Pilling is one of the most common problems that you can deal with in terms of the care and maintenance of fabric. Even the finest and best bedding fabric can suffer from, if you do not know how to give it proper care. It is an inevitable process for any fabric and while it can be fixed, prevention is still the best approach to caring for fabric against pilling.

What Causes Pilling?

In order for you to properly care for fabric to avoid pilling, it is important to know how it happens and what the possible causes are. Pilling comes as a result of any broken or loose fibres becoming knotted up. Once knotted, the fibres turn into balls. While it is not visible from afar, closer examination of the fabric will show these tiny balls.

Pilling is a very common issue with low quality fabric, most low quality cotton. Since cotton is a common choice of fabric for bed sheets and other types of bedding, it is important to know how to properly care for it.

Prevention of Pilling on Fabric

The best way to prevent pilling on bedding fabric is to invest in high quality cotton fabric. With a high quality fabric, you can expect a very consistent tight weave. When the weaves are tight, there is less chances of any fibers becoming loose. When there are no loose fibres, it will be impossible for the fabric to become knotted up and form the tiny balls.

While more expensive fabrics are going to set your budget back a little, it will be beneficial in the long run. Luxury bedding fabric with tight weave is able to naturally resist pilling more than lower quality ones.

The best quality bedding fabric could cost you anywhere from $300 to $1,200, depending on the specific type of cotton fabric you choose. While this does not in any way suggest that the more expensive the fabric, the better the quality is, you know you get what your money’s worth.

Take time to educate yourself about thread counts and why it matters when it comes to determining the quality of the fabric. The tightness of the weave is also another factor to keep in mind. These two factors have a direct impact on how resilient the bedding fabric is against pilling, not the price tag.

How to Fix Pilling on Fabric

If you have already seen signs of pilling on your fabric, it is important to know how to care for them. Make sure you address the problem at the initial signs and do not wait for it to continue pilling.

One of the main reasons why bedding fabric can have pilling is when it is subjected to too much heat. Avoid cranking up the heat too high when you are washing or drying your bed sheets. The high level of heat can destroy the cotton’s elasticity and thus make it more prone to breakage. Once the fiber is broken, it can easily develop pilling.

It is also important to use a gentle detergent when washing your bedding fabric. There are some brands that are use formulations that are too strong and can weaken the fibres. Choose your detergent wisely and make sure you use gentle formula only.