The term pilling indicates that phenomenon that leads to the formation of small pellets (pills) on fabrics, capable of making our favorite clothing appear old and ruined in a short time.
Not necessarily this is an indication of bad fabric quality, more often it will depend on how we treated it or the very nature of certain textile fibers.
Below we will explore the causes of tissue peeling and how to prevent it thanks to 10 simple tricks.
Why pellets are formed on the tissues
Typically, short fibers, such as cotton, are more likely to form pellets, as they can tangle and create pills, especially when the fabric is somehow rubbed or abraded.
Silk, for example, does not form dots because it consists of very long fibers. Fabrics that combine natural and synthetic fibers are the ones that are most sensitive to pilling. Fabrics made up of tightly woven fibers instead, such as denim are less prone to pilling.
The more elastic the fabric will be, the more prone it will be to form pellets because it will present less compact fibers that twist against each other. Substantially then fabrics consisting of long fibers and/or thick weft will tend to form less the dots.
10 tricks to prevent pilling on clothes
Fortunately, there are some ways to prevent pilling. Here are 10 tricks to save our clothes, such as sweaters, gym pants or swimwear, which more than others tend to form pellets:
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Wash clothes inside out:
During washing in the washing machine the garment will inevitably rub against other items of clothing. Let's set the program to gentle washes” at a low temperature and wash it inside out, so as not to spoil the main face. In this way the pills will tend to appear inside the head;
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Store clothes inside out:
For the same reasons as above (avoid rubbing the outer surface with other clothing) we put or hang clothes subject to pilling in the wardrobe, inside out;
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Wash clothes by hand, without rubbing:
It is perhaps a less comfortable, but definitely more delicate way to wash our clothes and prevent pilling;
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We use a laundry detergent with enzymes:
Always in reference to how to wash clothing that tends to form pellets, an interesting solution may be to use detergents with enzymes. Enzymes, such as amylase, protease, lipase, eat” both spots and those short, free fibers that tend to form pellets;
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Do not rub the stained fabric:
When we stain a tissue, the instinct is to remove the stain by rubbing, but this is likely to favor pilling!
To treat stains on tissue subject to pilling, we put the garment on an old towel or a clean rag. Apply the stain remover, then we pass on the area a clean cloth. The stain will transfer to the cloth below avoiding friction;
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Watch out for Velcro:
If our garment has Velcro parts, we close the two strips tightly before placing it in the closet or before washing it;
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We avoid using the dryer, lay out the clothes in the air:
The heat and friction generated by the dryer promote the formation of pellets on the fabric. Better to hang out and dry clothing subject to pilling in the air;
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Do not sit on rough surfaces:
Any friction can irreparably ruin our clothes. For example, if we wear a bathing suit and do not want to spoil it, we avoid sitting directly on the concrete edge of a swimming pool, but we place a towel under us;
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Watch out for rubbing:
We avoid resting our elbows on the table, we do not walk on all fours on the ground when we wear certain pants subject to pilling, we are very careful when walking next to a wall, etc.;
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Avoid wearing backpacks or shoulder bags:
Always in order not to create friction on the fabric it is better to avoid these accessories and opt for hand bags;
What if the dots have already formed?
To remove the already formed pellets, we can use an anti-juice comb for wool or a pumice stone. The latter in particular can be useful for eliminating pellets from fleece or wool sweatshirts and clothing. We follow the texture of the fabric and try not to be too aggressive otherwise we risk piercing the fabric. We avoid this remedy on cotton or on delicate or shiny fabrics, such as silk and satin.
Image credits:
Washing clothes. Image by pressfoto on Freepik
Girl leaning against a tree. Image by Freepik
