Questions and answers

How do you remove pilling? How do you clean a pilled coat? How do you clean a coat with bobbles? How do you get rid of bobbles from a coat?

Pilling is a natural process that occurs when wearing woollen coats. Pills form as a result of friction – for example, when your hand rubs against your torso, or when a handbag rubs against your coat. This cannot be avoided. You can only prevent or delay it by looking after your coat properly. However, once your coat has become pilled and the tangled fibres and little balls look unsightly, you can easily remove them and restore your beloved coat to its original appearance. You can also refurbish an old coat in the same way.

Start by brushing the coat to remove pilling. Brush the entire coat thoroughly, paying particular attention to areas where pilling is visible.

The brush will comb out the fabric fibres and remove other debris (hair, dust, pet hair, lint, etc.). If the pilling is minor, a soft coat cleaning and care brush will suffice to achieve a satisfactory result. However, if the coat has been neglected, has not been brushed regularly, or is already old and worn, it is best to use a clothes brush with stiffer (preferably natural) bristles.

Remember to always brush from top to bottom – never against the grain.

Brushing will remove some of the pilling, which will make a noticeable difference to the coat’s appearance. The remaining bobbles should be removed using an electric lint shaver, gently rubbing it over the fabric of the coat. The lint shavers currently available on the market are very safe and reasonably priced. A mid-range model will be perfectly adequate. I recommend buying a mains-powered shaver, which works much better than a battery-only model. You can use the shaver to freshen up not only coats, but also jumpers, trousers and jackets.

For an even better result, I recommend steaming the coat and brushing it out again right at the end. I guarantee the coat will look as good as new.

And the makeover is complete!

Some people replace clothes brushes and shavers with a pumice stone wrapped in a stocking, sandpaper or a dishwashing sponge. They then rub the fabric with these rough materials to remove pilling. Still others recommend using a disposable razor to remove bobbles and lint from clothing. Personally, I have mixed feelings about this; whilst these are home remedies and inexpensive methods, they are quite invasive and, if carried out incorrectly, can cause irreversible damage to the fabric fibres.

Handling your coat gently and with care, and looking after it properly, will significantly extend its lifespan. Try to avoid sharp surfaces, snags and scuffs.

If you look after your coat properly from the moment you buy it, you won’t have to worry about how to remove pilling. The more care and love you show it, the longer you’ll be able to enjoy its beauty. Remember that it’s less trouble to prevent damage than to repair it later.

Regular brushing prevents or significantly delays pilling on a coat, which is why coats should be brushed regularly. It’s also a great way to remove hair from a coat – in my opinion, much better than using lint rollers with a sticky surface, which I personally don’t use and don’t recommend.

It is also important to store seasonal clothing properly.

Proper storage is one of the most important aspects of looking after woollen coats. Both off-season storage and storage during the season are very important.

It is very important what sort of hanger your coat will hang on in the wardrobe for many months. It is worth ensuring it is suitably contoured and wide. Wool coats can be quite heavy and need a sturdy hanger. In my opinion, the most popular ones are too flimsy and unsuitable for storing coats, as they can lead to unsightly and undesirable – and, worst of all, often irreversible – distortions of the fabric. It’s also a good idea to remember to empty the coat’s pockets so that they aren’t pushed out and cause additional creases.

It’s best to hang your coat amongst clothes you’re not wearing this season, in a protective bag (whether made of fabric or plastic – the one we use to send our coats is ideal for this) and give it plenty of space, which will prevent the fabric from constantly rubbing against other items when you’re taking out the clothes you currently need. Keeping a proper distance between items will ensure the coat doesn’t crease. You can also protect it from moths by placing lavender sachets or bags nearby and by regularly airing out your wardrobe or cupboard. It’s important to ensure your coat is cleaned, ironed and brushed – this will help it retain its shape, texture and appearance, and after a few months it will be as good as new and ready to wear.

Although most coats have a sewn-in loop for hanging them up, I recommend only using it occasionally. Wool coats, especially those with extra padding, can be heavy. Under the influence of their own weight and the repeated strain caused by hanging and taking them down, the seams may tear, and the fabric may develop unnecessary creases and distortions. The coat should be hung on a contoured, wide hanger to prevent it from becoming misshapen.

Personally, I recommend brushing your coat regularly, as it’s a simple and very effective way to clean it. What’s more, airing out woollen coats helps to keep them fresh and significantly extends their lifespan. Simply hang your coat outside or in a window for a few hours to air it out in the fresh air, which is a natural way to refresh your garment whilst protecting the environment. Air-drying also eliminates the distinctive odour that wool can have, particularly when damp. At home, you can also steam your coat to restore the wool’s natural lustre, smooth out creases and refresh its appearance.

So, before you take your coat to the dry cleaner’s at the end of the season, you can easily look after it at home by making sure you care for it regularly.

