How to remove pilling from baby clothes safely

Before you start

Removing pills makes a knit look new again, but every method takes a little fibre with it, so a garment can only be de-pilled so many times before it thins. Work on clean, dry fabric laid flat on a table, in good light. Do it away from your baby: the loose fluff should go straight in the bin, not onto the floor where a crawler can find it and put it in their mouth.

Start with the gentlest method that works, and test any tool on an inside hem or seam allowance first.

The tools, gentlest first

Whatever you use, check your progress often. It is easy to take off more than the pills, especially on thin jersey and at seams.

• Your fingers: for a few large pills, pinch and pull them off. Slow, but gentle.
• A sticky lint roller, or tape wrapped round your hand: lifts loose fluff and some pills from smooth knits, though it won’t shift tightly anchored ones.
• A sweater comb or fine-toothed de-pilling comb: glide lightly over the surface in one direction. Good for wool and cable knits.
• A battery or rechargeable fabric shaver: a guarded rotating blade that shaves pills level. Fastest for large areas of jersey, sweatshirt fabric and fleece.
• A sweater stone: very effective, but more abrasive. Use it lightly, and not on thin fabrics.

Using a fabric shaver

• Lay the garment flat and smooth; stretch it very slightly, but don’t pull the knit open.
• Move the shaver in small, light circles without pressing down.
• Keep away from seams, buttons, snaps, embroidery and appliqué.
• Don’t use it on sherpa or deep pile: it will cut the curls.
• Empty the fluff compartment into the bin as you go.
• Stop if you see the fabric thinning or the knit showing through more clearly.

Fabric by fabric

• Rib and waffle knits: a comb, or a shaver on a gentle setting, working along the ribs rather than across. Pieces like our Dusty Rose Ribbed Henley & Jogger Set usually show pilling first at the knees and cuffs.
• Cable knit: a comb, working carefully between the cables, since a shaver can catch the raised twists. Our Sage Cable-Knit Teddy Sweater & Jogger Set is a cable knit.
• Fleece: a shaver works well, used lightly.
• Sherpa: don’t shave. Tease matted areas apart with your fingers or a soft brush.
• Wool: comb first, and use a shaver on its gentlest setting only if needed.

Keeping pills away

Wash knits inside out, on a gentle cycle, with other soft items and away from towels, denim and hook-and-loop fastenings. Don’t overload the machine, and air-dry rather than tumble-drying. Between washes, a quick pass with a lint roller stops loose fibres from rolling into new pills.

Our washing guide has the everyday basics.

Hand-me-downs and outgrown favourites

A de-pilled knit set can look almost new for a younger sibling or cousin. Before passing a set on, wash it, de-pill it, and check that the cuffs and neckband still spring back and the snaps and buttons still fasten properly. If the fabric has thinned at the knees or elbows, a soft patch sewn on the inside can give it another season.

When it is time to stop

Pilling is cosmetic, but it can signal wear. If pills keep returning in the same spot and the fabric beneath looks thin or see-through, the fibres are wearing away. At that point, de-pilling only speeds things up, and the piece is better kept for home and play than for outings and photos.

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