trimming prickly pear, removing linty spikes?

Question

First off, I have clothes with tiny, lint-like cactus spikes in them. I'm afraid to let them anywhere near the rest of my clothes, any suggestions on cleaning them without spreading the spikes around are VERY welcome. The only things I've ever seen that are this pesky are glitter and lint. Any advice?

I have a pair of tremendous cacti by house, some type of prickly pear, which need to be trimmed back from the walkway. There are a few long thorns here and there, that I could clip off, or wrap in newspaper, or something. Ideas are welcome there, but it's not a big worry.

What really worries me is the tiny spikes, which are all over. They're as small, hard to spot, and persistent as lint. Once they touch a bit of skin, or cloth, or even soft leather, it seems impossible to get rid of them. Tracking them into the house was a problem last time. I'm tempted to coat the plant in some cheap sticky goo, that will wash off with the hose, or won't hurt the plant much.

I have thought about using fire, but the plants touch the house. I don't think it's poisonous, mostly because I've been poked fairly well already.
It looks a lot like this, though the yellow flowers often have a red center.
http://www.cactiguide.com/cactus/?genus=Opuntia&species=ellisiana

Answer 1

Identifying the cactus would be helpful. Cholla cacti have poisonous spines, good old Priclky Pear is just that, harmless and edible. The "back in the day" folks in Texas used a blow torch to scorch off the spines, no harm to plant, NO harm to human, then pruned.

Some Cacti thorns have barbs, much like porcupine, that will work their way forward. If they were My clothes, garbage, history, no bite-yous gettin me.