Who on earth needs a fabric shaver? I do!

Was it my constant plucking at my jumper that triggered the discussion? In any case, we’d just been served dessert when my girlfriends suddenly started raving about their fabric shavers. A device that removes lint in no time, making all clothes look like new again. Apparently, their best purchase last year – and fabric shaving, they say, is like meditating. I asked to borrow one of theirs, but they all said no and told me to get my own. They don’t cost much at all, they said. Well thanks for nothing, ladies. A new gadget that takes up space and collects dust? That’s not what I need.

When I got home that night, I opened my wardrobe and took a closer look at my clothes. That’s when I realised my jumper wasn’t the only item of clothing that had lived through more than ten winters. And also not the only one to be covered in tiny fabric dreadlocks. Although they look cute, they’re giving my clothes a charity shop vibe. What was I supposed to do? I decided to go against my principles and order a fabric shaver. In the worst case, I’d pass it on as a Secret Santa gift.

Fabric shavers

Philips GC026

2713

Fabric shavers

Philips GC026

2713

This gadget shaves like crazy

This gadget does exactly what it says on the box – it removes lint. It’s super easy to use. Just glide the round metal surface over the area you want to delint. The bobbles are caught in the grid holes and cut off by a razor blade. It works almost like a beard trimmer, leaving the fabric underneath perfectly intact.

In my fabric shaving frenzy, however, I also painfully realised that not all fabrics are meant to be shaved. My fleece jumper and the lint remover, for instance, didn’t get along. The result? A bald patch on the jumper. So I’d advise you to test the lint remover on a sleeve or another hidden part of your garment before you start shaving away in the middle of the jumper, as I did.

Meditation against a throwaway society

If you’re delinting large items of clothing, you’ll need quite a bit of time and, above all, patience. As a wise person once told me, there’s no such thing as boredom, only time that isn’t used for meditation. In other words, fabric shaving is the perfect moment to reflect and process your grief over those socks your granny knitted for you and you got rid of last year. If only you’d had a fabric shaver then...

When you’re done, your patience will be rewarded with an item of clothing that looks like new – and a full lint container you could use for your lint art.