4 Easy Ways to Defuzz a Sweater

It doesn't matter how much you pay for a sweater -- those unsightly fuzz balls always show up. Here are four cheap tools to give your knits new life just in time for sweater weather.

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FYI: Sweater pills are caused by abrasion (rubbing), wear, and short-stapled yarns (and there's no easy way to tell what length fibers were used).

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1. Disposable razor. This is the cheapest way to defuzz a sweater. (Hey, there's nothing wrong with being frugal!) Spread the sweater out on a flat surface. Hold the knitted area smooth and taut with one hand. Gently run the razor across the surface of the sweater. Take more care around the seams, edges, and buttonholes -- you don't want to cut the yarn.

Total cost: Less than 25¢ each at your local drug store

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2. Lint shaver. This cool little battery-operated tool cleans up the fuzzies and vacuums them into a built-in lint trap. Run the shaver over the surface of the sweater; no pressure required. The shaver sucks up the sweater pills as you go for no mess!

Total cost: About $12 (find it at dritz.com)

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3. Sweater Stone. Sweater Stone is the brand name for a block of pumice that helps groom your sweaters naturally. Hold an area of the sweater smooth and taut before gently stroking the surface of the stone across the knit to catch the sweater pills. Remove the pills from the stone as they accumulate.

Total cost: About $8 (find it at sweaterstone.com)

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4. Sweater comb. Sweep a pocketsize sweater comb across the surface of the sweater to brush off the fuzz. Wipe the removed pills off the comb and continue the grooming. This tool is perfect for travelling.

Total cost: About $4 (find it at dritz.com)

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