Wool is a fantastic fabric, but it's prone to bobbling. If you've ever worn a sweater or jumper made from wool and noticed extra fuzziness around the cuffs and neckline, that's called pilling. It can make your clothing look dirty even if it's brand new, so let's go over some ways to prevent bobbling in the future!
In this guide you'll learn:
One of the market-leading fabric shavers, the Philips GC026 is a great all-rounder for anyone looking to maintain their woolen clothes. Easy-to-use and maintain this model is high-rated and reviewed and won’t let you down. For further information, take a look at our Philips GC026 review.
Whilst this particular fabric shaver works well on all fabric types, we found that it works extremely well on wool and thicker materials. Its dual-head design combined with two-speed motors gives you all the power you need to remove pills and lint from even the heaviest wool garments.
This non-electric is a great option if you’re looking for an environmentally friendly option or are planning to take your fabric shaver on your travels. Coming in multiple colorways and with 3 blades for different fabric types, this is a great option. Take a look at our in-depth review of the Gleener Fabric shaver and lint brush for more information.
A great value option, the Conair fabric shaver is a great option if you’re looking for a functional and good-value fabric shaver. Easy-to-use, compact in size and made of robust materials, this ticks a lot of boxes. Take a look at our review of the Conair Fabric Shaver for more details.
The Beautural Portable Fabric Shaver is a handy, light and easy-to-use fabric shaver with several useful features to quickly and effectively remove lint from your clothing. This device will cut up 80% of bobbles on any your woolen jumper in one pass - leaving your jumpers looking nearly brand new in just minutes!
We have a detailed Beautural Fabric Shaver Review if you're interested in finding out more.
Firstly though, let’s take a look at what Pilling of bobbling is. Basically, pilling is when small pieces of fabric come off the surface of the jumper. It can be caused by washing, wearing and drying. Pilling is not a sign of poor quality, but it may make your jumper less comfortable to wear over time.
It's a common problem for knitwear lovers, but it doesn't have to be. Bobbles are caused by friction between the fibres of your jumper. They can be formed simply by wearing a jumper over a long period of time or when you wash or tumble dry it in too hot water. But there is hope!
The good news is that there's an easy fix: use a fabric shaver like the one we use in our testing process (and recommend).
If you want to prevent bobbling, then the best advice is to wash your wool at a lower temperature (30 degrees Celsius or less). This will reduce your chances of damaging the fibers. You should also avoid using fabric softener, as this can leave behind residue and make them more prone to pilling.
You should also keep in mind that dry cleaning is often not recommended for wools as it can damage their elasticity, shrinkage and appearance. Ironing is also something that will increase pilling in knits by breaking down the yarns and making them susceptible to snagging when worn.
Finally, don't use bleach on any of your wool garments because this will remove all natural dyes from those fabrics over time - resulting in discolouration or fading. Don’t tumble dry either unless it says so on its label because heat breaks down fibers too quickly causing wear & tear faster than usual too!
If you’re looking for a way to maintain your woolen jumper to keep it looking newer for longer an electric fabric shaver is a great option. For a relatively low investment and a small amount of effort you can very easily elongate the life of your jumpers and sweaters.
The cost of your fabric shaver is another important factor. It depends on the brand you choose, but generally the more expensive a fabric shaver is, the higher quality it will be. The better quality fabric shavers are usually able to remove more hair and lint than cheaper models.
If you're concerned about price, know that some of our top picks are affordable options that won't break the bank while still performing admirably. If money isn't an issue for you though, consider investing in a high-end model with durable components and multiple attachments for added versatility. You'll be glad you did when clothing lasts longer thanks to less wear from pulling against threads or fibers! We have a guide on the best fabric shavers if you’re interested in finding out more.
If you're looking to remove the fuzz from your wool clothing, don't use a razor or epilator! These tools can cause cuts and snags that leave your garment damaged. Instead, try a fabric shaver or lint remover. These handheld devices have a number of safety features that make them less likely to damage delicate fabrics than other options.
Plus, they've been specifically designed for use on clothes—so there's no need to worry about nicks or chafing while you're trying to get rid of the fuzz. Just run it over the surface of your item until all the lint is gone!
To clean the blade, you can either use a vacuum cleaner or a lint roller. It's also recommended that you keep it clean with an old toothbrush every now and then. It's best to clean it after each use so that the fuzz doesn’t build up on the blade and get stuck in your clothes later.
This will depend on how much fuzz gets stuck in there during use. If you're using one to trim down a sweater or t-shirt over time, then obviously more lint will accumulate than if you're shaving off just one layer of fuzz from something like a pair of pants where there isn't any additional material being removed as well (just remember: don't wash anything until after). In general, though, we recommend cleaning every once in a while—it'll save some time later when all those tiny hairs start sticking out of everything!
A fabric shaver is much more effective than a lint brush at making wool look brand new again. Lint brushes are not designed to remove bobbles, which is what makes wool appear so fuzzy and unkempt. If you don't have a fabric shaver, you can use the edge of a credit card or your fingernail to gently pull at any fuzz until the entire hair is removed from the surface of your garment. This method works best when there aren't too many hairs in one spot (like on a sweater).
Fabric shavers are especially great for removing bobbles on sweaters because they're made specifically to cut through loops in fabrics without damaging them further down the line if someone tries washing their clothes afterwards with harsh chemicals like bleach or detergent (which could lessen their lifespan). They also come equipped with different blades: some may be designed for thick fabrics such as denim while others are engineered specifically for thin materials like silk dresses; some even feature adjustable settings so users can control how much pressure goes into shaving off each layer of material from both sides simultaneously!
The fabric shaver is a great investment if you want to keep your wardrobe looking good. It's easy to use and makes wool look brand new again in no time at all. In fact, it's much more effective than a lint brush at removing bobbles, pilling or other unwanted fuzz from jumpers and sweaters made of natural fibers like cotton or wool.
If you're looking for other garment care content, take a look at some of our other guides:
The Best Fabric Shaver for Cotton Clothes
If used correctly, you shouldn’t damage your clothes. But, for more delicate fabrics such as wool or cashmere be careful not to get too vigorous with how you run the shaver over the surface of your garment as they can snag and pull the threads.
One of the best ways to make sure a fabric shaver is suitable for a particular item is to try it on a small section of the garment first.
Yes, a fabric shaver can be used on all fabric types that might pill or bobble. They are also safe to use on upholstery, curtains and carpets.
A fabric shaver is designed with safety in mind and whilst they do have sharp blades, the blades are positioned behind a safety cover. As a result, and providing you use the shaver according to the manufacturer’s instructions, you certainly shouldn’t hurt yourself.
Our editors have independently selected and reviewed all of the products you see here. The reviews can contain links from affiliates, which means we may receive a small commission on editorially chosen products purchased through our links.