How To Remove Pilling From Mattress: Complete Guide

If you’re curious about how to remove pilling from mattress, you can check out these three steps. Of course, you’re probably familiar with using a vacuum cleaner, but we’ll also talk about some tricks to remove the hard pilling and larger pieces. And as a bonus, you’ll learn how to stop mattress pilling. 

Speaking of pilling, do you also notice it on your blanket? Check this guide on how to remove lint from a blanket to know more. 

how to remove pilling from mattress

 

How Do You Get Pills Off A Mattress?

 

Step 1. Vacuum the pills off the mattress

  • Install the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner and use it all over the mattress
  • Vacuuming the bed will remove as much loose pilling as possible
  • Vacuuming the pilling mattress will also loosen the fibers 

Step 2. Remove the loose pilling on the bed with a lint roller

  • As you vacuum the mattress, the loosened fibers might go back into the bed, so you need to remove them with a lint roller
  • You can also use tape or anything with an adhesive side on the mattress surface to remove the pilling that vacuuming can’t eliminate
  • Use as many adhesive sheets as possible, so you’re not returning the pilling back into the mattress

Step 3. Remove the remaining pilling on the mattress

  • To completely eliminate the pills on the mattress, you need to work out the ingrained fibers that vacuuming and lint roller can’t remove
  • Remove the hard pilling on the bed by wiping the surface with a pumice stone or fabric shaver
  • Be careful when running the abrasive objects on your mattress because you don’t want to tear through the material
  • Finally, dampen a cloth and wipe one section of the bed at a time to remove the pilling

What Causes Pilling On The Mattress?

Wear and tear

Your mattress will start pilling over time because we use it every day. In addition, the wear and tear on the material will cause lumps on the surface that will eventually develop loose fibers or pilling. You can also expect your mattress to pill after several years as the cover shreds and approaches the expected lifespan of the bed. 

Abrasion

Even if you care and maintain your bed well, mattress pilling can still happen in the areas that experience friction. Remember that the fibers within the fabric material will break and separate if it’s rubbed often. These areas can be around your feet or even at the tight spots with the sheets. 

How Can I Stop Pilling?

Use mattress pads and covers

You can prevent mattress pilling by protecting the bed. Consider adding a mattress pad over the surface to act as the first layer against wear. You can even learn how to make a mattress cover so you can customize its size and protect the bed efficiently. 

Minimize friction

Be mindful of how you use the mattress. For example, you might be wearing abrasive clothing or having a habit of rubbing the bed surface. You also want to be mindful when you clean the mattress, especially when rubbing off stains. 

What Are The Best Sheets For Not Pilling?

Fabrics that don’t pill

There is no such thing as a pill-free or pill-proof bed sheet. However, you can select materials that don’t pill as quickly and easily. In addition, you want durable fibers that are tightly woven, such as bamboo, silk, and linen. 

Fabrics that pill

On the contrary, avoid synthetic bed sheets such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic as they tend to pill easily. The same goes for blended fabrics that use both natural and synthetic fibers. However, there are also natural fibers such as wool bed sheets that pill. 

What type of sheets will not pill?

Finally,  a secret to avoid pilling is selecting a bed sheet with a high thread count. Remember that this is measured based on how tightly woven the fabric is and typically means longer threads. These characteristics are ideal for preventing loosened and tangled threads that form pills. 

 

How To Remove Lint From Bed Sheets

  1. Flatten the bed sheets over the mattress and ensure that there are no folds or creases
  2. Run a lint roller over the surface and work one section at a time
  3. Wash the bed sheets in the washing machine under the gentle cycle with cold water
  4. Use a mixture of laundry detergent and white vinegar to prevent fibers from clinging to the fabric inside the washer
  5. Dry the bed sheets as you usually would

How to prevent bed sheet pilling

Make sure that you always clean the lint filter in the washing machine and the dryer lint trap on every use. Follow the instruction manual for the cleaning procedure. You also want to avoid hot water, bleach, and fabric softeners when washing the bed sheets because they can damage the fibers. 

 

Conclusion

Do not stress over the fuzzies on the bed. In this article, we discussed how to remove pilling from mattress in three easy steps. First, vacuum the pill and then use a lint roller. 

You’ll then remove the hard pilling with a razor or something abrasive like a pumice stone. Finally, wipe the bed with a damp cloth. We also advise using bed sheets with a high thread count to prevent pilling.  

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