Fuzzball Be Gone! How To Keep Your Clothes From Pilling

It’s heartbreaking to find that the sweater you bought so lovingly to wear during the holidays has accumulated little balls of thread after a single wash.

These blobs of fabric, called pills, are pretty standard on clothes and are; and it’s safe to say that no one wants them there since they give your clothes an unruly look.

But where do they come from?

Pilling Explained:

Pills happen on fabric when groups of small broken clothing fibers get tangled together on the surface and form small balls or knots. These knots are known as pills, and they happen because of daily abrasion and rubbing from wearing the item.

Fabrics like silk and denim rarely pill since silk has long fibers, but synthetic acrylic, polyester, and nylon will pill a lot. It also depends on how tightly the fibers are twisted in the garment.

If the twist is tight, the fabric will feel firm, but there are more chances for abrasion to happen and the garment to pill in a loosely twisted garment.

Use our tips to prevent pilling from happening:

Prevention:

Before you buy a piece of clothing, inspect its fabric to see if it is tightly woven and is made from sturdy materials.

Knitted fabrics pill more than woven ones, and loose, short fibers are prone to pilling as well.

Prevent Clothing From Pilling In The Wash:

Every time we wear our clothes, we cause a certain amount of wear and tear to them. This increases the risk of pilling. However, when washing them, take a few steps to prevent this from happening.

Turn them inside out and fasten any buttons, hooks, or zippers that will damage clothing when it rubs on them during washing.

Wash your clothes according to color and fabric type and use a gentle cycle with cold water for the best outcome. You can even wash clothes by hand to minimize pilling.

Make sure the washing machine isn’t overloaded, as this will create more friction and rubbing. Finish with a fabric softener to keep clothing fibers safe.

Remove Lint With A Fabric Shaver Or Pill Remover:

After drying your clothes on a low heat dryer cycle or in the open, inspect them closely for any pilling.

If there are any lint balls, use a fabric comb or a lint remover to scrape them off the fabric gently. As a result, your clothes should look as good as the day you brought them home.

Keep your clothes in mint condition with Sterling Cleaners’ high-quality dry cleaning and laundry services in Washington, DC. Get in touch with us to discover how our eco-friendly dry cleaning methods help you care for the whole family’s clothes.