How to Prevent Pilling on Your Favorite Lole Knits and Sweaters

Quick Answer

Most pilling comes from friction, not bad fabric. Wash knits inside out on cold and air dry, rest a sweater a day between wears, and remove existing pills with a fabric shaver held flat and light. If the yarn is thin enough to see through or the surface feels stiff and scratchy, stop treating it and replace it instead.

You pull your favorite knit out of the drawer and there they are: little fuzz balls along the underarms, the cuffs, the spot where your bag strap sits. Nothing has torn, nothing has stained, but the sweater suddenly looks tired. Pilling is one of the most common complaints about knitwear, and it is also one of the most misunderstood.

The good news is that pilling is largely a friction problem, which means most of it is preventable and the rest is fixable. Below you will find how to tell what is causing the pills on your specific sweater, what to do about it, and the point where you should stop fussing and let the piece go.

Why Knits Pill in the First Place

Pilling happens when short fibers work their way loose from the yarn, tangle together, and form little balls on the surface. Friction drives the process: underarm rub, seatbelt and bag straps, a tight jacket layered over a sweater, even the tumble of a dryer. Softer, loftier yarns tend to pill more visibly because loose fibers have more room to move, which is why a plush knit can look worn before a tight, smooth one does.

That is also why pilling is not a sign that a garment is cheap or defective. It is a normal stage in the life of many knits, and it usually slows down after the first several wears as the loosest fibers shed away. What you control is how much friction the sweater meets and how gently you treat it in between.

• Pilling concentrates where friction concentrates: underarms, cuffs, hems, and anywhere a strap or layer rubs.
• A new knit often pills most in its first few wears, then settles.
• Loftier, softer yarns show pills faster than dense, smooth knits.

Wash and Dry Habits That Stop Clothes From Pilling

Laundry is where most preventable damage happens. Turn knits inside out before washing so the exposed surface rubs against itself rather than against zippers, buttons, and denim. Use cold water on a gentle or hand-wash cycle, and keep sweaters out of a mixed load with heavy items. If your machine has a low-spin option, use it; high spin speeds press fibers together and encourage the loose ones to surface.

Skip the dryer entirely for knits. Heat and tumbling are a pilling double act, and air drying flat preserves both the shape and the surface of the garment. If you use a fabric softener out of habit, consider leaving it out of knit loads, since it can coat fibers and make them feel limp. A mesh laundry bag is a cheap extra layer of protection for anything delicate.

• Wash inside out, cold, gentle cycle, low spin.
• Never tumble dry a knit; lay it flat to dry instead.
• Keep sweaters out of loads with zippers, hooks, and heavy denim.

Wear and Storage Habits That Reduce Friction

Give a sweater a day of rest between wears so fibers have time to recover their shape. Rotating two or three knits through the week does more for their lifespan than any single product. Pay attention to what you layer over them: a rough backpack strap, a heavy tote, or a tight jacket with a coarse lining will abrade the same spot over and over. If you carry a bag on one shoulder, switch sides occasionally.

For storage, fold knits rather than hanging them, since hangers stretch shoulders and create pressure points where pills form. Keep folded knits away from rough surfaces and avoid cramming them into a tight shelf where they rub against each other. If you store sweaters in a bin, line it with a soft cloth or keep each piece in a breathable cotton bag.

• Rest each knit a day between wears.
• Fold, do not hang, to avoid shoulder stretch and pressure points.
• Switch which shoulder carries your bag to spread the friction.

How to Remove Pilling Without Damaging the Knit

Once pills have formed, the goal is to lift them off without pulling more fibers loose. A fabric shaver is the most efficient tool, but technique matters. Lay the garment flat on a firm surface, hold the shaver level, and move it in short, light passes. Let the blade do the work instead of pressing down, and empty the lint chamber often so it keeps cutting cleanly. On ribbed cuffs, collars, and hems, go slowly and work with the direction of the knit.

If you do not have a shaver, a fine-tooth comb or a small pair of scissors works for a few isolated pills. Do not pull pills off with your fingers, and do not use a razor blade on a knit you care about; both grab live fibers and can open a hole. Test any method on an inside seam or hem first, especially on a loose or open knit.

• Lay the knit flat and use short, light passes with the shaver level.
• Empty the lint chamber often so it keeps cutting cleanly.
• Never pull pills by hand or use a bare razor blade on a knit.

When to Stop Treating and Choose Another Option

There is a point where de-pilling stops being maintenance and becomes a losing battle. If the fabric has thinned enough that you can see light through it, if the surface feels stiff or scratchy after shaving, or if pills return within a wear or two across the whole garment rather than in one friction spot, the yarn has shed too many fibers to recover. Continuing to shave only removes more material and shortens the life that is left.

At that stage, repurpose the piece: a pilled knit can become a layering sweater for cold mornings at home, a dog-walking layer, or a donation if it is still structurally sound. If you are replacing it, look for a denser knit or a smoother yarn surface, and check the care label before you buy so you know what you are signing up for.

• Stop when the fabric is see-through, stiff, or scratchy after shaving.
• Stop when pills return across the whole garment within a wear or two.
• Replace with a denser knit if you want a longer low-maintenance life.

Pilling Diagnosis: Find Your Symptom

• Pills only under the arms or where a strap rubs: This is localized friction damage, not a fabric problem. Shave the area lightly, then change the friction source: loosen the layer above, switch bag shoulders, or add a smooth lining. Fixable. Treat the spot and adjust the friction, and it should not spread.
• Pills across the whole surface after one or two wears: The yarn is shedding loose fibers everywhere, often because of heat, tumbling, or high-friction washing. Switch to cold, gentle, inside-out washing and flat drying, then reassess after a few wears. Treatable once. If it repeats after the wash routine changes, the knit is past saving.
• Fabric looks thin, stiff, or scratchy after shaving: Too many fibers are gone. More shaving removes more material and will not restore the surface. Retire the piece to low-stakes wear or replace it. Stop here. Choose a denser knit for the replacement.

Lole Pieces and What Their Knit Says About Care

• Camila V-Neck: Classic cable knit with a V neckline and contrast tipping, described as soft, relaxed, and effortlessly polished. Cable knits have raised texture where friction catches first, so turn it inside out to wash and shave along the cable direction rather than across it.
• Verdun Sweater Dress: Eighty percent wool with a high collar, center-front zip, and ribbed collar, cuffs, and hem. Real wool responds well to airing between wears and flat drying; the ribbed edges are exactly where pills show, so check cuffs and hem first when you de-pill.
• College Crew Neck Pullover: A relaxed fit with a soft, cozy feel, finished in a fresh pink hue. Soft, relaxed knits are the most pill-prone type, so this is a good candidate for a mesh wash bag and a rest day between wears.

Pilling is friction you can mostly outsmart: wash knits inside out on cold, dry them flat, rest them between wears, and shave pills with a light, level hand. When the fabric thins or pills return everywhere at once, stop treating and start shopping for a denser knit.