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How to Remove Pilling from Cashmere: Comb First, Shaver Second
Cashmere pills because the fibers are short and soft. That is the hand. Comb the pills. A spinning shaver is how you thin an open knit.
Updated 27 Aug 2026 · 6 min read · how to remove pilling from cashmere
Pills are not a counterfeit tell
Fine cashmere pills in the first month under a bag strap and at the sides. Long-staple yarn settles. Short-staple haze never does. The full abrasion logic sits in how to stop clothes pilling; this page is the cashmere tool choice.
Comb, stone, then maybe a shaver
A metal sweater comb pulls pills without cutting the yarn if you keep the angle shallow. A fabric shaver shears. On a loose gauge it will nibble the actual stitch and leave a thin patch that becomes a hole. Use the shaver on the dense inside of a cuff if you must, never on an open lace knit.
- Comb or stone: $10–20, default on cashmere
- Shaver: $15–30, dense knits and jersey only
- Disposable razor: emergency, easy to gouge
Wash habits that slow the next crop
Inside out, mesh bag, wool wash, 30°C, no dryer, no denim in the same load. Fold, do not hang. A backpack on a cashmere crew is a pill factory; wear merino under a bag.
Questions, answered
- Should I depill before or after washing?
- Before. Washing loose pills can felt them back into the surface as tiny felt beads.
- Will a comb ruin the halo?
- Used lightly, it removes balls and leaves the bloom. Scraped hard, it skims the face. Stop when the surface looks even, not bald.
- My cashmere pills into hard plastic beads.
- That is often acrylic in a blend, or very short staple. Comb what you can. Do not expect it to settle like a mill-grade crew.
