De-fluff your stuff (Gleener review)

I have a confession - when Spring turned to Summer, my hand-knits were discarded and shoved into the cupboard. Actually, at some point they were neatly folded, but by the time the cooler weather returned, they were in a jumbled mess and I've started to get them ready to wear again. This means washing (all), blocking (most), and de-fluffing (many). 

I'd started using a little battery-operated lint remover I've had for a while , and that was doing ok, but the surface was very small, about the size of a £2 coin, and I had to be careful not to push it down too hard or it would catch on the fabric and smell of burning - yikes! I wondered how I'd ever get through ALL of my winter accessories.  A few days later I visited the Knitting and Stitching show and a live demonstration caught my eye. It turned out to be just the thing I needed. 

DISCLAIMER: After chatting to the people on the Gleener stand, I was impressed with both the product and their knowledge. I told them that I was planning to write a post about 'defluffing' things for winter and I thought this was a great tool. They very kindly offered to supply a fuzz remover so I could take it home and try it for myself. So I ended up not paying for this product (even though I would have) but would like to assure you that, as ever, all the opinions in this post are entirely my own and honest. 

The Gleener Ultimate Fuzz Remover is an award-winning product which is already well known, and widely available, in Canada and the USA but which is new to the UK market. It's unique selling point is the Safe Edge System on the three specially designed edges which are suitable for almost any kind of fabric, fibre or knit. 

Edge 1 can tackle large bulky pills on wool or acrylic coats and heavier items, edge 2 is suited to medium sized pulls on finer yarns like cashmere and merino and can also be used on synthetics and fleece, which edge 3 is great for very fine fuzz such as on cotton and silk blends, collars and such. 

Although I initially wanted this for my hand-knits, the possible uses are far greater. Blankets, coats, trousers, cushions and even the sofa in the playroom have all had a bit of de-fuzzing. I have a lot of shop-bought knitwear from my favourite shop which had pilled quite badly too, and that's looking much better now. I don't know if you can make this out very well (as it's grey) but this is what came off a particularly old and well-loved (shop-bought) cardigan after a couple of minutes.

    

Before, the fluff, and after - de-fluffing the first section of my trusty old cardigan

PROs and CONs

• The Fuzz Remover is very easy to use - the edges are quick to attach and have an easy-release button and the handle is comfortable to hold. 
• You don't need to 'empty' anything, you simply pull the fluff off the end of the remover and you're ready to go again (it's very satisfying). 
• The 'fat' end is a wide lint brush which can be used for general fluff and hair. 
• When not in use, everything can be stored in the handy pouch which is also included. 
• There are no batteries so it's always ready to use. 
• Having a tool which is effective and efficient and has certainly made me consider the larger items and soft furnishings, not just my hand-made accessories.
• The only small issue I had was that I got a bit too over-excited when I saw all the fluff coming off and pressed too hard so that the edge popped off. A very minor inconvenience, as it popped right back on, but worth mentioning - there's no need to press very hard. 
• Regular maintenance would surely make clothes look good for longer. As my things have been neglected until now, they are going to take a while to get into order. My resolve is to start taking more care of my things as part of the regular laundry routine, so that I only have to spend minimal time on each item.

 

If you're a regular reader, you'll know that taking the time to write about an item means I like it and am happy to recommend it. If you want to try it for yourself, in the UK you can currently order directly from Lakeland or via Amazon (affiliate). I'm told they are also on QVC, but couldn't find them online. If you are on the other side of the Atlantic, there are LOTS of large retailers and independent stockists and you'll find the full list here. The RRP is £19.99 / $19.99.

If you already use one of these and would like to share any other tips, please feel free to leave a comment below.