It's sweater time across most parts of the country and with that means pulling out last year's wears and examining them in the daylight. Are yours looking a little pilly? We've talked in the past about how to clean them up, but what about a disposable razor?
This tip to use a new disposable razor on your sweaters, blankets and pilled fabrics comes to us from Mommy Savers. We checked in and they've had great results with simple shaving off the fuzz, leaving your clothes and blankets looking good as new.
It's quite easy for things we use for winter warmth to pill up with repeated use and friction, so this is a great way to keep it all in check and looking it's best. What do you use to banish pills in your house (the sweater kind, not the say no to drugs kind)? Let us know below!
Image: Mommy Savers
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Comments (21)
I used to use a razor on a wool purse to get rid of the fuzzies that would collect up over time. I've never tried to use it on more flexible fabric, but it worked very well on sturdy purse.
I've always used this little trick to get pills off my knits. I've tried several different gadgets that claim to do the same thing over the years but none of them worked quite as well as the disposable razor!
Why the bleep have I never heard/thought of this?
I can't wait to try this. I used one of those electric pill removers once. It sucked a big pill and a chunk of fabric with it leaving me with hole this size of an erasure head in the arm of my cashmere sweater. Not cool!
Be careful! I have ruined several pieces using this trick, which works best on a sturdy, thick fabric. Stretch jersey, not so much... :(
Yup! I've used this method for many years...
what about one of those 10 dollar fuzz removers from Duane Reade? It is nothing short of amazing. And i never damaged a garment.
I use a regular basic comb. Works well.
Or you could just stop drying sweaters in the dryer. The only pilling I generally get is where the fabric rubs on fabric, like under the arms or around the bottom. These are usually so loose you can just gently pull them off.
I would be worried about the razor catching the fabric and cutting a hole in it with thinner sweaters.
I also have a sweater stone (it basically looks like a big chunk of pumice stone to me) that I got as a gift with a sweater one time and that seems to work fairly well as long as you are very gentle with it (lightly brush it over the fabric instead of pressing down hard).
Has anyone tried this on cashmere? Please be my guinea pig...
BE CAREFUL NOT TO RUB TOO HARD IN THE SAME SPOT! You'll get holes. I speak from experience.
Once when I was a kid, I put the electric pill remover on my lip. Didn't end well. Been terrified of them ever since.
I have put many a hole in a favorite sweater using either a razor or an electric pill remover. I would rather live with a little pilling then a hole.
I prefer to use my old trusted 'sweater shaver' - I bought it at WalMart years ago. It even has a container that collects all the shaved-off fuzz and it never damages a garment. I think it was $9 or so.
never thought of that!
Yup, this works great. Just make sure the razor is really sharp, as a dull one will just hook the pills and pull them along, making picks in your sweater. Also, it's easier to do this on garments if there's a hard surface underneath, so I always pull my sweaters onto my ironing board and then de-fuzz away!
@ArchDarling
I tried the trick on two JCrew cashmere sweaters a few years ago and it worked very well. It did not damage the sweaters. However choose a new razor and do not spend too much time on one area in particular.
if you can, remove the weird lubricating strip that razors often have. Also, I've found that stretching the sweater taut over a hardcover book or something else flat and sturdy on the inside works much better than simply holding it down on a tabletop.
Cheaper than a sweater saver.
I second that 'be careful' comment. I cut some holes along the seams where the fabric has a 'lip'. Also, it dulls the razor quite quickly and becomes less effective as you go. From now on I'm only doing this on sweaters that I won't wear anymore because they're too pilled, so I don't really have anything to lose! Also, I find using one of those ironing mitts helps to get around the shoulders and sleeves.