When Lint Attacks

It is the bane of my existence.

Not taxes.

Not second grade Everyday Mathematics homework.

No, LINT.

I don’t know about your house, but black lint is everywhere in my hallowed halls.

It started a few years back when my son decided to wear black Nike crew socks. For whatever reason, those black crew socks shed like a pomeranian in a sauna.

After he took a bath, there would be a fine, black lint ring left in the tub. After he walked, slept, and breathed, I would find little black balls of lint on my carpet, floors, furniture, heck EVERYWHERE.

He grew and bought bigger black Nike crew socks. But he passed the smaller socks on to his little sister, who wears the black Nike crew socks on Saturdays when she plays hockey. Of course, when she’s not playing hockey, she’s shedding sock lint.

Then my husband bought some black Nike crew socks. And he wore them. And he shed.

I was beginning to have nightmares. A black Gremlin-esque lint ball would attack me in my sleep!

What’s a girl to do (besides vacuum)?

I started Googling, wondering if I was the only one suffering. Yet instead of online support, what do you think I found?

Lint crafts, folks.

LINT CRAFTS!

First, eHow taught me how to make a PET CHEW TOY out of lint:

• “Stuff an old tube sock with large wads of lint, tie up the end tightly, and give it to your pet as a chew toy. For cats, add a bit of catnip to the lint and watch them go wild!”

Second, eHow instructed me how to DECORATE with lint:

• “Use dryer lint as decoration on your homemade greeting cards, photo frames, and wrapping accessories, just as you might use cotton. For example, to make an Easter card, draw the outline of a rabbit on the cover, and paste dryer lint within the lines to give your Easter bunny a fuzzy 3D effect.”

Finally, I learned how to make lint PAPIER MACHE courtesy of PlanetPals.com:

• Put 3 cups dryer lint and 2 cups water in a large saucepan. Get all of the lint wet. Add 2/3 cup wheat flour and stir constantly so lumps won’t form. Add 3 drops oil of wintergreen (you know, since all of you have that in your pantry already!). Cook over low, stirring constantly until mixture holds together and forms peaks. Pour out onto several thickness of newspaper to cool.

I am now inspired! Sock lint is not a nuisance. It’s my muse!

If you need me, I’ll be collecting lint to make pet chew toys, decorate my Christmas cards, and craft homemade paper for my kids’ homework.

How do you feel about lint?

 

Photo courtesy of Suat Eman/Freedigitalphotos.net.