Customer Reviews

Sweater Stone

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Much of my clothing were starting to get pills, so I was desperate to find something, anything, that would remove them- as otherwise, I would have to spend a good deal of money on a new wardrobe.

I tried peeling them off with tape, and rolling them off with lint rollers. These only removed a few superficial lints- the stubborn pills remained. I tried using a vacuum shaver. The shaver worked on some types of fabric but not others, but left holes in all of them.

Resigned to buying a new wardrobe, I brought the SWEATER STONE not really expecting anything. To my delight, it actually works!

I would not say my clothes look like new, but they look much better. Be warned, though, if your garments are full of pills, or if you are very particular in wanting to remove as many of the pills as possible, shaving with the sweater shaver can awhile. I sometimes spend a couple of hours with one very pilly shirt. But this is still far less than the time it would take to remove all these pills with my fingers (the only other method I know that really works- I also spent hours with all the other methods I describe above but they never did end up working.) Furthermore, shaving with the sweater stone leaves my garments with a fresher look than picking with my fingers as it removes a good deal of fuzz as well the pills.

A point to note however is that the SWEATER STONE is rather messy. Unlike vacuum shavers which include a collection place for the pills, and lint rollers/tape in which the pills stick to the roller/tape, the pills simply fall all over your table/floor when using this device, along with crumbled bits of the stone itself. I recommend shaving with the SWEATER STONE on top of newspapers away from fans, wind, etc. Or, be prepared to do a bit of cleaning up afterwards.

So, all in all, not a perfect product, but I am quite satisfied.

To get an even fresher look, use a lint roller or lint brush after using the sweater shaver to remove any overlying lint/fuzz that remain after using the shaver.

I am actually writing this review based on using the sweater stone my mother bought years and years ago. After moving away from home, I missed hers so much I am buying my own. Just gently rub it across the surface of pilled fabric, and it restores a smooth newer look. This works much better than any sweater shavers I've tried and will last for years with no batteries required. Consumer Reports also gave it a "Best Buy" rating.

I will add that it does have a slight odd odor while you use it, but that does not affect the clothes. You also will want to use a lint roller to collect pills and lint once you're done. I've had one synthetic stretchy sweater it didn't work on, but it's been great on most things, including pilly sheets.

These stones restore almost any fabric. They work so well on fleece, wool or even the most delicate of fabrics. Anything that pills will be restored to knew. I honestly just wish I had learned about these sooner

I have been fighting with pills on various articles of clothing for years. I have tried various methods, but nothing really worked that well. Someone told me about pumice stones, so I did a little research. I discovered the Sweater Stone on Amazon and elsewhere, but decided to just go buy a pumice stone at the drug store.

I found a small one and was able to get the pills off of a pair of Champion sweatpants. They are the worst. They start pilling almost immediately and never stop. But it was small and difficult to get at the right angle. It I was not careful, I would get the leading edge too close to the fabric and it would dig it.

I used that stone for several weeks (those Champion pants are an endless source of pills). Every time I used it, I had trouble getting at just the right angle.

I decided to try the Sweater Stone. When it arrived, I noticed that it had a different feel. The one from the store was gray and oddly shaped. The Sweater Stove is perfectly rectangular. It has a cardboard cover that makes it easier to hold. The shape is also better for de-pilling. The drugstore stone has an irregular shape that was difficult to use and it was too narrow to get a good grip on.

I really like the plastic case. The drugstore stone leaves grit on the shelf. The Sweater Stove case keeps things much tidier.

Be sure to use it outside or where you will be vacuuming. As someone else said, it is messy. It produces a lot of lint and grit. I do mine on the back patio. I sometimes do it on the ironing board where I can get the fabric tight. Then I vacuum the floor.

There is definitely a technique to using the Sweater Stone. It didn't work that well at the start.

The fabric needs to be fairly taut. Secure one end and brush gently from that end. Lift the leading edge of the stone up about 10-20 degrees. Do not let the leading edge contact the fabric. Brush fairly lightly. If you push hard, you will be taking more than pills. Try to skim them off the surface. I suggest practicing on sturdy fabric, like my sweatpants. I would be willing to rent them out. The stone does become clogged or loaded. When this happens, it will start leaving loose pills and lint behind. I just pick the accumulated fuzz of the stone every 8-10 strokes and then it cleans perfectly.

The Sweater Stove could come with better instructions. Mine had none at all.

Bottom line: This thing works. I was very skeptical, but I am now a convert.

