This happens once a while: I put some tissue or paper material (e.g. a receipt) into some pocket of some clothing, but forget to take it out before putting the clothing into the washing machine. After the washing cycle, there are tiny pieces of paper all over the cloths, and it is extremely time consuming to clean up.
How can I remove all the pieces of washed paper from the laundry efficiently?
Parcel Tape.
Most homes have a roll of parcel tape in a drawer somewhere. Take a length of tape about 5 or 6 inches long, hold one end in each hand, then repeatedly press the tape onto the affected cloth.
The tape is sticky enough to pick up the pieces of paper, yet not too sticky that it lifts the cloth too.
After using the tape half a dozen times, replace it with a new piece and continue.
Other types of tape aren't as good. Sellotape / Scotch tape is too narrow - it takes for ever to work your way over the clothing. Gaffer tape is too sticky - it will either leave a sticky residue on the cloth or will pull the fibres up and damage them.
Parcel tape has the right degree of stickyness and, being 2 or 3 inches wide, a convenient size.
This also works to get the tissue paper off the rubber door seal of your washing machine.
A "lint roller" might do the trick. For those unfamiliar, it's a wide roll of adhesive tape, with the adhesive side facing out, with an attached handle that allows it to roll easily over surfaces (especially fabric surfaces). The lint or tissue pieces attach to the adhesive surface.
I recommend drying the laundry first. Then, lay one piece of laundry on a flat clean surface, like a bed or a table. Hold the edge of the laundry item that is closest to you, and roll the lint roller away from you across the surface of the item. If you roll towards yourself, the item can tend to wrap itself around the lint roller. Roll several more times to clean the whole surface of the item, flip it over, and repeat.
Try a vacuumed cleaner . I vacuumed the inside of the washer and dryer every week!
