The Best Ways to Prevent Clothes From Pilling
Once you find a shirt or pair of pants that you really like, it can be tempting to wear and wash them often. But after a few wash cycles, you may start to notice small, stubborn clumps of lint stuck to certain areas or to clothing in general that aren’t easily removed with a brush or lint roller. This is called “pilling” and it is unpleasant but preventable. Here’s how to prevent this from happening to your clothes.
What causes pilling on clothes?
“Pills” are small, hard balls of lint or fluff that form on clothing as it is worn and washed. They can make clothing items that are otherwise in excellent condition look older and less polished.
Pilling occurs when individual fibers on the surface of a fabric break due to regular wear and tear (most commonly in the underarm area of shirts and the inseam of pants) or additional friction caused by, for example, carrying a backpack or purse. These broken fibers become tangled, forming small knots or lint balls. When you wash clothes, these lint balls tend to attract loose micro-threads , which speeds up pilling.
But unlike loose lint, which can be easily removed with a brush or roller, getting rid of tablets requires more effort, so it’s better to prevent them from appearing in the first place.
Some fabrics are more prone to pilling than others.
When it comes to pilling, not all fabrics are created equal. Clothes made from shorter fibers are more prone to breakage and, in turn, pilling.
Tissues more prone to pilling include:
-
Loose knit items
-
Cotton
-
Wool
-
Fleece
-
Polyester
-
Nylon
-
Microfiber
-
Acrylic
-
Spandex
-
Viscose viscose
-
Natural and synthetic or mixtures of 100% synthetic fabrics.
-
Other synthetics
Tissues less likely to form pilling include:
-
Thick knitted fabrics
-
Wool
-
Silk
-
denim
-
District
-
Higher quality cotton (longer fibers).
How to prevent pilling on clothes
Due to normal wear and tear, it is not always possible to completely avoid pilling, but there are ways to slow down the process and minimize damage to your clothes, keeping them looking like new longer. Here are some examples:
Remove lint before washing
Before loading your clothes into the washing machine, take a minute to remove any lint using a brush or roller. If you don’t have any on hand, you can use a piece of tape with the sticky side facing out. As a last resort, shake the item thoroughly to remove anything stuck to the fabric.
Zipper and buttons
Before washing, close any zippers, fasten all buttons, and fasten any other fasteners on your clothing to prevent them from snagging on other items.
Turn your clothes inside out
Once you’ve secured everything and removed the lint, turn the item inside out before washing it. Any clothes you wash together in the same load will inevitably rub against other clothes, and thus will not accelerate pilling on the visible side of the items.
Sort your laundry
You may already sort your laundry by color, but to prevent pilling, you can also sort by fabric type. The idea is to reduce abrasion by washing heavier fabrics separately from lighter ones.
Use a gentle cycle
Less agitation in the washing machine means less friction and less pilling.
Wash clothes in cold water
Hot water can make clothes more prone to pilling because the fibers wear out faster, which can cause them to tangle and pill.
Use an enzymatic cleanser.
One of the easiest ways to not only prevent pilling, but also reduce existing pilling, is to use a laundry detergent that contains the plant-based enzyme cellulase , which can help loosen and remove those pesky lint clumps. When shopping for detergent, look for the word “cellulase enzyme” in the ingredients list—it’s usually at the bottom. Some examples of detergents containing cellulase include Cheer Free liquid detergent , seventh generation laundry detergent packs, Free & Clear, and Tide liquid laundry detergent with Touch of Downy .
Air dry your clothes
When clothes dry in the dryer, they rub against other items and themselves, which can cause pilling. Air drying isn’t always possible, but if there are clothes you actively want to protect, consider not putting them in the dryer.