nowhere else to go. It's also important to keep the dryer vent system and outside vents clean so that airflow is strong enough to pull away lint and as a bonus, it will help prevent fires.

dryer lint trap
The Spruce / Kori Livingston

Additional Tips to Keep Lint Under Control

  • To prevent lint from depositing on the outside of clothing, wash garments inside out. However, if you have a garment that is covered with lint (a white shirt worn under a black sweater), wash it with the right side out to help lift the lint off the fabric.
  • As you load your washer, be sure that you do not overload. Overcrowding allows the lint to redeposit because the water can't flush it away.
  • Add a fabric softener to the final rinse to help fibers relax and release lint so it can be flushed away. You can use a commercial fabric softener, homemade fabric softener, or distilled white vinegar. If you don't use a fabric softener in the washer, a dryer sheet or wool dryer balls can help reduce static electricity that binds lint to clothes.
  • Do not store lint-producing items such as sweaters or bathrobes near lint-attracting clothes, and keep dark-colored clothes away from light-colored items.