How to Remove Pilling From Sweaters

Your favorite sweater looks sharp for a few wears, then little fuzz balls show up under the arms and along the sides. I asked my three kids and my mother what they do about it and got three answers: pick at it, borrow Dad's razor, or give up.

Here are seven house rules for removing pills safely and washing knits so they pill less, each with the reason behind it.

Why sweaters pill

Rubbing works short fibers loose, and they tangle into tiny balls. Woolmark lists the usual spots: elbows, armpits, sleeves, belly and sides.

Hidden tip: the fiber tells you how fast to act. Pills on pure wool are fragile and can drop off with time. Pills on polyester, acrylic or nylon blends hang on, because the strong synthetic fibers anchoring them don't break. Blends get the shaver first.

Rules for getting the pills off

Rule 1: Lay it flat before you start. Philips tells shaver owners to lay the garment on a flat surface, straighten it and glide the shaver smoothly over it. Never shave a sweater while somebody is wearing it. Ask me how I know.

Rule 2: Test on a hidden spot first. Shaver manuals say to try an inconspicuous area before the whole garment. Better a nick nobody sees than one on the front.

Rule 3: Glide, don't press. One maker warns that pressing too hard can damage the fabric. Keep the shaver off zippers, buttons, loose threads and embroidery too.

Rule 4: No disposable razors. I'll say it plain: a razor works until one wrong move leaves a permanent hole. For a handful of pills, pick them off by hand once the sweater is dry, which Woolmark suggests too. A comb works on wool if you go very gently.

Rules for washing so they pill less

Rule 5: Inside out, zipped up, smaller loads. Inside out keeps the rubbing on the side nobody sees, and Woolmark recommends it for every wool wash. Zip the zippers and button the buttons so they can't scrape their neighbors. Smaller loads mean less abrasion.

Rule 6: Sweaters never ride with towels. Hidden tip: loose lint tangles into the little fiber balls and makes them bigger and easier to spot. Towels shed plenty, so knits go in a different load.

Rule 7: Gentle cycle, low heat or none, dry flat. Slower spins mean less agitation, and dryer heat adds to pilling. Woolmark says to dry wool sweaters flat and to wash wool sparingly, since it naturally resists odors and stains.

The rule I break

Rule 7 is the one I bend. About once a month my youngest needs his hoodie dry by morning, so it gets the low-heat setting and I call that a compromise. Why did the sweater see a doctor? It was feeling a little pilled.

Make your own list

Borrow whichever fit, cross out the rest and add your own. Pick just one and let it be Rule 5. It costs nothing and protects every sweater in the load.

Cheat sheet: pill-free knits

Seven rules, one laundry room, zero razor holes since. Rule 8 is yours to write.