Upholstery

Why does my couch pill, and how to de-pill a sofa

A sofa pills in exactly two places: where people sit and where arms rest. The rest of it looks new for years. Here is why, and how to get the seat back to the first evening.

Where the pills come from

Upholstery fabric is yarn, like a sweater, and it rubs against jeans, sweaters, dogs and the backs of knees for hours a day. Friction teases short fibers out of the weave and rolls them into knots. The seat cushions take the most, the armrests second, the back last. Dark fabrics show it earlier because the pills catch the light.

Which upholstery pills most

Polyester and acrylic blends pill fastest and hold their pills tightest, because the synthetic fiber is too strong to break away. Chenille, bouclé and loose linen weaves pill because the yarn is soft and the structure open. Tight cotton, wool with a long staple, leather and performance fabrics with a smooth face pill little or not at all. If your sofa is a pale blended weave, expect pills by the second winter.

De-pilling a sofa, cushion by cushion

Take the seat cushions off and lay them flat; a sofa seat sags and you want a firm surface. Vacuum first to lift hair and loose fluff, so the shaver meets only what is attached. Then work in overlapping lanes with the large-head shaver: its 65mm face clears a wide strip each pass, and the protective mesh holds the weave back from the blade.

Keep clear of piping, zips and buttons, where a mesh can snag. Empty the container between cushions; upholstery holds far more lint than a sweater. Finish with the armrests, the fabric stretched gently over the frame, and vacuum once more to lift what the shaver loosened.

Keeping it from coming back

Rotate and flip the seat cushions monthly so no single face takes all the friction. Vacuum weekly with an upholstery nozzle. A throw over the seat where the dog sleeps takes the wear instead of the fabric, and a throw is quicker to shave than a sofa. Expect to de-pill a blended sofa once or twice a season; each session is shorter than the last.

We keep the Space Gray large head by the living-room sofa. The darker finish hides the scuffs a furniture tool collects.