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• Method 1 of 3: Remove fluff with household tools
• Method 2 of 3: Buy special tools to remove fluff
• Method 3 of 3: Prevent fluff

Fluff is created when the fibers in a fabric or garment rub together, causing them to loosen and forming small piles of fluff. Fluff usually results from wearing and washing a garment for a long time. It may seem like your favorite sweater or thrift store find is no longer wearable because so much fluff has accumulated on the fabric. Try to remove the fluff yourself at home before throwing away a piece of clothing. You can easily make your favorite garment look like new again.

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Method 1 of 3: Remove fluff with household tools

1. Use a sandpaper sponge. If you sand your clothes with this sponge, your fluff will be gone!
2. Trim the fluff with scissors. Depending on the amount and size of the fluff, you may be able to cut it off with scissors. Place the garment on a flat surface. Pull the fluff up one at a time with one hand and snip it off with the other. You can also put your hand inside the garment to pull it tight and then carefully trim the lint away.
   • Hold the scissors close to the fabric. Be careful and slow so you don't damage the fabric.
   • Small nail scissors are safer to use. Nail scissors are more blunt and you can cut more precisely with them. This reduces the chance that the fabric will be damaged.
3. Use a razor. Grab a disposable razor and place the garment on a flat surface. Tighten the fabric near the spot with the lint with one hand. This way you avoid cutting into the garment. Shave gently upwards in small strokes. First make as little contact with the fabric as possible and hold the razor more against the fabric if necessary.
   • When you've collected a pile of fluff, use masking tape to remove it from the fabric. Wrap a large loop of packing tape around your closed fingers, making sure the sticky side is on the outside. Push the adhesive tape against the fabric to remove the collected lint. When the old piece is full of lint, get a new piece of packing tape. If you don't have packing tape, small strips of masking tape will also work.
   • Make sure to use a sharp, new razor. This is most effective for removing the fluff. Do not use razor blades with a moisturizing strip or with soap on them. There will be more lint when you rub such a razor against the fabric.
4. Use Velcro rollers. These sticky rollers for your hair are very soft, making them ideal for use on delicate fabrics such as wool and cashmere. Place the garment on a flat surface and pull it taut. Lay the roller flat on the spot with lint. Gently roll upwards until the area is frizz-free. The fluff will stick to the Velcro roller. If the garment has multiple spots of lint, take the Velcro roller and reposition it.
5. Use a strip of Velcro. If you have a piece of Velcro, you can also use this to remove lint. Consider using the Velcro on a shoe or wallet. Place the Velcro on the area with the fluff, rough side down. Then carefully pull up the Velcro. Repeat this until all fluff has been removed.
   • This method can damage very delicate fabrics. So don't use it on cashmere or wool.

Method 2 of 3: Buy special tools to remove fluff

1. Buy a lint comb. This is a small, fine comb specially designed for removing fluff. A lint comb is different from a regular hair comb because the teeth are smaller and closer together. Pull the fabric taut and gently scrape the area with the fluff. Be careful not to damage the fabric.
2. Use a lint clipper. An electric lint clipper is more expensive than other tools, but it is the fastest and most effective method. Insert batteries and place the garment on a flat surface. Move the appliance over the garment in small, circular movements. First make as little contact with the fabric as possible and hold the device more against the fabric if necessary. Continue until all fluff has been removed. The fluff ends up in the reservoir of the fluff clipper. You can empty it when it is full.
3. Try a special stone. This fluff stone is specially designed to remove fluff from sweaters. To use the stone, place the garment on a flat surface and pull it taut. Gently rub the area with the fluff with the stone. Pull it over the fabric and peel off the extra fluff as it forms, with tape or your fingers.

Method 3 of 3: Prevent fluff

1. Buy fabrics that are less likely to fluff. Fabrics made from fiber combinations are more likely to fluff. Fiber combinations consist of natural and synthetic fibers and are more likely to rub together and make fluff. This is especially true for fabrics that consist of three or more different types of fibers.
2. Look for tightly woven or knitted sweaters. Check the fabric before purchasing a garment. Tightly woven fabrics fluff less, while loosely woven fabrics tend to fluff more quickly.
3. Turn the garment inside out. Turn the garment inside out before washing. This prevents clearly visible fluff when the fabric rubs against itself and other garments in the wash. You can also turn the garment inside out and hang or fold it that way and store it in the closet.
4. Wash the garment with a delicate wash program. Use the delicate cycle when you wash the garment in the washing machine. This washing program is shorter and quieter, so that the fabrics rub against each other and against themselves.
   • Consider hand washing garments such as sweaters. Do this especially with items of clothing that are more likely to fluff. This is the most gentle way to wash. Buy hand washing detergent and wash your clothes in the sink or bathtub.
5. Do not use the tumble dryer. If possible, hang the garment to dry instead of using the tumble dryer. The fabric will rub against itself and other fabrics less, which prevents fluffing.
6. Use a liquid detergent. Washing powder rubs against the fabric when it dissolves. This increases the chance that fluff will form during washing. Liquid detergent is the mildest solution for delicate fabrics.
7. Periodically run a lint roller over the fabric. Make sure to treat sweaters made of delicate fabrics regularly with a lint roller or brush to avoid lint. By consistently using a lint roller, you prevent lint from building up on the fabric.