How to Get Rid of Pilling on Clothes (5 Methods That Work)

Pilling happens when loose fabric fibers tangle together on the surface of your clothes. They form those small, stubborn balls that make a sweater look five years older than it is.

The good news: pilling is removable without replacing the garment. The better news: it’s also preventable, which I’ll cover after the removal methods.

Below are five tools and techniques that actually work to get rid of pilling, from the cheapest (a lint roller) to the most thorough (an electric fabric shaver).

1. Lint Roller

Lint rollers are the cheapest removal option.

A sticky rolling barrel that lifts loose fibers off fabric as you roll.

They’ve been around for decades and they work.

Technique: roll firmly over the pilled areas in one direction. Don’t scrub back and forth.

When the adhesive sheet gets saturated, peel it off and use the next one.

The downside is the adhesive wears out fast. A single roller might last one or two sweaters.

Buy them in bulk. Scotch-Brite makes a reliable 5-pack with 70 sheets per roller, which is what I keep at home.

2. Sweater Stone

A sweater stone is a porous volcanic-rock-style block that grabs loose fibers off fabric.

It looks like a gray pumice brick. Department stores sell them for under $15.

Technique: hold the stone in your dominant hand and run it gently over the pilled area.

The pills come off immediately and stick to the stone.

Brush the stone off over a trash can between passes.

Reusable, chemical-free, and safe on most fabrics. Good choice if you have a few investment sweaters that pill every season and you’re tired of buying disposable lint rollers.

3. Fabric Shaver or Razor

The most thorough option: a small electric device with rotating blades under a mesh guard.

You glide it across the pilled fabric and it cuts the pills off cleanly.

Works best on short-fiber fabrics like cotton, polyester, and synthetic blends. Less effective on long-fiber wools because the blades have a harder time catching the fibers.

The iRUNTEK rechargeable model below is my pick.

Three speed settings, charges by USB, and the mesh guard is fine enough that it won’t tear delicate fabric.

If you don’t want to buy one, a brand-new disposable razor works in a pinch. Dull razors snag and pull.

4. Sticky Tape

The emergency option. Any sticky tape (masking, packing, even duct tape) will lift pills off fabric if you press it firmly and pull.

Technique: press a strip of tape onto the pilled area, rub it in with your fingers, then pull it off sharply. Move to a fresh piece of tape as it loses stick.

Not as efficient as a lint roller but useful if you’re packing for a trip and the only lint roller is at home.

5. Pumice Stone

The cheap alternative to a sweater stone. Any drugstore pumice stone (the kind sold for rough skin on feet) will pull pills off fabric.

Technique: soak the stone in warm water for 10 minutes first. A dry pumice stone is too rough and will shred delicate fibers.

Once wet, glide it gently across the pilled area. Rinse it clean between garments.

Particularly good on wool and nylon, where full fabric shavers can be too aggressive. Also works on furniture upholstery and carpet.

Keep a dedicated pumice stone for clothing. Don’t use the one you use on your feet.

How To Prevent Pilling on Clothes

Removing pilling is the fix. Preventing it is the win.

Five habits that keep clothes pill-free longer:

1. Wash Your Clothes Inside Out

Pilling happens from friction.

Clothes rub against themselves, the drum, and other garments during the wash cycle.

Turning clothes inside out moves that friction to the inside, where pilling won’t show.

This single habit extends the life of every knit garment you own. Also protects printed designs on t-shirts and any embellished clothing from fading.

2. Use a Washing Gentle Program with Cold Water

Hot water weakens fabric fibers.

Weak fibers break more easily, which creates the loose threads that eventually become pills.

Cold water keeps fibers intact.

The gentle cycle also matters.

High-agitation cycles are designed for heavy soil on sturdy fabrics.

For anything you care about (knits, activewear, anything with stretch), use the delicate or hand-wash cycle in cold water.

3. Use a Gentle Laundry Detergent

Harsh detergents with optical brighteners and aggressive enzymes can weaken natural fibers over time. For anything prone to pilling (wool, cashmere, silk, some cotton blends), use a gentle detergent.

My guide to delicate detergents covers eight safe picks, from cheap everyday to specialist.

4. Separate Your Clothing During Washing and Drying

Don’t mix delicates with rough fabrics. Zippers, buttons, and denim seams grate against softer knits and cause pilling within one wash cycle.

Zip up all jeans and jackets before they go in the machine.

Put delicate items in a mesh laundry bag.

Wash knits with knits, denim with denim.

5. Air-Dry Your Clothes If You Can

Dryers are pilling machines. The tumbling action plus heat plus dryer sheet residue all encourage fibers to loosen and tangle into pills.

Air-drying on a flat rack preserves fabric structure.

If you have to use a dryer, stop the cycle while the clothes are still slightly damp and air-dry the rest.

Less heat, less pilling.

What Is Pilling?

Pilling is the technical name for those small balls of tangled fiber that form on fabric.

They start as loose threads that break away from the weave during friction (wash cycles, wearing, rubbing against other fabric).

Those loose threads then tangle with each other and form the pills.

Synthetic fabrics (polyester, nylon, acrylic) pill the fastest because synthetic fibers are strong.

The loose threads don’t break off during agitation, they stay attached to the garment and keep tangling.

Natural fibers like pure wool and cotton pill less because the loose fibers eventually fall off on their own.

Blends are the worst. A 70% cotton / 30% polyester sweater pills more than either pure cotton or pure polyester because the cotton sheds loose fibers and the polyester strands catch and hold them.

Conclusion

Pilling is fixable. Keep a fabric shaver and a pack of lint rollers in the laundry room and you can handle it as it happens.

Better: wash inside out on cold, use gentle detergent, and air-dry when you can. The clothes will pill less and last longer.

Once your clothes are pill-free, the next upgrade is keeping them organized and wrinkle-free. My folding guide has the specific techniques for every garment type.