How Do You Remove Fuzzballs from Alpaca Woolen Knitted Garments?

Did you see a fuzzball on an alpaca woolen garment? Don’t panic! Here’s how you can remove fuzzballs safely from an alpaca woolen garment. 

You can remove fuzzballs from woolen garments by shaving them off, using either a simple hand razor or (electric) lint remover. Gently pass the blade following the pattern of the garment until the fuzzball comes off. Instead of using pressure, repeat the movement if it doesn’t come off in one go. 

The good news is that alpaca wool doesn’t pill easily, but since alpaca wool comes in different types and blends, pilling might still occur for your garment. 

 

How Do You Remove Fuzzballs from Alpaca Wool?

Pilling happens when fibers are exposed to friction and get damaged. The fibers break and “break free” from their strand. When this happens and friction occurs again, they interlock with other fibers. The result is a fuzzball.  

Luckily there are two ways to remove fuzzballs easily, quickly and safely that are suitable for alpaca wool:

1. With a hand razor

2. With a fabric shaver

I’ll dive into these methods in this article, but before we do that, there are also a few things you should be AWARE of when removing fuzzballs:

• Never use scissors
• Don't pull at the pills
• Be careful with harsh removal machines
• Lint removers don’t remove pills 
• Sweater stones are too harsh
• Frequent depilling can lead to more fiber breakage over time

Removing Fuzzballs With a Hand Razor

The simplest way to remove a fuzzball from an alpaca woolen garment is by using a hand razor. 

Here’s how you use it: 

1. Find the strain of the fiber that connects the fuzzball to the garment. 

2. Hold the bobble, but do not pull it. 

3. Gently shave it off in one direction.

4. Use minimal pressure.

5. Use repeated movements instead of increased pressure. 

6. Use with precision and on flat areas only.

	A simple hand razor with one or two blades is perfect.
	Find the fuzzball and carefully separate it from the rest of the garment Don't pull it though!
	Gently shave it of in one direction, using minimal pressure
	Fuzzball removed---Mission complete.

Using a razor to remove fuzzballs works well when you need to target specific areas and you can really control where to cut them off. However, it’s not ideal for curved or seam-heavy areas. 

Using a small hand razor takes more time than a fabric shaver due to its smaller surface area. But, then again, this also allows for greater precision.

Use a Simple but New Razor

Use the simplest razor possible: I prefer to use those very simple, disposable razors, with only one or two blades. By using this simple razor, I decrease the risk of cutting the garment in places where I don’t want to cut it. 

However, you do want to use a new razor to make sure that the blades are sharp enough to cut through the fuzzballs. Old razors risk tugging or snagging the fibers, and we don’t want that. 

Avoid razors with gels, perfume, or oils. 

The Right Pressure

Don’t use increased pressure if the fuzzball doesn’t come off in one go. Sometimes, there are several hairs that keep it attached to the garment and you will need to be patient and repeat the movement. 

If you increase the pressure instead, you will cut deeper into the fibers than you want to, causing more hairs to break than necessary. 

Removing Fuzzballs with a Fabric Shaver

You can use fabric shavers to remove fuzzballs on alpaca wool garments. Fabric shavers offer the benefit of adjustable settings, making them suitable for delicate fibers like alpaca wool. 

Because of this, it can be safer to use a fabric shaver than a razor. 

When using a fabric shaver to remove fuzzballs from alpaca wool garments, make sure to follow the instructions on the machine. 

1. Choose the delicate fabric setting.

2. Lay the garment flat on a smooth surface. 

3. Shave gently and evenly, using light pressure. 

4. Do NOT press down—skim the surface.  

5. Regularly empty the pill container to prevent clogging the blades. 

6. Shake out the garment afterwards to remove loose threads. 

7. Avoid seams or embroidery. 

Finding the Right Fabric Shaver

Fabric shavers, or fabric pill removers, typically feature blades located behind a thin metal mesh. These blades rotate to catch and cut pills as you move the device over the fabric.

For alpaca wool garments specifically, you want to make sure to look for one that has

• a delicate fabric setting,
• smaller holes in the mesh,
• stainless steel or ceramic blades (for sharpness).

A larger shaving surface allows for faster depilling, which is great for speed, but may not be ideal if you prioritize precision and care. 

What You Shouldn’t Use to Remove Fuzzballs from Alpaca Wool Garments

While depilling your alpaca wool garments can keep them looking fresh and polished, not all methods are suitable for this delicate fabric. In fact, some common tools can do more harm than good. 

To protect your alpaca wool garments and extend their lifespan, avoid scissors, pulling, lint removers, and pumice stones, as these methods can cause unnecessary damage to the fabric. 

 

Using Scissors Cuts Healthy Fibers (= More Damage)

Using scissors to remove fuzzballs is strongly discouraged when caring for alpaca wool. While it might seem like a quick and convenient solution, scissors are bulky and difficult to maneuver, making it hard to target just the fuzzballs without cutting into the surrounding fibers.

