Oct 2, 2022
Getting your Fall and Winter wardrobe ready? Here are some tips to avoid pilling and keep your sweaters in great shape. Unfortunately, pilling is an issue we have all experienced. Pills form on garments of any material and price point, from a less expensive acrylic blend to a high-end cashmere sweater. Here are some tips to prevent pills from forming on (and to remove them from) your favorite Sweater.
What is Pilling?
Pilling is the process when groups of short or broken fibers on a garment become tangled together in tiny knots or balls, also known as pills. This is caused when the surface of the fabric rubs on other objects or with the fabric itself during normal washing, drying, wear and use. You may find more pills in the underarms of shirts, the inseam of pants, and the center of bed sheets since these spots see the most wear and tear. Fabric type also plays a role in clothes pilling. Shorter fibers like cotton, wool, fleece, polyester, and other synthetics are more prone to breakage, which results in pilling. Longer fibers, such as linen and silk, hold together and break less easily. Loose-knit clothes also tend to pill more than tightly woven fabrics since the fibers aren’t held together as strongly. Yet Even if you vow to only hand-wash clothes (and who has time for that?), you won’t eliminate the chances of pilling entirely.
The worst offenders: knitted fabrics. Knitted fabrics tend to pill more than woven ones. Clothes made from wool, cotton, polyester, acrylic, and other synthetics tend to develop pills more readily than silk, denim, or linen.
The Experts at The Suds Bucket on Harrison Street Recommend These Tips to Prevent Pilling:
Before washing, close all zippers, buttons and waistbands. Turn the garments inside out. This prevents excessive abrasion to the surface of the fabric.
Use a good quality laundry detergent. Here at The Suds Bucket, we use just the right, small amount of our concentrated powder detergent. We make our detergent in house from the best cleaning agents and safe, gentle ingredients. Our concentrated powder helps to prevent abrasion damage (less powder granules equals less powder granule abrasion.) Pro Tip: Ensure detergent powder is completely dissolved in the water before adding your clothes.
To prevent damage, place delicate items into individual mesh laundry bags. This helps to stop them from rubbing together and loosening fibers.
Wash different types of fabric and colors separately – for example, separate cotton from non-cotton, dark colors from light colors. When sorting by fabric type, heavier fabrics will be less likely to damage lighter ones in the wash. Always put reds in with the dark colors to prevent any color transfer during the wash.
And finally, use fabric softener (we make our own vinegar and it makes a great softener and deodorizer) and Don’t Overload the Machine. We’ve all been there: cramming clothes into the washing machine to avoid doing a second load. You’re going to want to avoid that. Instead, make sure the washer and dryer aren’t overloaded. If your clothes can’t move easily in the machine, they’ll rub together and cause more friction.
How to Remove Pilling from Clothes
While pilling is annoying, it is pretty simple to get rid of the pills. One of the most effective ways to remove pilling is to use a fabric comb or a battery-operated pill and fuzz remover. These “shave” the pills from the surface of the garment. You can also pull the fabric taut over a curved surface and carefully cut off the pills with small, sharp fabric shears or use a safety razor to shave the fabric, pulling away from the garment.
Pilling is frustrating so use the tips above to avoid future damage. Trust your laundry to the professionals at The Suds Bucket on Harrison Street in Shawnee, Oklahoma. No Time? Buckets of Laundry in Shawnee? We'll Take The Load Off. Trust the Experts, Save Time and Energy, and Let Us Help. For Drop Offs, in by noon, same day service. $2 per pound, 10 lbs. minimum. If you are searching for a Laundry Near Me in Shawnee, OK, there’s simply no better option than The Suds Bucket on Harrison Street.
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