We all know it, the almost new knitwear gets a lot of small "balls" also called pilling :-(
Pilling is caused by friction during wear, and although it can occur in all parts of the sweater, the most common areas are around the elbows, armpits, sleeves, stomach, and sides of the sweater, where the garment constantly comes into contact with the body of the sweater.
Life is too short for unwanted balls, and pilling is a very complex phenomenon. Pilling depends on many factors, including the user's actions - there is a greater chance of pilling in general if you are very active, or if your knitwear is under constant wear and comes into contact with other surfaces that tend to cause wear, such as sitting for long periods at a desk.
Because pilling is so complex, no one can guarantee that it won't happen, but there are a number of ways to prevent pilling. There are also methods to remove the small balls if they have formed.
How to prevent pilling in use.
- Turn your wool clothing inside out before washing
- Avoid using fabric softener
- Try to minimize wear when wearing wool clothing
To best avoid pilling, your sweater should preferably meet these criteria:
- Long fibers
- Highest possible twist factor, as this avoids a rough surface in the yarn.
- Use yarns as fine and smooth as possible.
How to remove pilling in 3 easy ways
- If not too many balls have formed, they can be easily removed by hand. This should be done routinely after drying.
- A comb can be used to remove the balls.
Small battery-powered lint removers, known as either “de-pillers” or “fabric shavers,” are inexpensive and very effective at removing lint balls, giving your clothes a new look again, but a good piece of advice is to be very careful and make sure your knitwear lies completely flat, otherwise there is a high risk of cutting a hole in your sweater.