When you remove fuzzballs the right way, you aim to snip only the fibers connecting the pill to the fabric. However, scissors can easily cut more than necessary, inadvertently trimming healthy fibers and causing irreparable damage to your garment. 

Pulling Fuzzballs Deforms Your Garment 

While irresistibly tempting… Pulling fuzzballs off by hand is another common mistake that can damage your alpaca wool. 

When you pull on a fuzzball, you risk stretching the fibers or even pulling a larger chunk of yarn out of place. In a worst-case scenario, you could accidentally pull a long, tightly connected alpaca hair that could disrupt the entire weave. 

It can even lead to holes and snags in the fabric when you pull too hard. I know it might sound exaggerated, but it’s just not worth the risk. 

Lint Removers Are NOT Designed for Pilling

While lint removers (like lint rollers) are great for removing loose fibers, dust, and pet hair from fabrics, they are not suitable for removing fuzzballs or pills from alpaca wool. 

Lint rollers use adhesive sheets to pick up debris, but they lack the ability to cut or lift pills from the fabric surface. As a result, they won't address the root cause of pilling. In fact, they might just stick to a fuzzball and pull it out, risking deforming your garment like it would when you try to pull it off by hand. 

Pumice Stones or Sweater Stones Are TOO Abrasive 

Sweater stones or pumice stones are too abrasive for alpaca wool. 

These stones work by physically rubbing against the fabric to remove pills, but the friction involved is too harsh for delicate fibers like alpaca wool.

The abrasiveness of pumice stones can damage the surface of the fabric, causing it to lose its smooth texture or, worse, leading to fraying or thinning, potentially wearing it out faster.

Is It Necessary to Remove Fuzzballs?

Whether it is necessary to remove fuzzballs or not, depends on the wool content of your garment and your personal preference. 

My radical opinion is that a fuzzball here and there is totally fine, but you might not find it aesthetically pleasing. So, figure out your stance on whether to fuzzball or not to fuzzball and take the appropriate steps to take care of your garment. 

However, having lots of fuzzballs does increase the odds of them growing and then becoming even harder to remove. So, there is a non-aesthetic argument to be made for removing fuzzballs. 

So, you might want to find the middle ground between removing some fuzzballs occasionally but not too often. I would say that a once-a-year-fuzzball-removal-session strikes the right balance. 

 

The Risk of Removing Fuzzballs

On the other-other hand, removing fuzzballs comes at a cost: as it increases the risk of creating more fuzzballs. When you take one of them, you break the “good” fiber the fuzzball was connected to… Adding to the amount of damaged fibers, and thus, to the potential for fuzzballs to appear. 

This is also why I personally prefer to use a simple, small razor. When you use a razor to remove the fuzzball, you can really aim for that connecting hair and make sure that you shave off the ball while damaging as few other fibers as possible. 

Fuzzball Removal by Alpaca Wool Type or Blend

Before you reach for a razor or fabric shaver, take a minute to get to know what your garment is really made of to make sure you use the right method when removing fuzzballs. 

100% Baby Alpaca

Baby alpaca wool is made from the finer, softer fibers of younger alpacas. These fibers tend to be shorter than those of adult alpaca, which makes them a bit more prone to breakage and pilling. 

• You can remove fuzzballs with a fabric shaver with a delicate setting or a clean, unused simple hand razor.
  
  

100% Regular Alpaca 

Alpaca is known for pilling less than most other wool types, but pills can still form over time. 

• A regular fabric shaver with a fine mesh is typically effective for maintenance. 

• Manual razors can be used for targeted areas, and because the fiber is stronger, there's a lower risk of accidental damage.
  
  

Suri Alpaca (100% or Blended)

Suri alpaca has long, silky, crimpless fibers that give it a beautiful drape and sheen.. And make it naturally resistant to pilling.

However, its smooth texture also makes it hard to spin or knit with, so it's often blended with other fibers. Different wool or synthetic fibers help hold it together, but also increase the risk of pilling.  

Yet, most suri blends still use a high percentage of suri alpaca, which are delicate and can snag easily. 

• With suri alpaca, it is really important to avoid fabric shavers; 

• Instead, use a clean hand razor with a light touch or gently remove pills by hand.
  
  

Alpaca + Synthetic Blends (e.g., polyester, nylon)

When alpaca is blended with synthetic fibers like polyester or acrylic, pilling increases significantly. Synthetic fibers tend to resist breaking and instead twist into surface pills.

These garments require more frequent maintenance. 

• Use a high-quality fabric shaver with a sharp blade and small mesh to avoid tugging. 

• Avoid pulling pills by hand, as synthetic blends often resist and distort the surrounding fibers when pulled.
  
  

Alpaca + Mohair or Angora

Sometimes blends combine alpaca wool with springy, fluffy fibers like mohair or angora.

Super pretty and soft, yet they are particularly prone to fuzziness and light pilling. The challenge with these blends is that healthy mohair or angora strands can get caught in removal tools, increasing the risk of pulling intact fibers. 

• Use a simple, small, new razor with a light touch, and never use abrasive tools that can disturb the texture of the blend.