Guides
How to Remove Lint and Pilling From Clothes
Updated 17 September 2026
Pills are not worn-out fabric. They are short broken fibres that have worked their way to the surface and tangled into balls, which is why a jumper can look old while the knit underneath is still sound. Shave them off and the garment looks new again.
Where pilling comes from
Friction is the cause: under the arms, along a bag strap, at the cuffs, and anywhere a coat rubs. Blends and shorter-staple yarns pill faster than tightly spun long-staple fibres.
Washing at high temperatures and drying at high heat both loosen fibres, which is why pilling often appears suddenly after a hot wash rather than after wear.
Shaving it off safely
Work on a flat surface, never on your body, so the blade never presses into a fold of fabric.
- Lay the garment flat and smooth the area you are treating with your free hand.
- Hold the shaver flat against the fabric and move in small circles with light pressure — pressing harder cuts good yarn, not just pills.
- Empty the collection chamber often; a full chamber stops the blade reaching the surface.
- Do seams, cuffs and underarms last and slowly, as the fabric is doubled there.
- Finish with a lint roller or a damp cloth to lift the shaved fluff away.
What not to do
Skip razors and scissors on knitwear. A single cut loop can run and turn a small patch into a hole. Avoid shaving anything loosely knitted, mohair, or any fabric with a raised pattern, and treat cashmere very lightly.
Slowing it down
Wash knitwear inside out on a cool, gentle cycle, use a mesh bag, and dry flat rather than in a tumble dryer. Fewer, fuller washes cause less friction than many small loads.
Rotating what you wear helps more than any product: the same jumper worn three days running pills far faster than three jumpers worn once each.