A fabric pill remover can extend the lifecycle of your favourite clothing, knitwear, bedding, and much more! In some cases, you can also restore the original colour, vibrancy, and texture of your clothing, making it look as good as the day you bought it.
But there is a catch! It’s tricky to find the right tool to remove pilling from clothes. From cottons to silk blends and every fabric in between, here’s a guide to help you get the best pill remover for your clothes.
What causes fabric pilling?
Before diving into solutions, let’s check out the main culprit behind fabric pilling. What exactly is pilling? And how does it happen?
In the simplest terms, pilling, or “bobbling or fuzzing,” happens when the loose fibres on the surface of the clothing snag and tangle together, forming little balls or pieces of fabric known as “pills”.
A lot of factors contribute to pilling in clothes, such as friction, abrasion, frequent washing, fabric composition, and textile weave construction.
How to pick the best pill remover for clothes?
Pilling is a natural process. No matter how hard you try, you’ll still end up getting some of it on your clothes, especially in the areas of high wear and tear.
Luckily, there are multiple pill removers available on the market for you to choose from, including fabric shavers, sweater combs, pumice stones, BIORESTORE laundry powder, duct tape, etc.
Here are seven expert tips for selecting the best pill remover for your clothes.
1: Consider fabric type
When it comes to fabric care, the traditional one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work. Each fabric has a different composition, which means you need different approaches to remove pilling from them effectively.
Delicate knits
Cashmere, merino, wool, and angora are considered delicate knits due to their fine fibres and loose weaves. They are highly susceptible to snagging and tangling, which means they pill a lot! These fibre types Cashmere and merino also have contain some natural oils that can be ruined by using aggressive cleaning or depilling methods.
BEST PICK: A sweater stone and a delicate hand is the best pill remover for these fabrics, as it is strong enough to take off the pilling but gentle enough to not damage the fabric in the process.
Cotton jumpers or sweaters
Being a natural fibre, cotton needs the utmost care to stay in its best shape and form. Instead of relying on traditional debobblers, using the latest innovations can take your cotton care to the next level!
BEST PICK: BIORESTORE Re-Tergent is the ideal solution to remove pilling from clothes made of cotton. The enzymatic formula targets both lint and pilling while restoring the original colour, texture, and handfeel of your cotton clothing—only in one home laundry wash.
Synthetics (polyester, fleece)
Synthetics such as polyester and fleece are notorious for pilling. They have stronger fibres holding on to the pills tightly, which means you need to use something stronger, such as a fabric shaver, to depill these fabrics.
BEST PICK: A fabric shaver with a built-in lint catcher! This gadget will help capture both lint and pilling. However, make sure to start at the lowest settings and then gradually go up to avoid any fabric damage.
2: How deep is pilling?
To remove pilling from clothes in an effective manner, considering the severity of pilling is also important.
- For light pilling (small and scattered fabric balls),
ducttape is a surprisingly amazing tool. Simply apply a piece of adhesive to the affected area, press it down gently, and peel it off quickly to remove the pills. If there are still some pills left on the surface, you can repeat the process.
- For moderate pilling (more noticeable and concentrated), using a fabric shaver at a low setting is the best choice. A pumice stone is also a suitable choice. Try to do a patch test before using both of these options to avoid any fabric damage.
- For heavy pilling (densely packed pills), you can use a fabric shaver at higher settings. In the case of cotton clothing, BIORESTORE Re-Tergent is the better solution, as it doesn’t pose any abrasive damage to your fabric’s health or quality.
3: User-friendliness
One of the major reasons why most individuals hesitate to use pill removal tools is that they are not easy to use.
For example, there are fancy gadgets being launched on the market every day with dozens of settings and features. However, navigating through these can become confusing for anyone.
Look for products and tools with clear instructions and easy maintenance. It will help keep all your pill-related troubles away!
4: Sustainability
While picking a pill remover, choose the one that’s good for both your clothing and the planet. For example, BIORESTORE Re-Tergent extends the lifecycle of your clothing by removing lint and pilling and restoring the colour and texture of cotton clothing. Similarly, fabric shavers with rechargeable batteries and lint brushes with handles made of recycled plastic are all good choices.
5: Portability
For people who travel a lot, having a portable solution to remove pilling from their favourite outfits is a necessity.
- If you need only final touchups to get off slight lint or pilling, go for a disposable lint roller.
- If you don’t want to add on to plastic waste, there are many compact-sized battery-operated fabric shavers that you can carry on-the-go.
6: Reviews
Reviews can be an incredible help in choosing the best pill remover for your needs. Star ratings, video reviews on YouTube, and unbiased product reviews on reputable websites are all your best chances to get a user-centric insight on how well a product/gadget works.
7: Price
Pilling removers range from budget-friendly to premium-priced.
- A simple lint roller or pumice stone costs under $10 and is easily available at every other store.
- BEST VALUE ($10–$30): battery-powered fabric shavers and BIORESTORE cotton Re-Tergent.
- For premium or high-end solutions, there are tools and gadgets worth more than $30 available on the market with rechargeable batteries and powerful motors. However, these are more recommended for professional cleaners and laundry service providers.
By considering the factors listed in this blog, you can pick the best tools for depilling your clothing like a pro! Have a happy day!
