Do Microfiber Sheets Pill? - Their Benefits and How You Can Stop Pilling From Occurring

Comfortable and convenient — microfiber bedsheets are a key ingredient in the recipe to a healthy night’s sleep.

If you’ve splurged on an expensive mattress, why not treat yourself to a high-quality microfiber sheet to help keep it clean? Choosing microfiber will not only help to protect your mattress against stains, wear and tear, and excess moisture, but it may even provide you with an extra layer of warmth in the cold winter months! Unfortunately, like all materials used in the manufacturing of sheets, even ultra-soft microfiber may begin to pill over time.

We know that this can be frustrating, but it doesn’t have to mark the end of your undisturbed night’s sleep! In our handy guide, we’ll explore the benefits of using a microfiber sheet, and how to stop pilling from occurring.

What is Microfiber Made Of?

In terms of its construction, microfiber is a synthetic material that consists of polyester and polyamide as its base. As the name would suggest, microfiber consists of finely woven materials that measure anywhere between 0.5 to 1 denier in diameter. It is durable, soft, and absorbent, making it ideal for several uses including cleaning and furniture.

What is Pilling?

Pilling is the term used to describe the process of fibers breaking and tangling, resulting in small fiber balls (bobbling) or ‘pills’ that attach themselves to the fabric. It occurs when fabric slips out of the weave, causing it to rise up and stick out from the surface. Or, to put it simply, when any type of extreme friction takes place.

This is most frequently seen on fitted sheets near the foot of the bed, where frequent abrasive movement is more likely to happen. Even stubble from your shaved body hair has the potential to cause your sheets to pill!

That being said, no fabric is completely immune to pilling, especially if it has been subjected to abrasion when used or washed. In terms of sheets, pilling occurs far less frequently in fabrics with longer cotton fibers than it does with shorter fibers. As a result, materials such as silk and linen are typically more resistant to pilling, while materials like microfiber have been known to be far more susceptible if they aren’t cared for properly.

Advantages of Using Microfiber Sheets

Microfiber is well known for its strength, but there are also quite a few additional advantages to using microfiber as a material for your bed linens. We have listed some of the most prominent benefits below:

• It is very thin but is also extremely durable.
• Microfiber is exceptionally smooth and comfortable, ensuring a comfortable resting place for you.
• Microfiber is easier to wash, less likely to stain, and has a much faster drying time than your typical cotton sheet. This makes microfiber one of the most practical materials to use for your bedding, especially if you are very busy and don’t typically have the time to wait for your sheets to thoroughly dry!
• They have moisture-wicking abilities. No more worrying if you struggle with night sweats!
• Good quality microfiber sheets can be relatively budget-friendly.
• They are relatively low maintenance.
• Microfiber sheets are long-lasting. With the ability to withstand multiple washings, you can expect one microfiber sheet to last you at least three years before needing a replacement.

Do Microfiber Sheets Pill?

While there isn’t a specific answer to this question, microfiber is generally far less likely to pill than other materials, making it a great choice for your sheets! Though this may be true, you need to bear in mind that all fabrics do eventually pill. Thankfully, with the durability of microfiber being quite high, you won’t have to worry about this for at least a few years!

A sheet with lots of pilling can be a sleep lover's worst nightmare. In most cases, pilling is a result of low thread count. As mentioned, it’s a lot easier to obtain a microfiber sheet with a higher thread count since they don’t cost as much as some other natural bedding materials do!

Although microfiber bedsheets are far less prone to pilling, you have close contact with your sheets each day, so it’s no surprise that they may begin to pill more quickly if you don’t take care of them properly!

How to Prevent Microfiber Sheets from Pilling

There are a few key things you can do to reduce the amount of pilling that occurs on your microfiber sheets. Here are some of our top tips:

Taking Care: Properly looking after your sheets will help to prevent the cotton fibers from being able to pill. To prevent this from happening, you could also switch up the detergent that you would normally use. Maybe try one without chlorine bleach as this chemical is very likely to weaken the cotton fibers, resulting in more pilling, whereas a smaller amount of bleach-free detergent will aid you in maintaining the quality of your sheets.

Following Guidelines: We know this is a given, but it’s always great to follow manufacturer care instructions as precisely as you can! Many manufacturers will recommend giving your bedsheets room in the washer, so it might be a good idea to wash them alone. Also, over drying your bed linens, especially at high levels of heat, can result in the breakage of cotton fibers (pilling).

Using a Razor: If you find that your sheets are pilling around where you lay in bed, it may be time to pamper yourself and your bed linens by removing stubborn body hair! Your sheets will definitely thank you for it.

However, manually removing the fiber balls can be time-consuming and stressful. Truthfully, if this happens, you’ll probably be better off buying new sheets for your bed! That being said, you can use a flat razor blade to shave your sheets the way you would your legs or arms. If you work in small sections, you can easily remove the ‘pilled’ material!

Summary

Yes, it’s possible for Microfiber sheets to pill. But, if you follow the manufacturer’s advice and properly care for them, they are far less likely to do so! You can easily squeeze out two to three years of prolonged use from your sheets without needing to worry about replacing them.