Where Does Lint Come From? Everything You Need to Know
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Like many of us, you know that you get lint on your clothes. You know that you have to clean the lint out of the dryer every time you use it. You may know that you should use a lint cleaner to get rid of that excess lint from your clothes, but you may not know where it comes from. Here’s everything you need to know about lint.
- What Is Lint? — Lint comes from the clothing’s fabric that sheds when we wash and dry them. Wool clothing is notorious for producing lint. You’ll find lint when you clean out the lint trap in your dryer. You’ll find lint balls on your actual clothing.
- Where Does Lint Come From? — It’s not just the actual clothing fibers that can produce lint. Lint can form as a result of the friction that happens simply by us wearing clothes. The friction between our bodies and our clothing loosens up the fibers that then come off during the washing and drying laundry process.
- Why Is Lint Buildup Bad? — According to the U.S. Fire Administration, failure to clean the dryer is the leading cause of dryer fires at home. A buildup of lint in your dryer’s lint trap can cause dryer fires. Lint is highly flammable, and when the reduced airflow of a dryer vent and combustible lint are combined, it’s quite easy for an accidental fire to happen. Be sure to remove the lint from your lint trap every time you use your dryer. You’ll also want to keep your outside vents and dryer vent system clean so that the airflow is strong enough to pull away lint and prevent accidental fires.
- Which Fabrics Attract and Shed Lint? — Fabrics that tend to attract lint include plush fabrics like corduroy, synthetic fibers like nylon, knitted sweaters and linen shirts. Fabrics that usually shed lint are terry cloth and cotton. Try washing your lint-attracting clothing separately from your lint-shedding items so they don’t mix together.
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- How to Prevent Lint — One of the easiest ways to remove lint from your clothes is with any of the best lint removers. They’re specifically designed to do just that, and they’re all small, portable and easy to use. If you want to prevent lint from building up on your clothing in the first place, we have tips for that, too. If you tend to see your all-black outfits building up with lint when you take them out of the dryer, put your clothes in the dryer with a dryer sheet and use the air-only setting to get rid of the lint. Also, try washing your outfits inside-out. Have your tumble dryer and washing machine regularly serviced to make sure that they’re running efficiently enough to remove excess lint from your clothes.
- Tips for Removing Lint From Clothing — No one wants lint all over their clothing that just came out of the dryer. Few things are as annoying as opening up your closet, pulling out your favorite pullover and seeing those pesky lint balls all over it. In addition to a portable lint remover, there are so many different ways to remove lint from your clothes. Use a dryer sheet that has antistatic properties. Masking tape can pick up hair and fur from your clothing. Try blowing it away with a hair dryer. Even with dryer sheets, masking tape and other lint removal hacks, you may find that there are still a few pesky pieces of lint, fur, hair and whatever other loose dirt on your clothes. In that case, that’s where a specific lint remover tool will come in handy.
Now that you know where lint comes from and how to remove lint, you’ll have much tidier looking clothes. Remember to always remove lint from the dryer and use a portable lint remover on your clothing in between washings.
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