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Removing Pills From Clothes Without Damaging the Fabric

A pill is a tangled knot of fibers that is still anchored to the garment. Pulling one off takes fabric with it. The safe method is to cut pills at the surface with a fabric shaver while the garment lies flat, using the weight of the tool rather than pressure.

Quick fix

  1. Lay the garment flat on a hard surface — a table, not a bed, and never while you are wearing it.
  2. Set the fabric shaver to the widest guard setting and test on a hidden area first.
  3. Move it in short, straight strokes in one direction, letting the tool rest on the fabric with almost no downward pressure.
  4. Never pull pills off by hand or cut them with scissors. Both pull the fiber loop out of the weave and thin the fabric.
  5. On loose knits, mohair and cashmere, use a pill comb or a sweater stone instead of a powered shaver.

What you need

  • A battery or mains fabric shaver with an adjustable guard
  • A pill comb or sweater stone for delicate knits
  • A flat hard surface, ideally covered with a towel taped smooth
  • A lint roller or clothes brush for the leftover fibers
  • Mesh laundry bags for future washes

Step by step

  1. 1. Work on a dry garment on a hard flat surface

    Damp fibers flatten and get dragged into the blade instead of cut, and a soft surface lets fabric lift into the shaver head. Spread the item on a table and smooth out every wrinkle. A fold rising into the blade is the most common way people put a hole in a sweater.

  2. 2. Check for thin areas before you start

    Hold the garment up to a light. Elbows, underarms and the seat of trousers are often already worn, and shaving a thin spot removes the little fiber that remains. Skip those areas or work them by hand with a comb.

  3. 3. Start at the widest guard setting

    The guard controls how far the blade sits from the fabric. A wider gap shaves only the tips of the pills, which is all most knits need. Test on an inside seam first, then move a step closer only if the pills survive. Cutting too deep cannot be undone.

  4. 4. Use short strokes with no downward pressure

    Let the tool rest on the fabric and glide. Pressing makes the blade grab the base of the fibers rather than the pill on top. Work in one direction across a small area, then move on, instead of scrubbing back and forth over one patch.

  5. 5. Empty the shaver catcher regularly

    A full lint chamber blocks the blade so it tears rather than cuts, which is when snags appear. Empty it every few minutes on a heavily pilled item. A dull blade does the same thing — replace it instead of pressing harder.

  6. 6. Brush and wash the garment afterward

    Cut fiber ends stay on the surface and migrate onto other clothes. Go over the garment with a lint roller or soft clothes brush, then wash it inside out in a mesh bag on a gentle cycle to clear the loose fiber.

  7. 7. Change how you wash it going forward

    Shaving is maintenance, not a cure. Pilling comes from friction, so turn the garment inside out, use a mesh bag, wash short and gentle at low spin, and keep knits away from towels, denim and zippers. That reduces how often you reach for the shaver.

Safety notes

  • Do not pull pills off with your fingers. The fiber is still connected to the yarn, and pulling it drags length out of the loop, which thins the fabric and can start a run.
  • Do not use scissors, a disposable razor, or a knife on knitwear. On stretch fabric the surface lifts into the blade and cuts through with no warning.
  • Keep the shaver clear of buttons, zippers, embroidery, sequins and seam edges. Hard objects damage the blade and the blade damages them.
  • Never shave a garment while wearing it. There is no way to keep the fabric flat, and the blade will reach skin.
  • Take extra care with loose gauge knits, mohair, angora, boucle and anything with a deliberate fuzzy surface. A shaver removes the intended texture along with the pills.
  • Do not treat pilling with bleach or solvents. Chlorine bleach mixed with any acidic cleaner releases toxic chlorine gas, and neither product affects pills.

Never mix different types of cleaning products. Chlorine bleach combined with acidic cleaners releases toxic gas. Always follow the instructions on the product label.

By situation

Wool and cashmere knits

Wool pills where it rubs — underarms, sides, and where a bag strap sits. On fine gauge cashmere, a pill comb drawn gently in one direction is safer than a powered shaver. A hand-knit or very loose gauge piece often looks better with light combing than with full removal.

Fleece and synthetic pullovers

Polyester fleece pills quickly and the pills are tough because the fibers are strong. A shaver handles them, but the surface will not return to new — fleece loft flattens permanently with wear. Wash fleece alone in cold water with no softener, and avoid high dryer heat, which mats the pile.

Wool coats and blazers

Lay the coat flat over a padded surface and work small sections at a time, going with the nap. Follow the shaver with a garment brush in one direction to lift the pile back up. On a structured coat, avoid pressing so you do not flatten the shape.

Bed sheets and jersey t-shirts

Pilling here usually means short staple cotton in a loose weave, and it returns after every wash. A shaver works, but expect to repeat it. A shorter cycle with less agitation slows it down more than shaving fixes it.

Why it happens

  • Friction works short fibers loose. They migrate to the surface during wear and washing, then tangle into a ball still anchored by a longer fiber underneath.
  • Synthetics and blends pill more visibly. Polyester and nylon fibers are strong enough that the pill will not break off on its own, so it accumulates instead of shedding the way weaker cotton pills do.
  • Washing is the biggest friction source. Long cycles, overfilled drums, high spin speeds and washing knits with towels or denim rub the surface far harder than wearing does.
  • Contact points wear first. Underarms, the seat, cuffs and wherever a bag strap or seatbelt sits pill before anywhere else, which is why it looks patchy rather than uniform.

Keeping it from coming back

  • Turn knits and fleece inside out and put them in a mesh bag before washing.
  • Wash on the shortest gentle cycle you have, in cool water, at low spin.
  • Do not wash knitwear with towels, denim, or anything with zippers and hooks.
  • Load the drum no more than about three quarters full — crowded clothes rub against each other constantly.
  • Skip the dryer for knits and fleece. Tumbling is concentrated friction, and heat mats the surface.
  • Rest a garment between wears, rotate which shoulder carries a bag, and shave lightly and often rather than waiting until the surface is thick with pills.

FAQ

Is a fabric shaver safe on cashmere?

On a firm, fine gauge cashmere knit, yes, at the widest guard setting with no pressure. On a loose gauge or hand-knit piece, a pill comb is the safer choice because the stitches are large enough for the fabric to lift into the blade. Test on a hem either way.

What about the razor and sandpaper tricks?

A razor can work on flat, tightly woven fabric held taut, but on any knit it cuts yarn rather than pills. Sandpaper and pumice-style sweater stones abrade the surface broadly and remove good fiber along with pills. A dedicated shaver with a guard exists precisely because these methods are hard to control.

Does shaving make the garment pill faster afterward?

Cutting pills at the surface does not create new short fibers in the yarn, so it does not accelerate pilling by itself. Pressing too hard does, because it cuts into intact yarn and releases fresh fiber ends. Light passes are the difference.

Why does one sweater pill and another does not?

Yarn construction matters more than fiber content or price. Long staple fibers in a tightly twisted yarn have fewer loose ends to migrate, so a tightly spun merino may never pill while a soft, loosely spun blend pills within a few wears.

Can pilling be stopped for good?

Not on most fabrics. It is a normal result of friction and some yarns will always do it. What you can change is the rate — gentler washing and rotation slow it noticeably, and regular light shaving keeps a garment presentable for years.

Last reviewed: August 25, 2026

Basis & sources:
  • Check the garment care label and the instruction manual for your fabric shaver before use.

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