Why is my Couch Pilling?
As you sit on your couch or sofa, one of the last things you’ll want to feel is small balls of fuzz and fabric dotted on the surface and sticking to your clothes. These little knobs are called pills because they are often in the shape of a pill. Any type of fabric can have pilling, but the most common are clothes and couches. Learning more about why your couch is pilling helps you prevent it in the future.
Why is my couch pilling?
Friction
The main reason why couch pilling happens is when fibers come loose with friction. Repeated movement across the surface of upholstery, even standing up and sitting down, loosens and pulls away. As more friction happens, the loose fibers roll together, creating the pill shape that you can see on your couch or other upholstered furniture. It’s important to note that not all pilling on your couch will actually be from your couch. Soft clothing also creates pilling that is transferred to your furniture after sitting on it.
Fabric
Upholstery comes in all shapes, sizes, and types. Great upholstery has tightly twisted and woven fibers, meaning there is less of a chance for the fibers to come loose with friction. When testing out new furniture before buying it, check to see how soft and moveable the fibers are. The softer or more loose the woven fibers are, the more likely it is to pill.
How do I prevent pilling on my upholstery?
Find the right fabric: Higher quality fabric has tightly woven fibers, which makes it more difficult to be pulled apart. Softer and looser fibers will be the ones to pill more easily.
Vacuum: Regular vacuuming is preached across many of our blogs. It is a common prevention method and solution for many problems that you will come across with your upholstery and your carpets.
Flip the cushions: As the fabric on your cushions wear down, flipping them over will give it new life. Distributing the friction and wear across both surfaces of the cushions helps the fabric last longer.
Trim pets’ nails: Both cats and dogs’ nails have a way of getting in between the fibers on upholstered furniture. As the claws dig into the upholstery again and again, the wear and tear increases, getting your couch closer to pilling. Trimming their claws reduces the risk of tearing the fibers completely.
When taking care of pilling that is already there, there are a few solutions to getting rid of them. Vacuuming and pill rakes are helpful in getting rid of the pills in the short term. Professional upholstery cleaning is like a reset for your furniture, getting rid of the pills and helping prevent them in the future. If upholstery pilling is getting in the way of a relaxing sit on your couch, give Lucas Family Carpet Cleaning a call for upholstery cleaning.