# How to rid washed clothes of LINT!!!?



## VERN in IL (Nov 30, 2008)

The only way I've been able to get my clothes clean, is to dry them in the dryer!!

As I have became more enviromentally freindly, I've tried drying racks, clothes lines, etc.

But my clothing is SO full of LINT.:viking: You shake them, you can see the lint fluff off!

The old washers had lint filters, and I tried to dry the clothes first on the drying rack and THEN use the dryer with NO heat and it still does not get the lint out as good as the wasteful wet clothes into the dryer...

Is there any products out there that will stop lint in the washer? I've seen the dryer balls, anything for the washer to control lint?


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## jd4020 (Feb 24, 2005)

I don't have a dryer at this time in my life and use the clothes line and drying racks. I've done this for several years now. I've never had to use a "lint ball". We don't usually have a lint problem, but on occasion, when there is some, I find that running a damp cloth over the lint generally takes it off, or tape, such as masking or duct tape works o.k.
I do try to only wash "llinty" items such as the fuzzy blankets or terry cloth towels only with each other as they do want to share their fuzz & threads with all that touch them.
Hope you find what works for you. 
jd


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## VERN in IL (Nov 30, 2008)

So after you dry lets say some towels, and then "fluff" them, there is lint flying all over the place(small fibers you can see in sunlight that float around the house)


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## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)

Use a blow torch to quickly burn off the lint.


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## shellycoley (Mar 6, 2003)

That lint on your towels usually comes from towels that are not "woven" but the fabric is "blown" or "forced" together. I have some cheapo family dollar towel that do that.
I don't have a dryer, I find I have to be carefull about washing darks together, and make sure a dish rag or sock doesn't get in the load. I aslo find that a lint brush usually takes care of lint on the clothes. Things with polyester in them seem to be lint magnents. 

shelly


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## HappyFarmer (Jun 17, 2006)

Tape works well. I also dry them in the dryer when there is an excessive amount. Also I'm not the best launder, either, so it's usually because I broke a laundering rule of thumb.

HF


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

My rules for lint free laundry:

~blacks wash only with blacks.(not a racist statement, I am talking about clothes, LOL)

~towels only with other towels. (see, not racist)

~those cheap towels shellycoley mentioned, just throw them away!

~never (ever!) wash papertowels, tissues, napkins with your clothes. However, it DOES happen. When you see that it has happened, wipe out the washer with a damp cloth before you do the next load.

~dont fill the washer too full. (as in cram in 12 pairs of jeans). At my house we have a limit of 7 pairs of jeans per load. This depends on the Size of ones jeans, LOL. The water cannot circulate well if the machine is jammed full, and the soap doesn't rinse out.

~Also,put in less soap than they say. Lots of soap residue makes the lint cling to the clothes.

Hope this helps!


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## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

try using vinger in the rinse.


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## NEfarmgirl (Jan 27, 2009)

One way to keep the lint from being on the right side of clothes is wash them inside out so the lint is on the inside so no one will see it. I bought one of those sticky lint rollers that you can rinse off and reuse because sometimes lint just shows up--load I did yesterday was covered and it was clothes that I have washed together before and had no issues.


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Where do you buy good towels, then?
I have tried them from just about everywhere and still have the lint issue. What do I need to look for to get non fuzzy ones?


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## o&itw (Dec 19, 2008)

heh, never, ever, wash a red sweatshirt with white clothes


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## terri46355 (May 16, 2003)

We decided to leave our old washing machines and dryers with the new owners of our homes rather than bring them 500 miles to our new home. Because of the commercials, we bought a Maytag washer. It spreads lint all over the clothes, no matter what the speed, size, or cycle.

I wrote letters and made telephone calls to Maytag and was told that I had to use a dryer, because the washer was so powerful. I told them that even on gentle cycles clothes that don't normally make lint, produced lint. They told me to use powdered detergent to avoid lint, so we do. The Maytag people are not nice and after some research, I learned that they had experienced a class action lawsuit over the most expensive products and didn't want to deal with any more complaints. I asked if I could return the washer and get a refund. I thought a cheaper model might not damage the clothes as much. Maytag told me I was stuck with the machine.

We tried everything we could think of to be able to take clothes from the washer to the clothes line, but my husband finally figured out that the only successful way to keep the clothes from being linty is to partially dry them in the dryer before hanging them outside. 

As you can see, I'm still angry that we were forced to buy a dryer when a clothesline should suffice.


