How to Remove Pilling From Sweaters With Pumice

Freshly knitted yarn can develop pilling after a few washes.

Pumice is a volcanic rock that forms when lava cools and hardens. It has a rough texture that is great for catching lint pieces, also known as "pills," that can form on clothing after a round in the washer or dryer. The material that makes up the article of clothing, most often the yarn of sweaters, snags and extends from the surface. These snags look like little balls caught all over the piece of clothing. This often gives clothing an old and worn appearance. Removing the pilling with some pumice can help you renew the look of your clothes.

Instructions

1. Locate the area of the pilling. Look for lint pieces and little balls of snagged fabric. Pills can hide just within the pit or other tight areas of the piece.

2. Determine the roughest part of the pumice. This part will work best to remove the pilling. The rough parts of the pumice will drag along the surface of the clothing and take with them the pills that are stuck to the clothing.

3. Hold the pumice firmly in your hand. Place the pumice on the surface of the article of clothing. Use a gentle back-and-forth motion while dragging the pumice over the surface of the clothing. With each stroke, the pumice will catch the pills and release them from the sweater.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful not to press on the clothing too hard with the pumice, as this may rip the fabric.

• Remove the pilling over a garbage basket or outside to keep the pills from falling on your floor or rug. Not all of the pills get caught within the rough edges of the pumice.

References

• Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Pumice
• De Fanci: Remove Lint From Clothing