Tips: How to Depill Clothing (The Impossible Lint)!

Have you ever heard of fabric pilling? I hadn't, but I sure have experience with it! It's the mysterious fuzz that appears on your clothing during washing, but cannot be removed with a lint-roller. It usually happens after accidentally washing a new towel or fuzzy robe with your regular load. It seems nearly impossible to fix unless you have the time and patience to pluck the fabric like a fresh chicken. lol. Neither do I...

As luck would have it, there are two tricks that can tame this furry mess. One being this funny tool called a Fabric Comb, Sweater Comb or Clothing Depiller. These can cost around $5.00 and are great for sweaters, cashmere, etc., but I wanted an easier, cheaper, "it's already laying around the house" kind of option.

Disposable razor??

Yup, under the right conditions, you can remove pilling from your fabrics easily with a simple disposable razor. The cheaper ones are perfect, in fact you'll want the ones that have a single blade if you can find them. Since you'll only use one or two, this should cost mere pennies to fix your garment (or sofa pillows, stuffed animals, etc.).

What you'll need:

• Disposable razor
• Lint roller
• Ironing board

1. Pull your garment over the ironing board like you would if you were planning to iron. This will give you a flat and taught surface to work with. Some suggest using a table or your lap, however this will not hold your item in place and cause potential snags. For delicate fabrics, you're best bet is using a board made for clothing.
2. Try finding a hidden or inconspicuous spot to start. It's best to test! Gently pull the razor over your garment, much like shaving your legs, lol.
3. Be cautious around buttons, hems and seams. These can easily snag and you may find it's better to work around them.
4. As you go along, use the lint roller to remove the lint you've trimmed. The lint roller will reveal stubborn or missed spots along the way, plus keep your project tidy.

And here's an after photo... The lighting in my hallway changed the color of the dress, but I promise, it's the same. As you can see, good-bye lint!

I also used this trick on my sofa cushions / decorative pillows. They had reached the point of "fix it or ditch it" and honestly, I wasn't sure about finding a matching pair to replace them. The razors worked well on the upholstery fabric, but I couldn't use an ironing board for this. I was simply careful to pull the pillow taught and the results were great!

Do you have other sewing tips? I'd love to hear them! Share with us in the comments below...