How To Remove & Prevent Pilling From Clothes

In this guide, I’ll show you how to easily remove those annoying fabric bobbles—also known as pilling or lint—that make your clothes look cheap and worn out. Plus, I’ll share some tips on how to prevent them from ever forming in the first place. 

What causes pilling?

Pilling is caused when fibres in clothes loosen and tangle together which form those small fuzz balls. 

They are usually caused by the following:

• Fibre type – soft, short or loosely woven fibres tend to pill more than tightly woven longer fibres. 
• Friction – when wearing clothes, particularly the areas that rub against objects – like under the arms, when washing, or general day to day wear and tear.

How to avoid pilling ? 

There are certain things you can do prevent your clothes from pilling. First it’s important to understand certain materials and fabric types are more prone to fuzzing than others, this includes:

• Materials like acrylic, viscose and blended fabrics like viscose polyester blends. These types are loosely woven, short and weaker.  

• Low-quality cotton or cotton blends, particularly if the cotton fibres are short.

• Loose or soft weaves, like knitwear. 

• Fabrics with raised textures, like fleece or ribbed jersey.

To prevent clothes from pilling try to choose:

• Tightly woven fabrics – like twill, satin and poplin for example. 

• Tightly woven patterns where the threads are securely interlocked, helping to avoid movement of fibres. 

• Smooth, slinky textures that glide easily over surfaces, preventing friction. 

• Clothes made from long fibres, such as linen, modal, tencel/lyocell, polyester and Pima or Egyptian cotton.

How to avoid pilling when washing and drying your clothes?

• Wash them inside out to avoid pilling on the outside. 
• Wash on gentle cycles or with cold water. 
• Wash delicates together, don’t mix them with rougher, heavier materials. 
• Don’t overload the washing machine as clothes can rub against each-other excessively. 
• Air dry rather than using a tumble dryer. 

How to remove pilling? 

A fabric shaver is the perfect solution to removing lint. The purpose of these devices is to gently remove only the fuzz balls without it damaging the surrounding material of your clothes. 

To use it, you simply turn it on, run it gently over the fabric, and the blades will cut off any fuzz. 

The device has a guard that protects the rest of the fabric and small holes which are where the fuzz balls get cut. 

So there you have it your clothes can look good as new, saving them from being discarded and ending up in landfills – a choice that’s kinder to the environment and your wallet.