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## ldc (Oct 11, 2006)

At an old appliance store, where they still fix washers, I got a lint basket for my mother's washer. It fits over the top of the spindle and the mest filters out dog hair!!! and lint. Have never found another one tho', alas. ldc


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## DW (May 10, 2002)

We don't have a terrible lint problem but sometimes do. White venegar in the rinse seems to help. When it is bad...10 min in the dryer w/heat and then hang up is good.


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## bubbahead (Oct 19, 2007)

What gone-a-milkin said works for me.

Still not totally lint free.

I just bite the bullet and run them thru the dryer once a month or so. This also helps to reshape things like sweat pants. If they never go into the dryer you should see how much they "grow" over the period of a few washings. Makes me feel like I lost about 30 pounds....LOL.


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## FoghornLeghorn (Nov 13, 2008)

I hear you about the lint! I've been using a wringer washer for the last month since our front loader broke down and we have no money to replace it and it seems the lint is really bad.
I have seen washer balls but didn't get a close look at them as they were in a Regal catalogue. However, they just looked like the cat toys that you can buy in the store with the velco wrapped around them. I haven't actually bought any yet but I think I may as soon as I can find some money for them. I'm guessing that the velcro catches the hair and lint and then you just have to clean them off after.


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## jd4020 (Feb 24, 2005)

In regards to shaking the clothes and seeing the lint flying through the air--my clothes do this even when dried in the dryer. Part of that is also the dust that is already floating around in the air; the shaking of the clothing just helps move it around. The dust in ones home is never removed completely, just re-arranged when we clean. 
I am allergic to dust mite poo, so I have been fighting dust all my life. Short of living in a bubble, keeping our bedroom as spare as possible, having a water bed, wherein I can wipe it down when I change the sheets, no carpeting, keeping closet doors shut and not shaking the clothing in our room is how I try to keep them at bay.
Just part of my life. 
jd


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## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

I don't understand why you've got a problem. Because I live alone, I toss everything in the machine together (except jeans because the colour runs), and I've never had a lint problem. It's only when we have a week or more of constant rain that I ever use my dryer - and that hasn't been for about 20 years or so! 

I think you're cramming too much into the machine at any one time, so that the clothes rub too hard against each other, creating lint. You're probably using far too much detergent, and the clothes aren't able to be properly rinsed. 

Follow this, and Gone-a-milkin's excellent advice about sorting your loads, and you shouldn't have any problems. 

Also, check the setting on your machine. If you've got it on Heavy Duty, switch it to Normal, or even Gentle.


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## firegirl969 (Nov 3, 2008)

I have a lint brush that you peel the sticky off and just rub the clothes and it picks up the lint. I use a clothesline for almost all of my clothes, but I don't have much of a lint problem. I am careful to wash clothes when properly sorted like mom taught me. Side note-the lint brush came from Dollar Tree for $1 and I have had the same one for over 2 years.


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## VERN in IL (Nov 30, 2008)

culpeper said:


> I don't understand why you've got a problem. Because I live alone, I toss everything in the machine together (except jeans because the colour runs), and I've never had a lint problem. It's only when we have a week or more of constant rain that I ever use my dryer - and that hasn't been for about 20 years or so!
> 
> I think you're cramming too much into the machine at any one time, so that the clothes rub too hard against each other, creating lint. You're probably using far too much detergent, and the clothes aren't able to be properly rinsed.
> 
> ...


I got HARD water, so I HAVE to use more detergent, perhaps a double rinse? But then I am not gaining anything, wasting water....:grit:

Would a extra rinse be more efficient than using the dryer?

So I'll do some experiments to see if it really is operator error, but some of my towels are getting kinda ragged, but I still got probably half a year of use until they get donated as shop rags.


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## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

You don't HAVE to use lots of detergent. You can soften the water by adding a little borax or washing soda to the water. And you can add vinegar to both the washing water and the rinsing water. 

Water Softener:
Dissolve 25g washing soda in just over 500ml boiling water. Bottle to store, and add one tablespoon per 4.5 litres of water with detergent or soap flakes. If water is still hard, add another tablespoon.

Make your own detergent:

LAUNDRY DETERGENT

1 cup soap flakes
1/4-1 cup washing soda
1/2-1 cup borax

Use the larger amount of washing soda and borax for hard water. Combine all ingredients. To make a liquid detergent, add 2 tablespoons glycerine and 2 cups warm water to 1 cup of the detergent mixture.

VINEGAR AND BORAX WOOL WASH:
60g borax
1 litre hot water
4 litres lukewarm water
1 teaspoon vinegar

Dissolve the borax in the hot water, then pour into the lukewarm water. Add vinegar. Soak woollens in the mixture for 5 minutes, then rinse as usual.

Both borax and washing soda should be available at your local supermarket, along with other detergents etc.


