How to Remove Lint From Socks & Prevent Lint From Forming

If you’ve ever had the experience of pulling almost-new, dark socks from the drier only to find them covered with fuzz, then you know how frustrating lint can be. Known by many as fabric pilling, lint deposits can make your clothes look old, ratty, and faded — something that is particularly disappointing on a stylish pair of socks you were hoping to show off. Below, we explore the causes of lint as well as effective ways to remove and prevent pilling in the future, like choosing high-quality socks and clothes from trusted retailers like Feetures.

Causes of Lint on Socks

Clothing fibers break down each time you wear, wash, and dry your clothes. Over time, those broken fibers collect on the surface of sweaters, socks, and the like, forming those tiny, irritating little balls of fluff. While it’s perfectly normal for all clothing to break down over time, fabrics that are overly plush or made of low-quality materials break down more rapidly, causing more damage to other materials in the washer and dryer.

Removing Lint From Socks

To remove those lint balls from the surface of your clothing, you can use fabric shavers, pumice stones, or scissors to cut the pilling carefully. Of those options, fabric shavers are the most effective and the easiest to use. You can also use packing tape or a lint roller remover to pull lint from your clothes.

Preventing Lint from Socks

Preserve your favorite sweaters and socks by preventing pilling before it even starts with these three tips:

1. Buy clothes made from high-quality fibers. The higher the quality of materials used, the slower they’ll break down from use and washing and the less they’ll affect your other clothing. Feetures socks, for example, are made with a unique blend of Merino wool and TENCEL fibers known as Merino 10. Not only does this provide increased breathability and comfort, but it also extends the life of your socks.
   
   
2. Wash before wearing. Before you wear any clothing for the first time, it’s a good idea to wash it separately and inside out. This removes any residual yarn fibers that are left over from the manufacturing process without putting your other clothes at risk. You can use your machine’s settings for a small cycle, or you can hand-wash your items.
   
   
3. Launder your best clothes strategically. When washing higher-quality items like sophisticated dress socks or your favorite wool sweater, it’s important you keep clothes and linens made of fabrics like terrycloth out of the cycles. You can also put smaller items like socks and underwear in a mesh laundry bag (and never have a lost sock again!). Just remember to turn socks and other clothes inside out when you wash them, which will help remove dirt, oils, and skin cells while also limiting lint formation on the outside of clothing.

All Feetures socks are made with the best materials for enhanced performance, a comfortable fit, and decreased risk of pilling. We offer a variety of styles, heights, and cushion levels for men, women, and children.

If you’re not sure what Feetures pair is best for you, try our Which Feetures? sock-finder quiz, and buy confidently with our Lifetime Guarantee!