How to Remove Pilling From Sweater Dresses and Knits

To remove pilling, lay the garment flat on a hard surface and glide an electric fabric shaver or a sweater comb over the pilled areas in light, short strokes, then finish with a lint roller. Pills come back with friction, so wash knits inside out on a gentle cycle and air dry to slow them down.

A pilled sweater dress looks tired long before it's worn out. The good news is that a short session with the right tool makes it look close to new, and a few laundry habits keep the bobbles away longer. If you wear knits all winter, like the looks in our sweater dress outfits guide, this is worth learning once.

Why knits pill

Pills form when fabric rubs. Friction loosens the ends of fibers, those loose ends tangle with each other, and they roll into small balls that sit on the surface. That's why pills show up first under the arms, on the sides of a dress where your arms brush it, on sleeves and where a bag strap sits. Wearing a sweater over a dress adds another rubbing layer, and a crossbody bag on a knit dress is a pilling machine.

Knits pill more than woven fabrics because the yarns are looser and move more. Fiber matters too. In a cotton and polyester blend, the polyester is often the part that pills, and it makes the pills harder to remove. Our polyester vs cotton guide covers how the two fibers behave. Natural fibers pill as well, including fine wool and cashmere. Silk and linen wovens sit at the other end: they're among the fabrics least likely to pill.

So pilling isn't automatically a sign of a bad garment. Even good winter dresses in soft knits will pill at the friction points. It does mean a looser, fluffier knit will need more maintenance than a tight, smooth one.

Three ways to remove pills

Each tool suits a different job:

• Electric fabric shaver: best for heavy pilling over a large area, like the whole front of a sweater dress. Watch out on delicate or loose knits, where the blades can catch a loop.
• Sweater comb or sweater stone: best for fine wool, cashmere and light pilling. It's slower, but gentle. Watch out on very thin knits, where pressing hard can thin the fabric.
• Lint roller: best for a final cleanup and for light fuzz on smooth fabrics. On its own it won't shift pills that are firmly attached.
• Disposable razor (last resort): it works on a flat, tightly knit fabric, but it's easy to cut the knit. Use a fresh blade, hold the fabric taut and shave lightly in one direction.

Small scissors also work for a few big pills on a chunky knit. Snip them one at a time instead of pulling, because pulling a pill drags more fiber out with it.

Using a fabric shaver

A fabric shaver has a small rotating blade behind a metal guard with holes in it. The pills poke through the holes and get trimmed off. Here's how to use one:

1. Lay the garment flat on a table or ironing board, smoothing out folds so the fabric is taut.
2. Start in an inconspicuous spot to see how the knit reacts.
3. Glide the shaver over the pills in light, small circles or short strokes. Don't press down.
4. Empty the lint chamber often so the blade keeps cutting cleanly.
5. Stop when the surface is smooth. Shaving over and over in one spot thins the fabric.

Follow the instructions that come with your shaver, including any guidance on which fabrics it's meant for.

Sweater shaver vs sweater comb

A sweater shaver is the electric option above, and it's fast. A sweater comb is a small brush with fine metal teeth, and a sweater stone is a block of pumice-like material. Both work by hand: you pull them lightly across the surface and the pills catch and lift.

Choose the comb or stone for cashmere, fine merino and anything you're nervous about. They're slower but less likely to snag. Choose the shaver for heavy pilling on sturdier knits like cotton, acrylic and wool blends, where the speed helps. Plenty of people keep both.

When a lint roller is enough

A lint roller is enough when the problem is loose fuzz, lint or hair rather than tight balls. It's also the last step after shaving or combing, to pick up the trimmed bits. On a light pill problem on a smooth knit, a few firm passes can be all you need. Tear off each sheet once it stops being sticky.

How to remove pilling step by step

Here's how to remove pilling from a sweater dress from start to finish:

1. Check the care label and fiber content so you know how delicate the knit is.
2. Lay the dress flat on a hard surface in good light. Smooth it so there are no folds.
3. Start on the worst areas: underarms, sides, sleeves and anywhere a bag rubs.
4. Use a fabric shaver for heavy pilling, or a sweater comb for delicate knits, with light strokes.
5. Turn the dress and work through the back and the sleeves.
6. Go over everything with a lint roller to collect the loose fluff.
7. Hold it up to the light. If you see thin patches, stop there.

How to keep pills from coming back

You can't stop pilling for good, but you can slow it a lot:

• Wash inside out. The outside of the knit rubs less against the drum and other clothes.
• Use a gentle cycle and a mesh bag. Less agitation means less friction. Wash knits with other soft items, never with jeans or towels.
• Air dry. The dryer tumbles and rubs fibers together. Dry knits flat.
• Wash less. Air your sweater dress out between wears, and spot clean small marks instead of washing the whole thing.
• Mind your bag. A handbag held in the hand rubs a knit far less than a crossbody or backpack strap.
• Watch the tights. Fleece-lined tights and other warm tights rub the inside of a skirt and can pill too, so wash them inside out as well.
• Give knits a day off. Rotating between two or three sweater dresses spreads the wear.

When you buy your next knit, feel the fabric. A tight, smooth knit pills less than a loose, fluffy one. If you want the softness without too much upkeep, our guide to what merino wool is explains why fine wool is often a good middle ground.