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## dancingfatcat (Jan 1, 2008)

Thank goodness it's not only me . I get lint, no matter what! I shake my clothes before hanging, after hanging, before wearing and I also use a lint brush or masking tape. 

I don't wash towels with my clothes, I think its a combo of pet hairs, clothing fibers and what ever is left over in the basket from the previous wash? I totally forgot about the lint filter, my washer is older so maybe it has one. I just don't remember seeing it?


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## Win07_351 (Dec 7, 2008)

I made the mistake of washing a new dark colored towel with some new light colored pants. Lint was all over the pants from the towel. I rewashed the pants (seperate) again and found that the lint brushed off the pants somewhat easily when the pants were still wet coming out of the washer (before drying).

Trying to brush off the lint when the material is dry is much harder.


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

Small sorted loads washed on Gentle in cold water with half of recommended liquid laundry detergent. No softener allowed. I have trouble with lint when I use products like Downey, etc. I use the cheapest liquid laundry detergent. I have a dryer, but pretend I don't. I clean the wash tub after washing towels by using a flour sack towel to rub it down with vinegar and water. I usually handwash DH's black dress pants and then spin dry in the washer before hanging to dry. Not all clothing shows up lint and I don't worry too much with those.


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## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

soulsurvivor said:


> I clean the wash tub after washing towels by using a flour sack towel to rub it down with vinegar and water..


I was wondering what i could use those flour sack towels for. Thanks for the idea!


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## Girl_Next_Door (Mar 16, 2009)

I use dryer balls. They are about the size of tennis balls. Why doesn't someone use tennis balls in the dryer and tell us how it works?


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

VERN in IL said:


> I got HARD water, so I HAVE to use more detergent, perhaps a double rinse? But then I am not gaining anything, wasting water....:grit:
> 
> Would a extra rinse be more efficient than using the dryer?
> 
> So I'll do some experiments to see if it really is operator error, but some of my towels are getting kinda ragged, but I still got probably half a year of use until they get donated as shop rags.


Not sure why you feel hard water makes you need more soap?? Yes, I know there are softeners in the commercial soaps. BUT where we lived in Ohio we had 22 grains of hardness (yes, we had to chisel the faucets clean, regularly) in our water and I used less the 1/2 the soap the manufacturer suggested and our clothes were clean. Now when DS or DH had a mud bath or such, yes I needed more soap....but everyone does in that situation.


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## nodak3 (Feb 5, 2003)

Hard water does need more soap or detergent, which may need a second rinse. Just part of life.

It takes very very very little electricity to throw the clothes in the dryer for five minutes with NO heat. The lint is gone, usually the wrinkles are gone if you hang carefully, and you need no softener for nice softer clothes.

Do this right out of the washer, then hang dry.


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## ChristyACB (Apr 10, 2008)

Oh boy, do I feel your pain there! Last year I decided to go all green and efficient and the lint made me crazy. I tried the inside out thing and it works to some extent. I have only good towels and separate my clothes properly. Still Lint.

I'm back to the dryer now for most things. T-Shirts, especially the gray ones for my after work wear and that are fine, but almost everything dark has to get dried.


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## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

I just did laundry and there is lint over everything, I used vinger too. Im going to have to look for the lint trap on it, if there is one. That or i need to clean the washer real good agian.


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## VERN in IL (Nov 30, 2008)

Okay I tired a few things... More water, smaller loads, inside out, less detergent, delicate cycle, and I am still having to clean my lint filter in the dryer half way thru the cycle, so my clothes must be real "linty".

and that is another problem I have, the lint filter in the dry gets excessively built up with lint before the cycle ends.

Like when I dry a full load, without checking the lint filter, it will fill with lint, and collects at the bottom of the door around the seal...(the lint filter is just inside the dryer door at the bottom.

I've sucessfully got my clothes "clean" but I had to change the lint filter in the dryer twice a load.:grit:


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## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

I did laundry today after I cleaned out the fabric softener dispenser. I filled the dispenser with vinger and did my laundry with new soap nuts and no lint!:rock:


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## jd4020 (Feb 24, 2005)

I just wanted to add something. I have been without a dryer, by choice for about 7-8 years now. Just last week I had to take about 9 loads of laundry to the laundromat. I checked the dryer lint screens to make sure they were clean before I dried my clothing. The lint that accumulated from our, mostly cotton fabrics was about what you would find in one pocket for the day, except the terry cloth towel load. And, surprisingly, the screen was only about half full of that. Sooo.... I would say that, based on this unintended experiment, our clothes don't have that much lint after all this time of no dryer.
Interesting. 
jd


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## cbaker (Sep 19, 2008)

mistake


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## mtnbluet881 (Jun 4, 2006)

I bought a new Maytag washer in 2001-2002. It is similar to a commercial one but has a larger capacity LOL. It does not produce any lint on our clothes unless I inadvertently leave kleenex etc in a pants pocket (oops!). Then it takes about 2-3-4 washes to get the lint out with me scooping as it is washing. Teaches me not to do that again for a long time. 

