What Is Fabric Pilling? (Causes / Treatment / Prevention)

La-Z-Boy Southeast | January 6, 2021

Are you interested in learning exactly what is fabric pilling, why it happens, and how to easily treat it at home?

At La-Z-Boy Home Furnishings & Décor, we love teaching clients how to keep their furniture looking brand new for a long time.

In this article and video, we’ll take an in-depth look at what causes fabric pilling along with what you can do to treat and prevent it.

DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate we may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.

What Is Fabric Pilling?

Fabric pilling is the term for loose strands or balls of fiber that form on a piece of fabric.

You’ve probably noticed these little bits of fabric on pillows, rugs, and furniture in your home.

Fabric pilling is a common occurrence in most households. It is not a fabric defect or fault from the manufacturer.

What Causes Fabric Pilling?

When fabric fibers become loose, they will move around when we sit or brush up against them.

The friction from people rubbing up against the fabric causes loose fibers to twist together into small balls.

Your laundry machine will also cause friction. This is why you’ll see fabric pills on towels, t-shirts, and sweaters when they come out of the dryer.

Fabric pilling is completely normal and will go away once the excess loose fibers are gone. It doesn’t hurt the durability or functionality of the fabric. Plus, it’s easily removable with a pill shaver.

How to Treat Fabric Pilling

A battery-operated pill shaver is the quickest and easiest way to treat pills.

The Conair Fabric Defuzzer (paid link) on Amazon has 4.5 stars with more than 5,000 customer reviews.

The Conair Fabric Defuzzer quickly and evenly shaves unwanted fuzz, lint, and pilling.

It’s easy-to-use, runs on two AA batteries, and adjusts to accommodate different fabric types.

You can also use a pumice stone pill remover or pill comb to manually brush away fabric pills.

Pilling may reappear several times. When it does, simply shave it off again.

Your fabric will stop pilling after all of the loose fibers have been removed.

Conair Fabric Defuzzer Reviews

In June of 2015, Stephen C. wrote the following review for the Conair Fabric Defuzzer and attached these pictures of his couch:

“Works amazing! Used this for my new couch that pilled about 4 months into having it, didn’t take long to do and it works awesome. The couch looks brand new again, definitely recommend buying it.”

As you read more reviews on Amazon, you’ll notice most people had similar experiences removing their fuzz, lint, and pilling.

Is Fabric Pilling Preventable?

All fabrics will pill to some extent. However, some are less likely to pill.

Smooth, tightly woven fabrics are the least likely to pill. This is because the fibers are held together tightly inside the cloth.

Fabrics made with more than one fiber type are the most likely to pill.

When one fiber is stronger than the other, the weaker fiber becomes loose while the stronger fiber holds the pills to the fabric.

Natural Fabrics vs Man-Made Fabrics

You’ll notice natural fabrics will shed loose fibers easier than man-made fabrics.

Man-made materials are extremely tight and strong, so loose fibers are secured to the fabric.

Natural materials are not as tight, so loose fibers can easily escape from the fabric without pilling.

Fabrics made by man are built for durability and performance, but they are more likely to create pills than natural fabrics.

Natural Fabrics (Least Likely):

Cotton
Wool
Silk
Hemp
Cashmere

Man-Made Fabrics (Most Likely):

Polyester
Acrylic
Nylon
Rayon
Spandex

Is fabric pilling preventable? Not really.

However, if your furniture develops fabric pills you have no reason to be alarmed because it’s easily treatable with a pill shaver.

Check Out These Additional Resources

Fabric pilling shouldn’t be your primary concern when selecting furniture upholstery because it happens on all fabrics.

If fabric pilling should occur, you can easily remove these little balls of fur with a battery-operated pill shaver at home.

At La-Z-Boy Home Furnishings & Décor, we can answer all of your questions about fabric pilling and show you how to treat it.

Here are some additional online resources you may like to check out:

We’d be happy to help you bring your dreams to life at any of our locations in NC, SC, and GA.