*these findings are based on my personal experience and opinion only.*
Let's talk about lint! As someone with two mostly white cats and a largely black wardrobe, I've been on the hunt for a zero waste lint brush for years! I used to use those sticky disposable roller sheets. They worked great, but the waste was too much, I just couldn't throw out another sticky sheet. There has to be a good reusable option out there, right?!
I have tried and tested a variety of the reusable lint brush and pilling remover options out there so you don't have to! None of them are quite like that sticky roller, but I'll tell you what each one can do. While I've tried each of these on several fabric types, today I'm showing you how they do on an apron that tends to get both lint and pilling.
Red Fabric Brush
Description: A classic. Your parents might have one like this. They often have a plastic handle and a red fabric brush on both sides, with directional arrows.
My experience: This lint brush is most suitable for lint and pet hair, not pilling, and it mostly gets the job done. You have to be diligent in cleaning it out for it to be most effective, and I find it struggles with stretchy fabrics unless you can pull them taut. My fabric brush area also has a habit of popping out of the plastic frame, which is pretty inconvenient.
Score: 7/10
Rubber Brush
Description: A wooden handle with natural rubber bristles that supposedly attracts lint with static electricity, which can then be rinsed away.
My experience: This did not work for me. At most it bundled the lint up so I could pick it off my clothing by hand. Not suitable for heavier jobs either. I had high hopes for this one...
Score: 1/10
Metal Rake
Description: Internet sensation. You've seen the ads. This metal rake can supposedly remove lint, pilling and pet hair.
My experience: This device is most suitable for pilling and pet hair on heavy fabrics, upholstery and high pile carpet. It WILL snag on thin and delicate fabrics and isn't great on clothing, so use caution. Not worth the hype.
Score: 4/10
Fabric Shaver
Description: A battery-operated fabric shaver, specifically for pilling. You've probably seen this at the pharmacy.
My experience: This works really well for its intended purpose, shaving off pilling. Be sure your garment is smooth and flat, with no folds. May snag delicate or textured fabrics, use caution. Not suitable for lint or pet hair.
Score: 8/10
Reusable Sticky Lint Roller
Description: A sticky plastic lint roller that is supposedly washable and reusable.
My experience: What was I even thinking with this? After maybe the second rinse, the sticky roller was no longer sticky. I couldn't even include it in this demo. Even the best of us can get duped by greenwashing! Absolute garbage.
Score: 0/10
While I wasn't overly impressed with any of these options, there are a couple that will do. I'll definitely keep the red fabric brush around for lint, and the fabric shaver for pilling. It's still pretty frustrating that someone hasn't nailed the perfect reusable lint brush yet. If you've seen or tried an option not in this list, let me know in the comments!
