Pilling is what happens when short or loose fibers work free from a yarn, rub against other surfaces, and tangle into tiny balls anchored by a few stronger fibers. It shows up first where friction is highest — under the arms, along the sides, where a seatbelt, bag strap, or desk edge rubs. Pilling is not a sign a garment is finished; even fine cashmere pills in its first wears. Removing pills is simple with the right tool — an electric fabric shaver, a sweater comb, or a pumice stone — used lightly on a flat surface, and a few wearing and washing habits slow them coming back.
Removing Pills with a Shaver, Comb, or Stone
Lay the garment flat on a firm, smooth surface and pull it gently taut — tools glide over a flat knit and catch on a bunched one. With an electric fabric shaver, use light circular motions and let the foil head do the work; pressing hard pushes fibers into the blades and can nick the knit. Empty the lint chamber as it fills, because a full chamber drags. A sweater comb works with short, one-direction strokes and suits fine knits like cashmere; a sweater stone is dragged lightly across heavier knits and fleece. Whichever tool you use, work in good light, keep off seams, buttons, and embroidery, and test an inside seam allowance first on anything delicate.
Never pull pills off by hand or snip them with scissors held carelessly: pulling can loosen the anchored fibers and start a thin spot, and scissors risk cutting the yarn itself. When in doubt about which tool suits which fabric, our comparison of fabric shavers, sweater combs, and stones breaks down the choices.
Why Pills Form — and How to Slow Them
Pills start with fiber length. Short-staple fibers slip out of yarns more easily, which is why inexpensive short-fiber knits pill heavily and keep pilling, while long-staple wool and quality cashmere pill a little at first, then largely stop once the loose fibers are gone. Blends can pill stubbornly because a strong synthetic fiber anchors pills made of weaker natural fibers, so they do not wear away on their own.
You cannot eliminate friction, but you can reduce it: rest knits a day between wearings, wash sweaters inside out on gentle settings (see how to wash wool sweaters), avoid carrying bags over the same shoulder every day, and keep rough companions — Velcro, unlined rough jackets, abrasive straps — off fine knits. De-pill when pills first appear rather than letting them mat; a few minutes a few times a season keeps a sweater looking new.
Common Questions
- Does removing pilling damage the garment?
- Done correctly, no. A shaver, comb, or stone used lightly on a flat surface removes only the loose surface fibers that form pills. Damage comes from pressing too hard, working on a bunched-up garment, or pulling pills by hand, which can thin the knit.
- Why does my sweater pill in the same places?
- Pills follow friction. The underarms, sides, and anywhere a strap, belt, or armrest rubs will pill first and most. Rotating bags and resting the sweater between wears spreads that friction out and slows it.
- Do expensive sweaters pill less?
- Generally, yes — over time. Long-staple fibers stay anchored in the yarn, so quality wool and cashmere pill mainly in the first wears, then settle. Short-staple and loosely spun knits keep releasing fibers, so they keep pilling.
- Can pilling be prevented completely?
- No — some pilling is normal for any knit. You can slow it a great deal with gentle washing, resting garments between wears, and reducing friction, and a few minutes with a shaver keeps it from ever looking shabby.
Garment Care & Clothing Storage Guides
This page is part of the Apparel Search garment care series — practical guides to washing, finishing, and storing the clothes you own. Browse the full series below.