How To: Shave Your Wool Jumper And Knits

We're more than ready to pack away our winter wardrobe. But first, there's a little maintenance to take care of… Here's how to shave your wool jumper, debobble your knitwear and remove lint and pilling from your clothes so your garms will look spic and span for autumn 2023… and beyond. Shoving things in a drawer will no longer cut it.

Over the colder months you might have noticed your knitwear, in particular, will have developed bobbles and bumps. At this point in the season, it's likely even your finest knits will be looking a bit worse for wear. But if you want to make the most sustainable choice, echo the late Vivienne Westwood's mantra to “make it last” and lavish a little care and attention on your wardrobe - especially if you're doing a seasonal swap-over.

The best way to care for knitwear that looks a little worse for wear is to get busy with a debobbler. Wash your knits - by hand if they’re cashmere or wool - and if you have anything with polyester in it, wash it inside a guppyfriend or a mesh bag that will catch any loose microfibres that synthetic fabrics will leach into the water.

Wring everything out (wrap it in a towel for maximum moisture removal), then lay your knits flat so they keep their shape. Never hang wet knitwear, or it will droop.

Once your knitwear is washed - and dried - you can start the very satisfying task of debobbling. I’ve used disposable razors in the past - you just swipe the blade across the knitwear and slice off the bobbles. I then use a lint roller or packaging tape to pick up the loose balls and bin them. But something a little more streamlined and more sustainable than a plastic razor is an actual debobbler, or fabric shaver. The experience is life-changing and that's not an exaggeration. 

Battery operated or mains charged, via a USB cable, the blades work a bit like an electric shaver and again, slice off the bobbles on your knitwear. Some have different sizes for differing sizes of bobble. Then (this is the genius part) instead of you having to brush off the leftover fibres, the lint is sucked up into a little chamber, like a mini vacuum cleaner *mind blown.* It’s so therapeutic to watch the bobbles disappear and you’re left with smooth jumpers that will last for another season. When the most considerate way to indulge in fashion is to look after the clothes you already own, it's an all round win. 

Why do jumpers get bobbles?

The technical term is ‘pilling’ and it’s a normal process, not a fault of the knitwear. When fibres rub together, they matt against each other and create these little balls (which are super satisfying to remove FYI.) It’s something that can occur on every type of knitwear but longer fibres are less prone to bobble. If your jumper is cashmere, shorter fibres (which are cheaper to produce) will bobble faster than longer (more expensive) fibres. In my experience, polyester - a plastic and therefore oil-based fibre - also bobbles super fast. The fluffier the knit, the quicker it seems to bobble.

But whatever knit you are wearing, the key to being sustainable is wearing it and repairing it. And that definitely includes a seasonal session to shave your wool jumper and debobble your knitwear. If fabric care is high up your list of weekend activities to look forward to (surely it's not just us?) then check out our favourite garment steamers, too. 

Read more from Glamour UK Fashion Director at large Alex Fullerton here or follow her on Instagram @alexandrafullerton

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