Don’t Let Pilling Ruin Your Clothes: The Secret to Removing Those Tiny Balls

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Yikes! What do you do when you pull one of your favorite sweaters from the dryer and it's covered in those dreaded pills? First, take a deep breath. Your sweater can look new again in no time.

Image Credit: Beth Huntington

First of all, those unsightly little balls are groups of short or broken fibers on the surface of the fabric that become tangled together to form a tiny ball called a pill. To hinder pills from appearing, turn your garment inside out before laundering and air-dry your clothes. Switching to a liquid laundry detergent and using the gentle cycle will also deter pilling. But sometimes, no matter how careful you are, you may end up with a garment covered in little fuzz balls.

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Image Credit: Beth Huntington

No need for despair. Just grab an ordinary razor from your medicine cabinet to get rid of those unattractive little pills.

Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Yes, I did say razor. All you have to do is shave your sweater with an everyday, run-of-the-mill razor. Steer clear of using razors with built in lotions or lubricants, though. Just use a plain-Jane razor. No need to buy any special equipment to get your sweater looking like new again.

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Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Lay your sweater out on flat surface and proceed to "shave" it with the razor. Just press lightly, and take your time to prevent accidentally slicing a hole in the fabric. Continue until you've removed all of those nasty little balls.

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Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Good as new!

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Image Credit: Beth Huntington

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