How to Do Something Your Don Know: How to Make Velcro Stick Again

Tuesday, 12 February 2019

How to Make Velcro Stick Again

The same stickiness that makes Velcro such a useful invention also means that it easily accumulates lint and other debris that will cause it to lose its grabbing power. Use common household objects to clean out Velcro and restore its stickiness. Make sure to protect your Velcro from lint and other junk as much as you can to keep it clean and sticky.

EditSteps

EditCleaning Velcro

Pull out loose lint and other matter caught in the Velcro with your fingers. Pinch any large pieces of matter that are caught in the Velcro between your fingernails and pull them out. Think of how you would clean out hair from a hairbrush, and do the same for the lint, hair, and other things that are caught in the Velcro.^[1]
- Velcro tabs consist of two parts called a hook and loop fastener system. The rougher side is called the hook, and the softer side is called the loop. The hook is generally the part that collects the debris because this is the part of the Velcro that grabs and sticks.
Pick out lint and debris that you can’t reach with your fingers with tweezers. Hold the Velcro steady with a hand. Use a pair of tweezers with your other hand to pluck out pieces of matter that are caught further down in the hooks of the Velcro.^[2]
- Be careful not to grab and pull on the hooks with the tweezers. You might damage them and cause your Velcro to be less sticky.
Use a pin or needle if you don’t have tweezers to pull out matter. Slide the pointy end between the rows of hooks and underneath debris, then gently lift up to pull out the matter. Work in the same direction as the rows of hooks are facing on the Velcro.^[3]
- You can use any small, thin, and needle-like object for this method. Just make sure that it is sturdy enough to pull out debris that might be really stuck in the Velcro without bending.
Scrape debris out of the Velcro with a fine-toothed comb instead of a needle. Hold the Velcro flat and securely in place. Slide a plastic, metal, or wooden comb along the rows of hooks to scrape out stubborn lint and other debris that you can’t pluck or lift out.^[4]
- Make sure the teeth of the comb are not so fine and delicate that they could break as you scrape out debris.
Brush the Velcro with a dry toothbrush after you pull out as much as you can. Use an old toothbrush that you don’t need for your teeth anymore. Brush the Velcro in 1 direction parallel to the rows of hooks to get out any remaining pieces of lint and other matter.^[5]
- A stiff-bristled toothbrush works best, or you can use another kind of stiff brush like a dish brush or a pet brush.
- Be careful not to scrub too hard or you might damage the hooks on the Velcro. This is why it’s important to work parallel to the hooks so that they keep their form as you brush out debris.

EditPreventing Velcro from Getting Dirty

Keep Velcro tabs closed as much as possible so they don’t collect debris. Close the hook and loop fasteners on Velcro whenever you are not using it. This will protect the hooks from picking up stray matter like lint, hair, and other debris.^[6]
- Velcro is designed to be sticky and will easily grab onto things like blankets or clothes from which it will pick up lint.
Always close Velcro tabs on garments before washing them. When you wash Velcro it will pick up lint, hair, and anything else floating around in the washing machine. Keep the hook and loop fasteners closed when you wash Velcro to keep this from happening.^[7]
- Wash garments that contain Velcro separately from other items when possible. Let them air dry instead of putting them in the dryer. This will decrease the likelihood that the Velcro picks up lint from other clothing and fabric items. Washers and dryers are full of lint that Velcro attracts.
Clean out Velcro whenever it starts to work less effectively. Velcro is bound to pick up a certain amount of junk, no matter how much you try to prevent it. Clean it out whenever you notice that it is not sticking as well to prevent accumulation of lint, hair, and other debris.^[8]
- It is possible that over time your Velcro will stop being sticky because the hooks get damaged. In this case, cleaning will only do so much and you may have to replace the Velcro if cleaning it out does not restore its grabbing power.