Lint and pet hair on a black abaya: what helps

Why some abayas collect fluff

Three things decide how much lint and hair stays on an abaya: static, surface texture and what the abaya was washed with.

• Static: polyester and other synthetics build up a static charge in dry air, heated rooms and air-conditioned cars, and a charged surface pulls in loose fibres and hair.
• Texture: crepe, brushed or peached finishes and anything with a slight nap have tiny raised fibres that grip fluff. A smooth, tightly woven surface lets it brush off.
• The wash: towels, fleece, new jumpers and a forgotten tissue all shed fibres in the drum, and a black abaya picks them up on the way round.
• Your home: pet hair, carpet fluff and the inside of a car seat transfer straight onto the hem and the back of the abaya when you sit.

Removing lint and hair without damage

Work from the shoulders down, in the direction the fabric hangs. Always follow the garment label, and try any method on a hidden area such as the inside of the hem first, especially on a delicate or embellished abaya.

• Lint roller: the simplest tool. Roll in one direction rather than scrubbing back and forth, and tear off a fresh sheet often.
• Packing tape: wrap it round your hand sticky side out. Press and lift rather than drag, so it does not pull threads on chiffon or crepe.
• Damp rubber glove or sponge: sweep downwards and the hair rolls into a ball. This works well on pet hair woven into crepe.
• Clothes brush: a soft brush suits textured or napped cloth. Brush with the grain of the fabric, never in circles.
• After the wash: shake the abaya out firmly before hanging it, while lint is still loose.

Washing so it does not come back

Most lint arrives in the washing machine. Turn the abaya inside out, empty the pockets, and wash it with other dark, smooth items, never with towels or fleece. A laundry bag helps. Clean the machine filter now and then, because a blocked filter sends fluff back onto the next load. Line drying keeps static down, while a tumble dryer charges synthetics and bakes fibres onto the surface. Our guide on how to wash an abaya covers temperature and fading, and the article on pilling, static and shine explains how lint differs from pilling. Pills are small balls of the fabric’s own fibres and need a fabric shaver, not a roller.

If you have a cat or a dog, keep a roller by the front door, hang abayas in a closed wardrobe or a cover, and avoid laying them across a sofa or bed.

Choosing an abaya that shows less

If lint is a constant battle, the next abaya can help. A smooth, tightly woven cloth with a slight weight sheds fibres more easily than a fuzzy crepe, and natural fibres such as cotton and linen build less static than polyester. Our abaya fabrics guide compares the common choices, and remember that names such as nida or zoom are loose trade names, so the feel of the cloth tells you more than the label.

Colour matters too. Charcoal, slate, navy, taupe or a soft brown hide pale fluff far better than jet black, and if a pet sheds a lot, a shade close to its fur is the most forgiving of all. Our article on black or coloured abayas looks at the wider choice.

We make abayas to measure, either in fabric we supply or in your own. Tell us in the quote form that lint has been a problem, and we suggest a smoother cloth or confirm whether yours is suitable before anything is cut.