How to Get Burrs Out of Clothes

Weeds, like all living things, want to disperse and multiply. The spiky seeds or burrs of various plants fall in this category.

Burrs are clever weeds; they latch onto moving animals to spread out farther.

Human clothes can have burrs on them as a consequence. These burrs are frustrating because they cause discomfort and irritate the skin. They also latch on ultra-tightly, making the removal process hard.

Some areas have a higher prevalence of burrs, and people in those areas have simplified removing burrs from clothing.

7 Ways to Get Burrs Out of Clothes

Some methods successfully remove pesky burrs from clothing without causing damage.

Washing the Clothes to Remove Burrs

Washing the burr-infested clothes will loosen the tight grip the burrs have on the clothes leading to the effortless removal of the burrs without causing damage to the clothes.

It is a classic burr removal method, especially for the uninitiated. If you’re worried about the burrs damaging or clogging your washer, you can soak the clothes in soapy water for a few hours and then wash the clothes as usual.

Procedure:

1. Separate the burr-infested clothes from the unaffected clothes because burrs transfer quickly.
2. Put your washer in the correct settings. The “delicate” wash cycle will remove the burrs efficiently without damaging the clothes. Hot water is the adequate water temperature for this process.
3. Pour in a mild laundry detergent.
4. After washing and drying your clothes, check to see if there are leftover burrs. If there are leftover burrs, run a new wash cycle or hand-pick the burrs.

Combing the Burrs off the Clothes

Combing detaches the burrs from the grip area in the clothing. It is a labor-intensive process made easier by using the correct comb. The fine-toothed comb works best for this procedure.

There are conflicting reports about the superiority of plastic fine-toothed combs over metal ones. However, the consensus places both on equal footing.

When combing the burrs from the clothes, ensure the entire burr removes and doesn’t break from the roots. The roots can also damage the clothes and irritate the skin as the full burr would.

Procedure:

1. Wear leather gloves to protect your hands from irritation and injury.
2. Lay the burr-infested clothing on a flat surface, exposing the burrs. Place a bucket near the clothing; so the burrs fall inside.
3. Gently run your comb through a single burr downward, removing the burr’s hooks from the clothes.
4. Remove the detached burrs from the comb and toss them in the dustbin.
5. Continue this process till there are no burrs left on the clothing.

 

Removing the Burrs with Duct Tape

Duct tape is a heavy-duty sticky tape having a wide variety of uses. Using duct tape to remove offending materials from clothes is not a recent development. It is the first item used to remove hair and excess cotton from clothes.

Since a duct tape is large, it will cover a vast surface area of the burr-infested clothes, making the time used in the removal process shorter. However, do not try this method on clothing with delicate fabrics.

Procedure:

1. Wear leather gloves to protect your hands from irritation and injury caused by burrs.
2. Spread the burr-infested clothes on a flat surface, making the burrs visible. Place a bucket near the clothes; so the burrs fall inside.
3. Cut a large roll of duct tape and place it on the clothing with the sticky side directly on the burrs.
4. Carefully press the duct tape into the burrs with your glove-covered hands.
5. Quickly pull back the duct tape from the burrs, and it should remove the burrs from the area where the duct tape was.
6. Continue this process throughout the clothing until there are no more burrs.

Using Pliers or Tweezers to Remove the Burrs

Using pliers or tweezers to remove burrs from clothes is not very practical. You would have to target the burrs one by one, and this process can take hours or even days.

The only time to use this method is when you have exhausted the other options. If there are still burrs after washing or using duct tape, etc., especially the roots which are hard to remove, then pliers or tweezers are the only options.

Procedure:

1. Wear leather gloves to protect your hands from irritation and injury.
2. Flap the burr-infested clothing to remove loose burrs.
3. Spread the clothing on a flat surface to expose the hidden burrs. Place a bucket near the clothes; so the burrs fall inside.
4. Run your hand over the clothing to feel for the leftover burrs or hooks.
5. When you find one, gently pluck at it with a plier or tweezers till the burrs come out. Feel the area with your hand to be sure.
6. Continue running your hand all through the clothing to feel for hidden burrs. Repeat this process till there are no more burrs.

Lint Roller

The exterior of a lint roller has adhesive attached to a plastic surface. This adhesive successfully removes unwanted items on clothes.

A lint roller is an efficient tool to remove burrs because it works perfectly on various surfaces and clothing fabrics, and it has a handle that makes the process easier.

Lint roller is a faster alternative to using combs or duct tape when removing burrs from clothes.

Procedure:

1. Wear leather gloves to protect your hands from irritation and injury.
2. Spread the burr-infested clothing on a flat surface to expose the hidden burrs. Place a bucket near the clothes; so the burrs fall inside.
3. Place the lint roller at the top of the clothing and, using force, roll it down till you reach the bottom.
4. Remove burrs from the lint roller and continue the process.
5. Repeat this process until there are no more burrs on the clothing.
6. Alternatively, use the lint roller on the burr-infested clothing while you’re wearing it. This method happens immediately when the burrs latch on the cloth while you’re outside.

Burr Paw

Burr Paw is an environmentally friendly product that efficiently removes burrs from clothing. This item is a smart purchase as it saves time and effort, unlike other burr removal methods.

The burrs’ sharp spikes do not affect the Burr Paw because of its materials.

Burr Paw is reliable and suitable as it can fit any item or surface, regardless of its shape, making the burr removal process effortless.

Procedure:

1. Spread the burr-infested clothing on a flat surface to reveal every attached burr. Place a bucket near the clothes; so the burrs fall inside.
2. Wear the Burr Paw on your hands like a mitt.
3. Sweep your hands all over the clothing to remove the burrs. The burrs detach and adhere to the Burr paw.
4. Dust your hands together to remove the burr from the Burr Paw
5. Continue sweeping the clothing with your hands till there are no more burrs left.
6. Alternatively, fold the Burr Paw and carefully wipe away the burrs from the clothing. This simple method is suitable for small infestations.

Burzoff

Burzoff is another environmentally friendly burr removal tool. The exterior of this tool has small porous stones – made from recyclable materials – fitted together to form a 1-inch durable burr removal device.

This long-lasting device prevents the spread of invasive plants like burrs. It works by detaching the burrs’ hooks from the clothes.

Burzoff is a popular tool among hikers and outdoorsy people because it is pocket-sized, and they can quickly remove the burrs from their clothes with it.

Procedure:

1. Wear leather gloves to protect your hands from irritation and injury.
2. Spread the burr-infested clothing on a flat surface; so every burr is visible. Place a bucket near the clothes; so the burrs fall inside.
3. Carefully run the Burzoff on the clothes starting from one direction and moving opposite. The stone detaches the burrs from the fabric of the clothing.
4. Alternatively, grab a Burzoff and quickly detach the newly-attached burrs from your clothes while still wearing them.