I'd try a clothes shaver and see if that helps. I think that's what they are called-like an electric razor for your clothes. I've brought back many clothes back to life with that thing.

While watching tv pick it off. I'm not one to lecture on washing in cold or washing mixed loads ( yes I am)... but you brought it up. Still I will say your whites surely must be dingy. Is there a reason you wash whites with darks and wash in cold?

I found out from experience to wash fleece separate on gentle cycle.

And never with towels. I found out the hard way a long time ago...

I would not pick it off. You’ll end up pulling more fuzz. The white lint is all intwined in the fleece now.

Use a shaver like this or a manual one that’s more like a razor.

https://www.target.com/p/conair-fabric-shaver/-/A-50704819?sid=1435S&ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Storage+Organization+Shopping_Local&adgroup=SC_Storage+Organization&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=m&location=9027615&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoYuRy4qq3AIV1LjACh36CwqJEAQYASABEgKmePD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Mamapinky, lots of laundry advice these days say to separate by fabric type instead of color. And a lot of detergents are designed for cold water now.

Cold water detergents...contact P&G about their Tide Coldwater..ask about using it to remove body oils and P&G will tell you hot to very warm water is required to remove body oils. Granted coldwater detergent and cold water will remove a lot of stains and soils but the biggest soil in clothing and bedding is body oils. Remember detergent manufacturers are out to make money.

I should have just let it slid by me..folks believe what they want to believe even when the proof is in the pudding.

You could try very carefully running over it with a regular disposable razor. If you press too hard to could cut the fabric. I’ve done this successfully a couple of times. Or it may be a goner.

I separate my washing by dark sturdy clothes, whites and light color sturdy, and my tee shirts and bras that get washed on delicate. White sheets and towels are hot water with occasional bleach. I’ll wash sturdy fleece with jeans, my DH throws everything in together. His whites are gray.

Try using duct tape, it works great !!!

Did you use a liquid detergent with optical brighteners? It would leave what looked like a dusty coating on it.

The general wisdom and even one or two of my fleece garments say to use powder detergent, like Mimi stated above about the OBs. Link to discussion powder vs liquid for fleece

Get a roll of Velcro tape. Or any brand of hook and loop. Wrap a length of just the loop side of it around your hand and brush it against the fleece. You may have to pin the fleece garment down a bit with the other hand. Clean and re-position the loop tape as necessary.

Thanks all. I also read somewhere about literally 'brushing' the fabric, while holding it taut, with a fine tooth comb held at an angle. I'll try that first, before going out and buying velcro tape. I also DO have duct tape at home.

btw, I don't own any 'whites' (save for the one patterned PJs I mentioned). Otherwise, no white shirts, sheets or towels.

I use cold water almost always, to save energy. Also, I read that cold is better for sheets...that warm/hot water can weaken the threads or something. I use natural Seventh Generation liquid deterg.

Cold water is evil, LOL.

See this thread for what too much cold washing can do to a toploader.

Toploaders get moldy ...

You'll never get body oils/skin sebum out of sheets with cold water. Colored sheets can hide the accumulation leading one to think they're clean when they're not.

I have a set of dark navy sheets. My hair is oily and I tend to sweat during sleep unless the the room is appreciably cool (which I can't so much afford in So TX during the summer months!). The "oily hair stain" does not shift out of pillow cases if I don't wash sheets in at least 130°F.

Think about what happens to a sink of hot dirty dishwater that is left to cool overnight .... a ring of grease sticks around at the water level.

OK, so at my age I should know how to properly do laundry.

When I came here with a question last year some pissy little troll tried to tell me I was too old not to already know something. That whole concept is damaging and prejudicial. It is good to learn new things (and I did).

I suggest you ditch the cold water only laundry practices after reading through a bunch of articles on the subject here. I think the American consumer has had the wool (or fleece) pulled over her eyes as far as wash temps go, but read some threads here, and then make up your own mind.