How to Clean a Lint Brush

As the owner of a Labrador Retriever who sheds constantly, lint brushes are an essential part of my wardrobe. If I don’t want to leave the house covered in dog hair, I have to do a quick pass over with a lint brush before I go. When you use a lint brush regularly, eventually, your lint brush will become due for a cleaning. Here’s how to clean a lint brush so your clothes (and furniture!) stay lint-free.

Types of Lint Removers

When it comes to removing lint from fabrics, you have options! The classic sticky lint roller might be the first tool that comes to mind, but there are sometimes better choices for the job. Here are three common lint removers that can be cleaned and reused over and over. 

Clothes Brush

A clothes brush is a bristled brush that removes dirt, hair, and lint from items like heavy wool coats, velvet, and blazers. When used with long sweeping motions along your clothing, the bristles on the clothes brush will pick up all unwanted detritus and brush it away. While a lint roller will remove particles from the surface of a garment, a clothes brush gets in deeper to remove set-in particles. 

Lint Brush

Lint brushes are similar to clothes brushes, but instead of bristles, they utilize micro-fibers that cling to hair and lint. Lint brushes are usually flat and, like their rolling counterparts, are great at picking up surface lint, hair, and debris, but they won’t give you a deep clean like a clothes brush. 

Lint Roller

Lint rollers can be used around the house in various ways, not just for clothing. They come in both disposable and reusable models. There’s no need to clean disposable lint rollers. Just expose a new sticky sheet when the last one stops working. Some reusable lint rollers like the one linked above combine the technology of a microfiber lint brush and a traditional lint roller to remove pet hair, lint, and other debris from fabrics around the home. 

How to Clean a Clothes Brush

Keeping your clothes brush clean is an important part of maintaining its efficacy. You want to avoid brushing your favorite wool blazer with a dirty clothes brush! To keep yours clean, follow these simple steps. 

Step 1: Brush

Lay a piece of stiff paper (a great time to reuse a brown paper bag) against the edge of a hard surface like a table. Brush your clothes brush back and forth across the angled edge of the paper to loosen and remove debris from the bristles of your brush. 

Step 2: Comb

Gently run a fine-toothed comb through the bristles of your clothes brush. The comb will pick up stray pieces of lint and hair stuck in the brush. 

Step 3: Wash

Once all of the debris is removed, it’s time to wash your brush. Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and half a teaspoon of dish soap to a large bowl filled with warm water. Swish the bristles through the solution, careful not to submerge the wooden handle. Rinse clean and set it out to dry completely before using it again.

How to Clean a Lint Brush

Lint brushes can be tricky to clean because the fibers are so fine. If debris gets trapped, it tends to want to stay there. With natural regular use of the lint brush, the lint will eventually dislodge, but there are a few methods to clean stubborn lint from your lint brush. 

Step 1: Brush

Like a clothes brush, a lint brush can be cleaned on a piece of stiff paper (like a brown paper bag) folded over the edge of a countertop or table. Place a piece of paper on the edge of a hard surface like a table and rub the brush quickly back and forth to dislodge debris. 

Step 2: Vacuum

If stubborn hair and debris get trapped in your brush bristles, use a nozzle or detail attachment vacuum cleaner to loosen any remaining residue. 

How to Clean a Reusable Lint Roller

Reusable lint rollers are manufactured in different forms using different materials. One design feature most have in common is the ability to trap lint in a central canister that can be emptied after regular use and cleaned with soap and water. 

Step 1: Use Soap and Water

Fill a bowl or sink with dish soap and warm water. Submerge the lint roller and, if needed, scrub with a lint-free cloth. 

Step 2: Let Dry

Rinse clean, then let the roller air dry completely. 

How to Use a Lint Brush Correctly

To use a lint brush properly, you will want to brush it against the grain of your fabric. Move the lint brush over your clothes in long sweeping motions. Avoid using a short scrubbing motion as it will not trap the lint in the brush properly and could potentially damage your fabric. 

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