How to Stop Your Sweaters from Pilling This Fall

A handful of laundry pros have weighed in on what actually causes those stubborn fuzz balls. Their fixes range from mesh wash bags to a surprising bathroom staple.

Pilling is the last thing anyone wants to see on their favorite sweater or yoga pants, especially now that the weather is turning chilly. It's even more frustrating when those pesky pills appear right after a fresh wash.

"The issue with pilling is that the thing that makes you love a fabric is also the thing that makes it pill," said Patric Richardson, owner of the Minneapolis boutique Mona Williams. "Cashmere is notorious for pilling."

Sweaters tend to pill in high-friction areas such as the elbows, collar, underarms, and the hem that rubs against your pants. But why do sweaters and similar fabrics pill in the first place?

According to Laura Goodman, P&G Senior Scientist and Fabric Care Expert, there's really no avoiding it.

Any fabric can pill as its fibers stretch and break from friction. "Pilling occurs when fibers break, separate, and then clump together in little balls," says Goodman. "It tends to form the most on wool, cotton, cashmere and even polyester garments."

Richardson says you can absolutely wash cashmere and wool at home, as long as you place the garment in a mesh bag first. "That works because it reduces abrasion and abrasion is what causes the pilling," he explained.

Gwen Whiting, co-founder of The Laundress, a New York-based, eco-friendly line of detergent, fabric care, and home cleaning products, notes that it's a common misconception that pills come from washing.

"They really come from wearing and exposure. But for reducing pilling, we recommend putting everything inside-out so the abrasion is on the interior vs. the exterior," she said.

Jolie Kerr, a cleaning expert, advice columnist, and host of the podcast "Ask a Clean Person," also advises washing like with like. "Especially when it comes to delicate cottons and garments, like athleisure, with stretch in them. Wash heavy items like towels, sweatshirts and jeans separate from finer clothing," she says.

When it comes to the dryer, skip it altogether. "Line drying is the best way to avoid having pills form on clothing, because they're the result of friction that causes the fibers to fray or break and become tangled," Kerr says.

For sweaters or athletic wear that already have pills, Whiting recommends gently lifting them off with a sweater stone or comb. A battery-operated fabric shaver is another handy option.

Richardson, meanwhile, says even a regular disposable razor can do the trick. "If it's safe enough for your skin, it's safe enough for your sweater," he said. "You just have to have a light touch."

Once your knits are smooth again, they're ready for stylish fall layering.