How to Remove Pilling From Clothing

Pilling occurs when the fibers in a fabric or garment rub together, causing them to break off and accumulate in small piles. Pilling usually occurs from extended wear and washing. Your favorite sweater or thrift-store find may seem unwearable due to accumulated pilling. Try to remove the pills at home before getting rid of a garment. Your favorite garment may be easily returned to its original state.

EditSteps

EditRemoving Pills With Household Tools

Use a sandpaper sponge. If you scrub your clothing with this sponge, your pilling will be gone!
Trim with scissors. Depending on the number and size of the pills, you may be able to trim them away with a pair of scissors. Lay the garment on a flat surface. Pull up individual pills trim away with your other hand. You may also put your hand inside the garment in order to pull it taught, and then gently trim away the pills.
- Make sure to hold the scissors close to the fabric. Be gentle and slow, so you do not damage the fabric.
- Small nail scissors are safer to use. They are duller and more precise, and are less likely to damage the fabric. ^[1]
Use a shaving razor. Take a disposable razor and lay the garment on a flat surface. Pull the fabric near the affected area taught with one hand. This will prevent you from cutting through the garment. Gently shave upward with the razor in small strokes. ^[2] Start with the lightest contact possible and increase as necessary.
- Once you have accumulated a pile of pillings, use tape to remove from the fabric. Wrap a large loop of packing tape around your closed fingers, sticky side out. ^[3] Press against the fabric to pick up the accumulated pillings. Replace tape when it becomes full of pills. If you do not have packing tape, small strips of masking tape will also work.
- Make sure to use a sharp, new razor. This will most effectively remove the pills. Avoid using shaving razors that have moisture strips or soap bars on either side. This will likely cause more pilling when rubbed against the fabric.
Use Velcro hair rollers. Hair rollers are very gentle, making them ideal for use on delicate fabrics like wool and cashmere. ^[4] Lay the garment on a flat surface and pull it taught. Lay the roller flat on the affected area. Gently roll upwards and out until the area is pill-free. The pilling will get caught in the hair roller. Pick it up and move it to another area if the garment is pilled in several areas.
Use a strip of Velcro. ^[5] If you have a piece of Velcro you can also use this to remove pillings. Consider using Velcro found on a shoe or wallet. Apply the Velcro hook-side down to the affected area of the garment. Gently pull up and repeat until the pilling is gone.
- This method can damage very delicate fabrics, so do not use on cashmere or wool.

EditShopping for Pilling-Removal Tools

Buy a sweater comb. A sweater comb is a small, fine toothed comb made specifically for removing pilling. It is different from a hair comb because the teeth are smaller and closer together. Pull the fabric taught and scrape the affected area gently. Be careful not to damage the fabric.
Use an electric sweater shaver. An electric pill remover is more expensive than other tools, but the fastest, most effective method. Insert batteries and lay the garment on a flat surface. Apply to the garment in small, circular motions. Start with the lightest contact possible and increase as needed. Continue until the pills disappear. They will accumulate in the shaver's barrel, which you can empty as it fills up.
Try a sweater stone. A sweater stone is made especially for removing sweater pills. To use, lay the garment on a flat surface and pull flat. Gently rub the stone against the affected area. Drag it across the fabric and pull of the extra pills as they accumulate, using tape or your fingers.

EditPreventing Pilling Before it Occurs

Shop for fabrics that are less likely to pill. Fabrics made of fiber blends are more susceptible to pilling. Fiber blends combine natural and synthetic fibers, and they are more likely to rub together and form pills. This is especially true for fabrics with three or more different types of fibers. ^[6]
Look for tightly knit sweaters. Check the fabric before you buy. Tightly knit fabrics are less likely to pill, whereas looser weaves or more susceptible to pilling ^[7]
Turn your garment inside out. Turn the garment inside out before washing. This will prevent noticeable pilling as the fabric rubs against itself and other garments in the wash. You can also try storing the garment inside out by turning it inside out before hanging or folding it. ^[8]
Wash gently. Use a delicate cycle when washing in the washing machine. Delicate cycles are shorter and gentler, causing less abrasion in the garments.
- Consider hand washing garments like sweaters that are more likely to pill. This is the gentlest way of washing. Look for detergent made especially for handwashing and wash in a sink or bathtub. ^[9]
Avoid the electric dryer. When possible, hang garment to dry rather than using the drying machine. This will cause less abrasion to the fabric and prevent pilling. ^[10]
Use liquid detergent. Powder detergent rubs against the fabric as it dissolves. This makes it more likely to cause pilling during the washing cycle. Liquid detergents are the most gentle solution for delicate fabrics. ^[11]
Brush with a lint roller regularly. Be sure to regularly brush delicate sweaters with a lint roller or lint brush to prevent pilling. Consistently using a lint roller will prevent pills from accumulating on the fabric. ^[12]