And I have developed less of a hatred for my Champion sweatpants. I came close to tossing them several times, but I hate to waste anything. Now I can clean them up in a jiffy. They don't stay cleaned up, but at least I am probably wearing them out more quickly, and then I can throw them out with a clear conscience. ;-)

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the sweater stone...there is NO other product on the market that even comes close to this stone!! I've owned it for a few months now and have used it a million times. I can honestly say this little stone has improved my sales! I run an online eBay store where I sell very nice, previously worn & awesome vintage clothing. I stand behind every item I sell and give refunds for any reason, which means I have to be completely confident that everything offer is in excellent condition! In the past I would often find awesome clothes that were perfect in every way except they had too much piling. Before the sweater stone I would pass them up but now I'm able to buy these items, bring them home and gently use the 'stone' to revive their appearance to nearly 'new' condition. I'm then able to list them on my site with confidence that others will love them too (have yet to have had one returned)!
The sweater stone is not just for sweaters! It can literally be used on most any type of material, knit tops, pants, skirts, t-shirts, cotton, some polyester, etc to remove the piling that occurs from wear & tear or laundering (do not use on any type of material that snags i.e. silk, rayon, beaded, sequined, etc). Works great on those super soft, knit tops, dresses etc (like jersey knit) that begin looking shabby after one too many washes.
PRECAUTIONS: 1) A gentler touch is better 2) There is a technique to using on 'thinner' material; Practice first on something you don't care about 3) Works best if the material can be held taut - having a 2nd pair of hands is helpful 4) DO NOT place the item you're 'stoning' on a hard or bumpy surface, Lay it on something soft with a little give (like a bed) 5) Always place padding between buttons, zippers etc. CAUTION: if your sweater stoning a spot that has an unprotected button, snap, zipper etc underneath there's a GOOD chance you'll rip a hole in the material! These are all 'lessons' I learned by making mistakes-it may sound overwhelming but it's not! Once you get the technique down you wont be able to stop...it's sorta addicting!

I bought it not expecting much, and it turned out to be fabulous. I've pulled several cashmere sweaters back out of my clothes that were going Goodwill since I got this. Doesn't only remove pills--removes the general fuzziness cashmere gets after a couple years. I absolutely love it.

I bought this last year hoping to improve the looks of some of my wool sweaters. I found the stone to be hard to use. It didn't pick up very many of the pills. I think I was more effective picking the pills individually with my fingers. It also left a great deal of stone crumbs embedded in my nice sweaters. Most of the crumbs fell out when I shook the sweater but I still had to pick a few out. In conclusion, I'm still looking for a better method to remove pills from my woolens than picking with my fingers.

Having spent most of my life as an impoverished graduate student, I've only recently begun to buy clothes that cost more than what you find on the sale rack at Target. As such, I was quite dismayed when my expensive new clothes promptly started to pill... especially along my side where my computer bag consistently rubs back and forth. Since these were also relatively delicate items (e.g. camis and brushed silk shirts), I was nervous about what kind of de-piller to use, but after reading positive reviews about this product (along with a few rather negative ones) I decided to give it a try.

I love it! It's true that it does not magically restore your clothes to pristine condition without any effort on your part. But, seriously people, it's a lot less effort than what it takes to earn the money to buy a new item of clothing! I might say it works better on those smoother, more delicate fabrics... for your heavy sweaters an actual pill shaver might work better. I agree with another reviewer who said that the best advice is to use the stone, then give it a once over with a lint roller to pick up any loose bits left behind.

My favorite use so far, though, was on my bed sheets. My sheets match the whole bedding set, so it was very frustrating when just the fitted sheet started to look really worn in one spot. Think saggy, threadbare boxers. But I just spent a total of about three minutes running over it with the stone and then a lint roller and now it looks great again. Phew! I was thinking I'd have to buy a whole new bedding set. ;)

In sum, more than worth the $7 you'll pay for it. Quit complaining about having to put a little of your own effort into it!

As someone who worked in a Drycleaner I can say when used right this product works wonders. This is what most drycleaners use when processing a sweater to remove pills. It took a little getting used to to learn how to use it right. It is best to use quick light strokes in a singular direction, that removes pills quickly and with the least damage to fabric. Yes the stone does flake as you use it and where that is a downside, it is still better than paying a bunch of money to have a drycleaner to use the same product.

And yes farbic that has started to pill will not stop doing so, no matter what you do. The pilling is caused from small breaks in the fabric natting together.

These Sweater Stones are great. They don't eat holes in your clothes, they're never out of batteries, and they are extremely effective. I use one on my wool coat to take off the pills and dog hair and it works great. They last a long time. The only negative thing about them is that they give off a sulfur smell when you use them, but it dissipates quickly with no residual smell.