I saw a "trick" online and thought "Weird! I wonder if that really works!"
So I tried it. Yes, you can indeed shave the pills off of your sweaters and jackets and any other article of clothing that is pill-y. Pilly? Is that a word?
And there's really nothing to it. Grab a razor and just shave away like you would on your face/legs/wherever.
We used a disposable one so there wouldn't be any random hairs in the photo... ha!
***EDIT EDIT! - DON'T GO TOO FAST WITH A RAZOR WITH LOTS OF BLADES! You might cut a hole in your clothes. We didn't run into that problem at all with the disposable razor/single blade... so maybe stick with those. here’s the one we used.
AND GO.
We started with the top part of this jacket… look at how clean it is!
Enjoy your pill-less life!
EDIT— yes… I know you could just buy an electric pill shaver thing. But the whole point is that you don’t have to buy anything for this! And could do this anywhere that you have a razor… including traveling!
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I use this technique all the time. I would also recommend if shaving a thin knit sweater to pull somewhat taught before shaving (over a dress form or piece of card board) to avoid shaving a hole (been there, done that a few times.)
Running off to try this now…I’ll have to be super careful because it’s my favorite ballet leotard that’s now covered with pills, but it’s a lost cause if I don’t try anyway!
Never tried to shave with a razor but I use this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Battery-Operated-Fabric-Shaver-Remover/dp/B000PFF95Q
I tried this works amazingly!! I now love my like new wool sweater :)
Ps does this get me another entry for the cantaloupe bowl :D
So annoyed – guess I didn’t see the warning? I got 3 holes and slits in my sweater. Don’t think I’ll be doing this again. Maybe I didnt go slow enough, or maybe the sweater was too thin, all I know Is I still have fuzz balls :(
Hints from Heloise had this many years ago. I too put holes in some things, but works great on thick cotton socks.
Literally, just today, I was thinking about how the shirt I was wearing was a little pillsy, and I thought, “I know, I know, I KNOW I heard a way to take care of that forever ago, but what was it? Am I supposed to use a razor to just shave it off? No, that’s a bit ridiculous.”
Thanks so much for assuring me it isn’t! =D.
wow, I need to do this! Never thought of it!
The guys in the Army use this same technique for their berets.
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I use a hair shaver at 20 degrees to the “grain,” then parallel, then a one-blade safety razor. It takes about 30 minutes a sweater, but they look fantastic. Be careful with the hair shaver, especially with Marino wool (Cashmere is the easiest). It really does take this long, so don’t rush it. I also use a mans electric face shaver to dig into the edges around the seams without fear of making a hole. I also use a giant artist-style clipboard and clothespins so I can do this while watching TV. Hope this helps somebody!
will this damage the jacket over time if you keep doing it?
I just tried this on my husbands favorite sweat shirt! It worked like a charm! Thank you soooooo much!
This is a great idea!! I’ve also used sandpaper and it works really well.