Sweaters are age-defying garments. A good sweater can keep you warm and cozy years after other clothes have fallen apart and worn down. There is one way sweaters show their age: fuzz. As the individual yarn fibers fray slightly, these tiny threads form a layer of fluff around the garment or -- worse -- fluffy balls of compacted fuzz called pills. Try one of the easy remedies and products available to make your old sweater look almost new.
Step 1
Remove large pills by hand. Carefully pull away large balls of fluff. You can cut some of these away if they resist being pulled, but be careful not to fully sever any yarn strings in the weave of the knit. If you do, your whole sweater could unravel.
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Step 2
Try getting rid of fuzz and pills with strong adhesive tape such as duct tape. This is a good method for removing the thickest and worst parts of the fuzz rather than the finer layer.
Step 3
Shave the fuzz away using a disposable, single-blade razor, which is less likely to damage the sweater than two- or three-blade razors. Stretch out the sweater or a flat surface or try this while you're wearing it and run the razor over the fabric until it's defuzzed. Stop occasionally to clean the fuzz off the razor by using a downward wipe, not a sideways one, to prevent injury.
Step 4
Buy a fuzz shaver made especially for this purpose. These devices can be purchased in big-box stores and may be sold labeled as fabric shavers, fuzz shavers or pill removers.
Step 5
Buy a sweater stone. This brick of pumice is sold for the purpose of removing fuzz with gentle abrasion.
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