There is a real "oh no" moment when you pull the clothes out of the washing machine to discover that facial tissue has spread itself all over the clothing. The mistake can remind you to check your pockets before doing laundry in the future, at least. You can address the problem by putting the clothes in the dryer, using a mixture of aspirin and hot water, or by simply picking tissue off by hand.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Shaking or Drying the Clothes

  1. 1
    Shake the clothes out. Be sure to do this over a trash can or somewhere else that is easy to clean. Shake several times to get as much tissue removed as possible.[1]
    • Use a fabric brush to dislodge any pieces that are still stuck to your clothes.
  2. 2
    Sweep up the excess tissue. Sweep up all the bits that fall on the floor and dispose of them. This can get rid of the initial easy-to-remove pieces. Collect the pieces off the ground if doing this outside. Many tissues are dyed and the chemicals should not be allowed to leach out into the environment.[2]
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  3. 3
    Place the clothes in the dryer. The lint collector will remove most, if not all, of the tissue pieces for you.
    • Allow the clothes to spin dry a second time to catch the last pieces.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Using Aspirin

  1. 1
    Place the tissue-covered clothing in hot water. Get a plastic bucket, and put four aspirin tablets into the water. The amount of water is dependent on the amount of clothing, but typically you would use 2 gallons.
  2. 2
    Mix until the aspirin is dissolved. Aspirin dissolves facial tissues instantly. It's especially useful when tissue adheres inside the pockets and inner lining as well as on the outside of the garment. Aspirin will not harm clothing; it is completely safe.
  3. 3
    Dry the soaked clothing. After letting the clothes soak overnight, dry them in a dryer machine on its lowest setting. This way, the clothes can gently return to their clean and ready-to-wear states.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Picking Tissue off by Hand

  1. 1
    Pick off pieces that the dryer missed. These pieces tend to be more difficult to remove as they will have stuck to the fabric. Once they are loosened by the dryer, they should come off in one piece and will be easier to remove by hand.
  2. 2
    Use tape to remove tissue. Masking tape will work, and duct tape is even better due to its strength. Wrap the tape around your hand with the adhesive side facing outward, and dab the clothing. The tissue should stick to the tape, easily removing it from your clothes.
  3. 3
    Use a lint roller. A lint roller is inexpensive and can be purchased at almost any convenient store. Roll it along your clothing, and the tissue and lint should stick to it.[3]
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Can I substitute Ibuprofen for aspirin to remove tissue from clothing?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    No, because aspirin is effervescent so the bubbles lift the tissue through fizzing. If you need a substitute, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) would work better.
  • Question
    Can I use baby aspirin and put it in the washer?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes, but soak it first in the dissolved aspirin and then put the clothing in the washer. Check here for help: http://www.yourstylishlife.com/throw-an-aspirin-into-the-washing-machine-the-effect-is-perfect/
  • Question
    What should I do if I only have a short time to remove the pieces of tissue from clothing?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    First toss in dryer; this will remove a lot of the tissue. Lint rollers are best for this problem. Duct tape rolled around your hand (sticky side out) also works.
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About This Article

wikiHow Staff
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 402,758 times.
9 votes - 63%
Co-authors: 8
Updated: October 26, 2022
Views: 402,758
Categories: Cleaning Clothes
Article SummaryX

If you’ve left facial tissues in the wash, you can remove them from your clothes by shaking the clothing out over a garbage can. Do this several times to remove as much of the tissue as possible. Once you’ve shaken the clothes out, place them in the dryer to get rid of the remaining tissue pieces. Another way to remove tissue from clothing is to place them in a bucket of aspirin and water. To make the mixture, stir 4 aspirin into a large bucket of hot water until the pills dissolve. Then, let the clothing soak in the bucket overnight and dry them normally afterwards. If there are any tissue pieces still stuck to your clothes after you dry them, simply pick them off by hand or use a lint roller to remove them. To learn how to use tape to remove tissue from clothing, read on!

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