Textile Testing: Pilling

A ‘pill’, often more familiar to us as a fuzz ball or lint ball, is a little clump of fibres that form on the fabric’s surface. It is caused by friction between the fabric and other surfaces and can make a fabric look unappealing, but it is not a fabric fault or a defect.

A pilling test measures the resistance of fabrics to pilling, or the formation of fuzzy balls on the surface.

Similar to the Martindale abrasion test, the seam slippage test utilises the same machine but uses another piece of fabric instead of a standard abradant material. The fabric is repeatedly rubbed together in a figure eight pattern, then compared to a collection of standardised images. Measuring the result against a scale of 1-5 where 1 signifies severe pilling while 5 signifies no pilling. The higher the number, the more resilient the fabric is to pilling.

Loose fibres on a piece of fabric tend to rise to the surface and when friction occurs, they are twisted together into clumps. Fibres that are attached to the fabric also twist into the clump, securing the pill to the fabric’s surface.

Friction is caused on furniture as objects and people rub against the fabric’s surface. It can also happen during laundering as the washing machine tumbles the fabric.

Synthetic fibres tend to pill more noticeably than natural ones. This is due to natural fabrics shedding loose fibres more easily than stronger synthetic fabrics which anchor pills securely to the surface. 

Transfer pilling occurs when two or more fabrics pill together, causing the pills to be a different colour than the base fabric. The usual culprits are clothing, throw rugs, and cushions.

Pilling is a natural result of the wearing and washing of fabric rather than a fabric defect, therefore it doesn’t affect its durability or functionality.

It is common for upholstery fabric to pill or shed fibres. Most of the fibres will shed within the first four to six months of use and can easily be removed with a lint shaver. It is unlikely that pilling will reoccur after trimming - though if it reoccurs, the pilling will likely be at a lesser degree and you can expect it to reduce gradually.

Though all fabrics pill, some fabrics are less likely to pill than others.  

Fabrics made with smooth, tightly woven fibres or tightly twisted yarns are less vulnerable to pilling, because the fibres are held securely in place.

When a fabric is composed of more than one fibre type, such as polycotton, the weaker cotton fibres may break more easily than the stronger polyester fibres. Resulting in more noticeable pilling as the weaker fibres twist together while the stronger fibres secure the pills to the fabric surface.

A classic example is the pilling that occurs in woollen fabrics. This is an entirely natural process and should be viewed as an inherent characteristic of the wool’s natural fibre. New woollen carpets will shed and it may be necessary to vacuum more frequently than with other carpets made of another type of fibre. The same is true for woollen upholstery - the pills can be easily removed by using a de-piller and will not impact fabric performance in any way. Versatile, inherently stain resistant, fire retardant, temperature regulating and highly sound absorbing, wool is a fantastic material but is more likely to pill as compared to other fibres. Proper care and maintenance are needed and when commercially installed, regular vacuuming and de-pilling is essential.

Don’t worry if you see pills forming on your new fabric, they can easily be removed by the remedies below.

All upholstery fabrics require proper care and maintenance. Regular light vacuuming is recommended to remove dust and dirt from the surface of the fabric. This is to prevent damage to the fabric surface through abrasion and contribution to pilling, and will also help to clean and maintain the fabric, keeping it looking immaculate for longer.

Taking the right action to remedy pilling is easier once the cause has been determined. An easy and inexpensive way to remedy pilling is with a pill shaver, a tool commonly bought in sewing stores, or a manually with a pill comb.

Loosely knitted fabrics are most likely to pill as the fibres can move around freely. This has no relation to the fibre quality as pilling occurs even on high quality of fabrics. 

If pilling reoccurs it can be shaved off again. Though this may recur several times, it will lessen and eventually stop once all the loose fibres have been removed.

As pilling is a normal occurrence caused by everyday usage, pilling fabrics are not covered under warranty.

Applying topical stain-repellent treatments to fabrics can cause pilling and accelerate sun damage and colour fading. Manufacturers may void fabric warranties when such treatments are applied. 

We recommend using fabrics with inherent stain-resistant technology, such as FibreGuard, instead of applying aftermarket treatments. FibreGuard stain-resistant fabrics also come with a 5-year warranty for residential purposes and a 3-year warranty for commercial applications for upholstery. 

Read more about the FibreGuard Warranty.