Pilling
Also known as: fabric pilling, bobbling
Formation of small fibre balls (pills) on the fabric surface due to mechanical stress; particularly visible on wool and cotton-polyester blends.
Description
Pilling refers to the formation of small, tangled fibre balls (pills) on the fabric surface. They occur when short, loose fibre ends are pulled to the surface by friction (backpack straps, seat area, inside of sleeves), twist and roll into little balls. Pilling is particularly visible on smooth dark fabrics.
Most affected are short-staple natural fibres (cotton) and blends with polyester: cotton fibres break at the surface but are held to the fabric by the tougher polyester fibres and mat into pills. Pure long-staple cotton (Mako, Supima) or pure polyester fabrics pill much less because fibres either fall off completely or do not break at all.
Test standards such as ISO 12945 (Martindale) or DIN 53867 classify pilling on a scale from 5 (no pilling) to 1 (severe pilling). For corporate wear at least grade 3-4 after 2,000 cycles is usually required. Countermeasures include anti-pill finishes (enzyme wash with cellulases), low-pilling fibre types and long-staple raw materials. For consumers a fabric shaver helps.
Properties
| Issuer | Not a label - quality phenomenon, tested per ISO 12945 |
|---|---|
| Scope | Scale 5 (none) to 1 (severe), target >=3 |
| Label | Test reports, "low pilling" on tech sheet |
Related product categories
Sources & references
2- Wikipedia: Pilling Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilling
- Wikipedia: Martindale test Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martindale_(unit)
