Textile pilling is when the fabric on clothes or other things starts to look fuzzy and bumpy after being worn for a while. Imagine if you have a soft blanket and you rub it against something over and over again. Eventually, you might start to see little balls of fabric getting stuck on the blanket and making it feel rough. That's kind of what happens with pilling on clothes.
When you wear clothes, they rub against things like your body, furniture, and even other clothes. This rubbing causes the fibers or little threads that make up the clothes to get loose and start to stick out. Eventually, these loose fibers get tangled up together and form those little balls or bumps on the fabric. It's like when you don't comb your hair for a long time and it starts getting all tangled and knotted.
Different fabrics can pill more easily than others. For example, materials like cotton, wool, and polyester are more prone to pilling because their fibers are looser and tend to come loose more easily. On the other hand, fabrics like silk or nylon are smoother and have tighter fibers, so they are less likely to pill.
Pilling can also happen more if you don't take good care of your clothes. For instance, if you wash them in the washing machine too often or use really hot water, the fabric can get weakened and start to pill. Similarly, if you put your clothes in the dryer on high heat, it can make the fabric more prone to pilling.
So, to prevent pilling, it's important to take good care of your clothes. You should try to wash them on a gentle cycle and use cold water. It's also a good idea to turn your clothes inside out before washing them, as this can protect the fabric from rubbing against other things in the machine. Moreover, if you let your clothes air dry by hanging them instead of using the dryer, it can help reduce pilling.
If your clothes already have pilling, you can try removing it with a fabric shaver or using a lint roller. These tools help to shave off the little balls of fabric and make your clothes look smoother again. But remember, not all clothes are meant to be completely pill-free, and a little bit of pilling is natural over time. It's just a sign that you've been using and enjoying your clothes!