Do your Bed sheets pill? Don’t know what to do?

Feeling particularly irritated? Then read on and find out what you can do to stop this!

Let’s start by explaining what pilling actually means.

Pilling is that shabby look of your new sheets after you have washed and dried them. It results due to a surface defect made up of small fibers. They are the little balls of fabric that appear on your brand new sheets. Pilling sheets can look thin or rough and unsightly. They may feel scratchy and uncomfortable when you sleep on such sheets. Long time use and many washings may cause this, however, this is not always the case. Short or open end fiber can be the main reason why a sheet starts to

 pilling 1
All woven fabrics have piling rating score based on their yarn quality. The scale is from 1 to 5 where 5 is the best and 1 is the worst. Fabrics with piling grade of 2 and under are with excessive piling issues from day one. Flannel sheets for example usually come with piling grade of 1.5 to 2.5. Percale sheets are usually the best at 4.5 and 600-650 Thread Count are 4.5. There is no such fabric that is 5/5 but knowing your piling factor will help you pick the best and least piling sheets.
 

4 Ways To Prevent / Reduce Sheets From Pilling

Quality

First and foremost, quality is the first thing you should investigate when purchasing new bed sheets. Do not just consider the material (not that it does not matter as well), but also contemplate on thread count. The higher the thread count, the better your chances are that your sheets will not pill. Higher thread counts are less likely to pill than others because the threads are longer and woven tightly together minimizing friction and movement.                           

 

Friction

Directly rubbing the sheets together, such as physically trying to remove a specific stain on the sheet, has its negative effects. Sheets should be washed on the gentle cycle to avoid agitating the fabric of the sheets. Add mild detergent to the water in the washing machine and wait till it has completely dissolved before putting your sheets inside the washer.

Washing

Washing sheets in HOT WATER is another reason for pilled sheets. Set your washing machine to the cold water and on the gentle cycle to prevent the sheets from shrinking!

and fading their colors. You should not use harsh detergents, bleach, or fabric.

softeners when washing your sheets.

 

Drying

If possible, hang your sheets so they can air dry instead of using the dryer. This will minimize the wear and tear caused by the dryer’s tumbling movements. If there is no way or place to hang your sheets, then set the dryer setting to the low heat cycle. Remove immediately after the cycle ends so as not to over-dry the fabric’s fibers. Remove the lint from the lint basket.

 

So, by investing in high thread count and high-quality bed sheets, and following the simple washing and drying instructions, you can thwart the future pilling of your brand new or even older bed sheets and even prevent this from ever ruining the look and feel of your sheets. If your sheets do begin to pill, just trim away the little balls of fabric, either with a small pair of scissors or with a clothes shaver.

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