What is Pilling? Why Clothes Pill and How to Remove It

Those annoying little balls of fibre that appear on jumpers, fleece, polos and other garments have a name:

Pills.

Pilling occurs when loose or broken fibres work their way to the surface of a fabric and become tangled together, forming small balls or clusters.

It commonly develops in areas exposed to friction and abrasion, such as under the arms, around cuffs, between the thighs, beneath bag straps or anywhere fabric regularly rubs against another surface.

Pilling can make a garment look older surprisingly quickly, but it doesn't necessarily mean the garment is poor quality and in many cases, pills can be removed.

What causes fabric to pill?

Pilling generally begins when fibres on the surface of a fabric become loose through normal wear and abrasion.

Those loose fibres become tangled together. As friction continues, they form the little balls we recognise as pills.

How readily this happens depends on several factors, including:

• the type and length of fibre
• yarn construction
• fabric construction
• surface finish
• how the garment is worn
• how frequently it is washed
• the amount of friction the fabric experiences

That's why two garments that look fairly similar can behave very differently over time.

Where does pilling usually occur?

Pilling tends to be most noticeable in high-friction areas.

On clothing, that's commonly: under the arms, around the sides of the body, cuffs, collars, between the thighs and around the seat of pants.

It can also appear where a garment regularly comes into contact with something else.

A backpack rubbing against a polo, a handbag against the side of a jumper, a seatbelt across a fleece jacket or even repeatedly leaning against a desk can create enough abrasion to encourage pilling.

Sometimes the culprit isn't the garment. It's everything the garment spends its day rubbing against.

Does pilling mean a garment is poor quality?

Not necessarily. This is probably the most useful myth to knock over.

Pilling can occur in both inexpensive and premium fabrics. Even high-quality wool and cashmere can pill.

Fabric quality, fibre length, yarn construction and finishing can affect pilling resistance, but the presence of some pills isn't automatically evidence that a garment is defective or poorly made.

The location and extent of the pilling can also tell you something.

A garment developing pills primarily beneath the arms or where a bag constantly rubs against it is experiencing concentrated abrasion. That's quite different from a fabric developing extensive surface pilling after minimal wear.

Which fabrics are most likely to pill?

There's no simple list of fibres that always pill and fibres that never do.

Both natural and synthetic fabrics can pill.

Knitted fabrics can be particularly susceptible because their construction may allow fibres more opportunity to move and work towards the surface.

Wool, acrylic, polyester, cotton and blends can all develop pills depending on the yarn and fabric construction.

Why can synthetic fabrics develop persistent pills?

Strong synthetic fibres such as polyester may hold onto a pill once it has formed.

With some weaker fibres, the tangled ball may eventually break away from the fabric. Strong fibres can keep it attached, making the pilling more noticeable and persistent.

This is one reason fibre composition matters but it isn't as simple as saying "blended fabrics pill more."

A well-engineered blended fabric can have excellent pilling resistance.

Do polyester-cotton blends pill?

They can, but being a polyester cotton blend doesn't automatically mean a fabric will pill.

In some blends, shorter or weaker fibres can loosen while stronger polyester fibres help hold the resulting pills to the fabric.

However, yarn quality, fibre length, fabric construction and finishing all influence the result.

What is anti-pill fabric?

An anti-pill fabric has been designed or treated to reduce the formation or retention of pills during wear.

You'll commonly see the term associated with polar fleece and other knitted fabrics.

Manufacturers can improve pilling resistance through fibre selection, yarn construction, fabric construction and finishing processes.

Importantly:

Anti-pill doesn't mean pill-proof.

It means the fabric has been engineered to provide greater resistance to pilling under normal use.

Does fleece pill?

Fleece can pill because its soft, raised surface is exposed to abrasion.

However, many modern uniform and outdoor fleece fabrics use anti-pill finishes or constructions designed to minimise the problem.

The quality and construction of fleece therefore make a considerable difference to how its surface looks after repeated wear and laundering.

Does washing cause pilling?

Washing doesn't necessarily cause pilling on its own, but the mechanical action of laundering can create friction and abrasion, which can contribute to it.

Garments rub against one another, the washing machine and components such as zips, buttons and hook-and-loop fasteners.

The hotter or harsher the treatment, the more stress you're potentially placing on the fabric.

How can you help prevent clothes from pilling?

You can't guarantee that a garment will never pill, but sensible garment care can help reduce unnecessary abrasion.

Always start with the garment's care label. That's more important than any generic washing advice on the internet, including ours.

Where appropriate:

• turn garments inside out before washing
• separate delicate garments from rough or abrasive items
• close zips and hook-and-loop fasteners
• avoid overloading the washing machine
• use the recommended wash cycle and temperature
• use an appropriate laundry detergent
• avoid unnecessarily harsh washing and drying
• don't wash garments more frequently than necessary

Can you remove pilling from clothes?

Usually, yes. Once pills have formed, they can often be removed using a fabric shaver or pill remover.

These devices carefully trim raised pills from the surface without intentionally cutting into the underlying fabric.

Place the garment on a flat surface, pull the fabric smooth without overstretching it and work gently across the affected area, following the device manufacturer's instructions.

And don't become overenthusiastic. We're removing pills, not giving the jumper a buzz cut. 😂

Can you cut pills off with scissors?

Technically you can carefully remove individual pills, but I wouldn't recommend scissors as our standard HOU advice.

It's extremely easy to accidentally cut the fabric or snag a yarn.

A purpose designed fabric shaver is inexpensive, safer and much easier to control.

Will removing pills damage the garment?

If done carefully with an appropriate fabric shaver, occasional depilling shouldn't normally be a problem.

However, pills consist of fibres from the fabric itself, so repeatedly shaving a badly pilling garment isn't an infinite reset button.

Aggressive or excessive removal can eventually affect the surface of the fabric.

The goal is to remove the raised pills without shaving into the garment itself.

What is a pilling test?

Textile manufacturers can test fabrics for their resistance to pilling and surface change using standardised laboratory methods.

Fabric samples are subjected to controlled rubbing or tumbling and then assessed against established rating systems.

This allows manufacturers to compare how fabrics are likely to withstand abrasion rather than simply waiting for someone to wear a polo around the warehouse for six months.

For uniform garments that will be worn and washed repeatedly, pilling resistance can be an important performance characteristic.

Is pilling the same as lint?

No.

Lint consists of loose fibres or fluff sitting on the surface of a fabric.

Pilling occurs when fibres become tangled together and remain attached to the fabric as small balls.

A lint roller may pick up loose fluff, but it generally won't solve actual pilling.

Is pilling the same as snagging?

No again.

A snag occurs when a yarn or fibre is caught and pulled from the normal fabric structure.

Pilling involves surface fibres becoming tangled through abrasion.

They're different forms of fabric wear and should be treated differently.

Whatever you do, don't cut a pulled structural yarn just because it looks like a pill.

Pilling and uniforms

Pilling matters particularly with uniforms because garments are generally worn and laundered far more frequently than occasional clothing.

Polos, knitwear, fleece, pants and other everyday uniform garments may be subjected to: repeated washing + movement + desks + seatbelts + equipment + bags + physical work.

Choosing a fabric suited to the environment and following its care instructions can help keep garments looking professional for longer.

And if some pilling eventually appears?

A careful pass with a fabric shaver can make a surprisingly big difference.