Can You Use Anti-Static Spray To Prevent Lint On Your Clothes?

Finding lint on your clothes, especially when trying to get out of the house in the morning, can be incredibly frustrating. While you can sometimes grab a lint roller and quickly be done with it, the amount of lint can be too much to correct in a hurry at other times. 

This pesky lint occurs when small pieces of fabric and fiber from clothes break away and become attached to your clothing. It happens more when clothes get older because their fibers continuously break down through repeated wears and washes. Poor-quality and high-quality clothes alike are prone to experiencing clingy lint, but material-wise, cotton and wool create the most lint because they're natural materials and shed more. Conversely, synthetic materials create less lint. This is why keeping your sweaters from shedding is such a hassle; they're typically made from natural materials like the aforementioned wool.

To keep your clothes lint-free when you need them, you might just need a handy canister of anti-static spray to get you out the door faster (and prevent you from tossing aside your clothes that you'd otherwise wear).

While anti-static spray may not be your go-to when trying to remove lint from your clothes — we're guilty of this, too — it should be moving forward because the science behind it is actually sound. When you think about static electricity, you may think, for instance, about how rubbing a balloon allows it to become attracted to a surface. You may also recall hearing faint electric shocks — or even sometimes feeling them — when taking off your clothes. All of these scenarios can be traced back to the gathering of electrons, as they create static when they come together in a cluster. This is annoying not only because the clothes are sticking to you but also because it can be a fashion faux pas; nevertheless, anti-static spray can help here.

By spraying anti-static spray on your clothes, you're disarming the static electricity by dispersing the electrons that have clustered from friction in your dryer, in your closet, or on your person. So, with one quick spray, the static becomes neutralized, and the spray releases lint from sticking to your fabric. Then, you're able to wear your shirt, socks, skirt, or any other item of clothing without static or lint. For an anti-static spray from a household brand name we trust, we recommend Bounce Instant Static Remover, which boasts that it removes wrinkles on clothing, too. Anti-static sprays even work on bedding and rugs, too! 

While there are other ways to get rid of lint, such as a lint brush, double-sided tape, or even a pumice stone, preventing lint from getting attached to your clothes in the first place is the ultimate goal. But we have to get to the root cause, which, in many cases, is the washing machine. When washing clothes, make sure that you don't overstuff your machine, as it can result in clothes not getting as clean as they should and enable clothes to rub against each other more. This friction can encourage static and lint on your clothes.

Next, be sure to use a dryer sheet each time you cycle your laundry into the dryer. They not only make clothes softer and smell good but can also help to remove lint from clothes while they dry. What's more, consider dryer sheets made specifically for people with pets if you have fur babies around to remove more hair and particles. After practicing more precise care with your clothes, you might even consider dry-cleaning at home, as it can not only preserve your clothes but also save you some money.

Finally, clean the lint trap in your dryer after every use. This will enable the dryer to capture more lint, guard against a dryer fire, and keep the machine running smoothly.