I also never replaced my dryer when it broke down in 2000-2001. I hang the clothes outside or in the bathroom on rings and on the shower curtain pole. Of course, our children our grown and out of the house, so this method meets the needs of two people quite well.

Teri I am thinking you need to perhaps sell your washer and get an older one. Too bad that some newer versions of washers are worse than the older ones. It should not be that way.

I got my old Hoover Concept One vacuum cleaner from my parents and when they were going to give me the upgrade--I said no thanks this one works just fine. (I even had the housing rebuilt for 100 dollars.) I used theirs once and it pulled me around the house and even put dents into the kitchen floor linoleum.


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## kyJeeper (Jul 29, 2008)

Someone mentioned earlier washer lint traps. Unless you have an old washer with the lint trap catcher on the of the adgitater you will have lint. Thats how the mfg's sell dryers. Lint has no where to go in the newer washers eccept what goes down the drain and what left on the cloths. My dryer gave up last summer so now I'm very carefull to what I cloths I wash together.


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## cowbelle (Mar 5, 2009)

I've read somewhere recently that those "micro" cloths - Shamwow etc. will gather all the lint. I've not tried it, but they don't cost too much and might solve the problem.


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## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

cowbelle said:


> I've read somewhere recently that those "micro" cloths - Shamwow etc. will gather all the lint. I've not tried it, but they don't cost too much and might solve the problem.


So you just wash these with your clothes? This would be a good solution if it worked. I will have to try it out and let everyone know.


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## Cygnet (Sep 13, 2004)

My solution was to just buy clothes that lint doesn't show on.

With four cats and three dogs ... well, you can't see the lint for the pet hair anyway.


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## mtnbluet881 (Jun 4, 2006)

I had a small front loader washing machine that I almost cried when it gave out. No lint. Clothes just never wore out. Also you used very little laundry detergent.

At present ever since they concentrated the liquid laundry detergents I seem to have to add an extra cycle to get all the detergent out. I use only perhaps a couple of teaspoons or maybe even less. Perhaps I have to dedicate a teaspoon spoon for the laundry once I get the amount just right. Hmmmmmm!?!.


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## cowbelle (Mar 5, 2009)

Dreamy said:


> So you just wash these with your clothes? This would be a good solution if it worked. I will have to try it out and let everyone know.


To be honest, I'm not sure if it's the washing with them, or if you put them in the dryer with the clothes - let us know what you find out.


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## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

I will. First I need to find one of those microfiber cloths.


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## gran26 (Sep 17, 2007)

Dreamy said:


> I just did laundry and there is lint over everything, I used vinger too. Im going to have to look for the lint trap on it, if there is one. That or i need to clean the washer real good agian.


I've also had this problem, tried different suggestions as how to rid the lint and had no luck with them. The only thing that has worked for me (outside using the dryer) is this: ( a pain but I am doing exactly this on my dark colored laundry)

When the machine goes into the final rinse, I leave the lid of the machine up so it will not go into the drain and spin cycle. When I notice the machine has stopped the rinse cycle, I take the clothing from the washer piece by piece and sort of wring the water out by hand; lay them over into my laundry basket. Then I close the lid of the machine and let it drain . When machine is empty of water I put the clothing back into the machine so it can spin
the rest of the water from them.

A pain I know but that is the ONLY way I have been able to rid my black and dark clothing of lint.

My theory is that the lint gets onto the clothing when the rinse water is draining from the machine.


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## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

gran26 said:


> I've also had this problem, tried different suggestions as how to rid the lint and had no luck with them. The only thing that has worked for me (outside using the dryer) is this: ( a pain but I am doing exactly this on my dark colored laundry)
> 
> When the machine goes into the final rinse, I leave the lid of the machine up so it will not go into the drain and spin cycle. When I notice the machine has stopped the rinse cycle, I take the clothing from the washer piece by piece and sort of wring the water out by hand; lay them over into my laundry basket. Then I close the lid of the machine and let it drain . When machine is empty of water I put the clothing back into the machine so it can spin
> the rest of the water from them.
> ...


I will have to time my washer to find out how long it takes to get to the rinse cycle. Then I will try this, if it gives me lint free clothes its worth it!


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