Bobbling or pilling on Clothes and Laundry

The common terms for pilling are bobbling and linting. Many times when we do our laundry, we find tiny bits of fabric that stick to our socks, sheets, towels and other clothing items. These tiny bits of damaged fibres that get separated from the other fibres cause pilling or bobbling. Man made fibres can cause pilling while natural fibres like cotton, wool and linen do not, as they tend to get washed away easily. When you wash a mixed load of clothes then tiny bits of fibres from the natural fibres can get stuck to man made fibres like acrylic, nylon and polyester.

The common terms for pilling are bobbling and linting. Many times when we do our laundry, we find tiny bits of fabric that stick to our socks, sheets, towels and other clothing items. These tiny bits of damaged fibres that get separated from the other fibres cause pilling or bobbling. Even if you use special washing modes with a high-end washing machine like the Indesit SIXL145, bobbling can still routinely occur. Man made fibres can cause pilling while natural fibres like cotton, wool and linen do not, as they tend to get washed away easily. When you wash a mixed load of clothes then tiny bits of fibres from the natural fibres can get stuck to man made fibres like acrylic, nylon and polyester.

Get your affected clothes washed. You need to turn your clothes inside out before washing. It pays to buy good quality garments as they will not cause pilling. Using a fabric softener helps lubricate the fibres. To wash delicate clothes like silk garments you can use wash nets to protect the fabric. Washer nets are available in the market. The cuffs and collars of your clothes like shirts should be sprayed with starch or fabric finish while ironing. Do not put your clothes inside the dryer as this can cause pilling. You can have them dried on a clothesline and then ironed if required.