Clothes pilling? Here's what to do

There comes a time in every garments life when the inevitable pilling starts to occur.

These small balls of fluff pop up wherever there is friction. They’re under the arms, at the crotch, where you’ve sat down...

Regardless of where it pops up, I’m sure we can agree pilling is annoying.

It makes your favourite jumper look like you just pulled it out of your granddads closet (not that there’s anything wrong with that - we love a good hand-me-down!).

But luckily, we’ve found a few hacks that can help you prevent your beloved garments from pilling too much.

We also have some tips on how to easily get rid of any of these unsightly balls of fluff when they do occur.

Prevention

Are you the type to get incredibly annoyed by pilling?

You’re not alone.

So, if you can’t be bothered removing it, go for fabrics that have a lower risk of pilling such as linen or silk.

Furthermore, if you hate pilling, you should be aware that blended fabrics are more likely to pill.
This is because one fibre tends to be stronger than the other.

That means the weaker fibre often breaks & wraps around the stronger one - hence, pilling.

This is often the case with synthetic/natural fibre blends such as polyester/cotton.

Other than general day to day friction, laundering is one of the biggest contributors to pilling.

Follow these steps to reduce the risk & keep your garments looking fresh for longer:

• Put clothes that have a high risk of pilling on a gentle cycle or hand wash if possible.
• Turn all garments inside out before washing. This prevents abrasion from clothing details such as zips, clasps & buttons.
• Don’t overload the washing machine - this prevents clothes from moving freely & can cause damage.
• Use gentle detergent as harsh products will cause fibers to break.
• Add a fabric softener as it will line the fibres & lessen the effects of abrasion.
• Avoid the clothes dryer when possible.

Removal

Even if you are very careful with your garments, overtime, it’s likely that a little pilling will occur.

But there’s no need to stress or restrict that item to at home use only.

Pilling can be removed very easily with a handy pill & fuzz remover.

If you don’t have one of these handy gadgets, you can carefully cut them off with a small sharp pair of scissors or pull the garment taut & shave pills off with a disposable razor (be very careful!).

Voila! Good as new!