COMPLETE GUIDE TO FABRIC PILLING
March 01, 2021
Photo Credit: Getty Images/istock
We all have that one garment, that we can no longer wear because of those tiny balls that have appeared all over it making it look old and worn out even though we might have just bought it. Let us explain to you what these little balls (pills) are and how to stop them.
What are Pills?
Pills are those pesky pieces that appear on the surface of fabric usually after it is laundered and sometimes after a normal wear.
Why Pills Form
Pills are formed as the clothing or linen is rubbed, stretched to accommodate the body or pulled as a result of harsh washing and drying. This causes the fibers to become weak and to break down. The short and broken fibers group together and tangle up in tiny knots known as pills or sometimes lint balls.
Where Pills Form
Pills can be found mostly in areas that experience a lot of friction in day-to-day use such as around the: Collar, Cuffs of shirts, Under the arm, Bust or chest, Areas between the thighs, Center of bed sheets and pillow cases. Nevertheless, they can appear anywhere at all.
Which fabrics form pills?
It is a daunting task predicting which fabrics will pill. However, some fabrics are more prone to pilling than others. Take a look at some factors that influence pilling.
Length of Fibres and Pilling
Fabrics which are made up of long fibers such as silk and linen pill less. Cotton, Wool, Polyester and other man-made fabrics are more prone to pilling because they have shorter fibers.
Fabric Construction Type and Pilling
We will not bore you with the details of fabric construction methods. The two major methods are Weaving and Knitting. Knitted fabrics tend to pill more than woven fabrics because the threads are generally looser. Tightly knitted fabrics tend to pill less than loosely knitted ones.
Fabric Composition and Pilling
When fibers are blended with one fiber being stronger than the other, the weaker fiber would break and knot around the stronger fiber and form a pill.
Fabric Preservation Techniques
These are not absolute pill-proof techniques but are worth trying
Rule of thumb for DIY laundry at home
- Sort clothes properly before washing.
- Do not wash lint producing fabrics like towels with other type of fabrics.
- Turn the garment inside out when washing to protect the surface of the garment from abrasion.
- Avoid harsh laundry consumables they can weaken fibers and cause them to break.
- Hand washing is preferred. For machine wash, use the gentle cycle on the washer for slower agitation and keep the wash cycle as short as possible.
- Air drying is preferred to machine drying. In case you want to use a a dryer, turn clothes inside out and choose delicate setting and a very short duration
Is it too late to save your garment from those pesky pieces?
It is never too late. In case you already have a garment with pills all over, an effective way to remove them is to
- Use a fabric comb or a battery operated pill remover that pulls the pills fibers away from the surface of the fabric.
- You can also shave the surface of a garment with a sharp scissors or a safety razor.
Going Clothing Shopping?
Here is a checklist
- Check Care labels before you buy
- More woven fabrics
- Closely knitted fabrics
- Avoid fiber blends with Natural and Synthetic fiber mix
- More silk and linen fabrics
We cannot emphasize enough that pilling is a normal wear problem which cannot be prevented completely but can be avoided by choosing clothings which are less likely to pill for easy care and maintenance.
Outsource the hustle of caring for that special garment to us. At Trenor Coats and Gowns Limited, we offer total fabric care services.
Written by :
Loveryn Dodu
Research and Training Supervisor
Trenor Coats and Gowns Ltd
Email to info@trenorgroup.com
Call/WhatsApp 0245026840