You can! Surprised? Yes, you can wash a coat in the washing machine. However, as well as selecting the correct wool wash programme on the washing machine, you’ll need the right skills. Simply popping the coat into the washing machine and taking it out once the cycle’s finished will leave it clean, but it won’t be ready to wear. Proper drying, ironing, steaming and, of course, brushing after the wash require patience, precision and delicacy. Not everyone is cut out for this, which is why I personally do not recommend washing a coat in the washing machine. Even if you use the correct programme, the coat may lose its shape and shrink. In such a situation, restoring it to its original condition may prove impossible. The best solution is to take the coat to specialists to have it dry-cleaned and properly ironed. Look after your beloved coat regularly at home: brush it and air it out, and steam it with a garment steamer if necessary, and you’ll be able to enjoy your beautiful, well-maintained coat for a long time to come. You can do all this yourself at home without worrying that you’ll damage the coat. I strongly advise against washing the coat in the washing machine.

A woollen coat should be dried at room temperature, hung on a contoured hanger. Drying at high temperatures can damage the coat. Therefore, avoid drying it on a radiator or with a tumble dryer. The coat needs time to dry, and wearing it whilst still damp will cause it to wear out prematurely. It is therefore best to leave it to dry naturally.

Even if our woollen coat hasn’t got wet, we should bear in mind that the fabric it is made from absorbs moisture from the environment very easily. Regular airing and taking breaks from wearing the coat significantly speed up the evaporation process. This, in turn, extends the coat’s lifespan whilst preserving its aesthetic appearance and thermal properties.

Ironing a woollen coat is not the easiest of tasks. That is why, before you start ironing it, you should read the care instructions supplied with the product carefully.  

The iron must not be set too high – select the first heat setting. Ironing should be carried out through a damp cloth, applying the iron gently so as not to damage the soft texture of the fabric, burn the delicate fibres or cause scorch marks.  

If you have a good iron with a steam function, it’s best to lay the coat flat on an ironing board and direct a strong jet of steam at the creased areas, holding the iron at a safe distance above the coat. You can also steam the coat this way whilst it’s hanging on a hanger. It is important not to touch the iron to the coat, but simply to treat it with steam, which will not only smooth out creases but also refresh its appearance and restore the natural lustre of the wool.

For home care, I personally recommend a steam iron, which is safer and easier to use. Move the steamer over the garment in long, slow strokes so that the steam penetrates the fabric, smoothing out creases and lifting the wool fibres. Additionally, once the coat has been steamed, you can brush it to enhance the effect.  

After ironing or steaming, coats should be left to hang undisturbed at room temperature before wearing them.

If we’re travelling and don’t have access to an iron or a steamer, we can smooth out any creases in our coat using the steam coming from the shower. Simply hang the coat in the bathroom whilst you’re having a shower, at a safe distance – you don’t want to get the coat wet, just freshen it up. The hot steam will work just like that from a steamer and straighten out the fibres. You can also hang a woollen coat outside on a slightly damp night (but not a rainy one!). The effect will be similar. After these home treatments, the coats should be left to hang for a while at room temperature to dry thoroughly.

We often say, colloquially, that a coat will hang itself out, and it’s true. The very act of hanging it up makes many creases disappear. And sometimes this is the best solution, especially when we don’t know how to iron or steam it ourselves. So if you don’t feel up to ironing a woollen, polyester, cashmere or wool-blend coat, leave it to the experts.

You don’t need to be a professional to sew a button onto a coat. It’s child’s play, and it’ll improve both the look and functionality of your favourite garment. Replacing the buttons on a coat is also a cheap and easy way to give it a makeover. 

1. Thread the needle and tie both ends of the thread into a knot.
2. Insert the needle where you want to sew on the button or snap fastener, starting from the inside of the coat, and pull the thread through the button. When sewing the button onto the coat, remember to leave a gap between the button and the coat. This space is needed to create a loop beneath the button, which will make it easier to fasten the coat and prevent the fabric from stretching once fastened. To do this, slide a match or toothpick between the button and the fabric, and only then gently pull the thread tight. Fasten it securely so that it lies flat – a match won’t be needed here.
3. Sew on the button by threading the needle through all the buttonholes and all the layers of the coat in turn. Try to insert the needle into the underside of the coat at a single point so that it looks neat. Once the button is securely fastened, remove the match and wrap the thread tightly around it several times beneath the button to form a loop underneath.
4. Next, to further secure the button and prevent it from coming loose, try to thread the needle through the stitch you’ve made so that the loop is tightened around it.

Finally, insert the needle from above into the stitch you have created and secure the seam on the left-hand side of the coat. For example, you could make two loops, pull the thread through them and tighten it securely, or, in the traditional way, cut the thread and tie a double knot with the ends. All done!