What can you do about wool pilling?

Help, my new wool sweater, slipper, cardigan, jacket, or blanket is pilling—read our blog to find out what you can do when your wool sweater starts to pill.

You’ve just bought a new sweater and worn it only once, yet it already looks like a well-worn garment, covered in fuzz.

However, it is not just sweaters that can pill; this can also happen with wool blankets, felted slippers, jackets, and cardigans.

Some people think that fuzzing—or what is also known as pilling—is related to the quality of the wool. But that is not necessarily the case at all.

Pilling occurs due to friction on the wool; the wool fibers tangle together, creating that fuzzy, matted look. While wearing the garment, this can be caused by things like leaning your back against a chair, your elbows rubbing against a tabletop, or pulling a coat on over your wool clothing—there are countless situations where your sweater comes into contact with abrasive surfaces.

What can you do about the wool pilling?

When washing a wool garment, you can wash it alongside another rough item—such as a coarse towel—but naturally, you must use the wool cycle with a lanolin-based wool detergent, avoid high-speed spinning, and not tumble dry it.

Can you remove the lint as well?

Never remove lint by pulling it off by hand; doing so damages the wool.

You can indeed remove the lint by using a lint shaver.

You can also remove lint with a pumice stone.

Always be careful when working with a knife; it is easy to slip, and then you’ll end up with a hole in your garment or blanket.