Don’t let your favorite clothes spoil with the dreaded pellets. Write down these tricks to avoid the appearance of fluff and pellets and enjoy your clothes for longer.
There are fabrics that are prone to the formation of pellets, those little balls of fluff that sometimes appear on the surface of fabrics, making them ugly and rough to the touch.
They usually come out after washing and, although can be removed with different techniques, prevention is better than cure and it is best to avoid its appearance.
As explained in The Spruce, the pellets appear in the fabric when the groups of short or broken fibers become entangled, forming a small knot or ball.
This occurs due to rubbing or abrasion during normal use, so it is common to find the fluff under the arms, around the neck and cuffs, between the thighs and the back of the pants, or in the center of the sheets.
It is not easy to predict the tissues in which pellets will form, although the most prone to this problem are knitted fabricsas the threads are looser and are more likely to tangle with abrasion.
Fabrics that mix cotton and polyester fibers also tend to form pellets. This is because one fiber is usually stronger than the other; when the weak one breaks, knots are created that form the pellets.
But, How to avoid the appearance of fluff and pellets in clothes? One effective trick is to wash your clothes inside out. With this simple gesture, abrasion during washing is reduced, which prevents the fibers from breaking and knotting.
It is also advisable to separate clothes properly before putting them in the washing machine. Wash delicates separately and do not mix them with heavier fabrics such as jeans or with items that have zippers and buttons.
If you suspect that a garment is prone to pilling, use a gentle cycle in the washing machine or hand wash. It is also recommended to add fabric softener. This will reduce friction during washing and prevent the fibers from breaking and knotting.
And don’t overload the washing machine. This, in addition to reducing the action of the detergent and causing damage to the machine, also increases the friction of the fabrics, with the consequent appearance of pellets.