Good Gear: Wonder Lint Fabric Shaver

True story: I bought my West Elm sofa two days before the Peggygate news broke.

After this essay from The Awl went viral in 2017, the world finally learned what so many disappointed customers knew: West Elm’s sofas kinda suck. (To their credit, West Elm decided to pull The Peggy from their store, and offered refunds to unsatisfied customers.)

My sofa (The Halsey) doesn’t suck quite that bad. It’s really comfortable, and so far the structure is holding up nicely two years in. But the fabric. Oof. It pulls and pills the way I imagine a pair of cashmere socks would if you wore them to walk barefoot across a football field covered with the itchy side of Velcro. I wish we’d ordered it in a tighter weave, but we didn’t. So my only salve is trying to treat and repair the snags and pills occasionally (usually right before somebody comes over).

I think I’ve figured out a one-two punch for taking out those snags, both with finds from Amazon:

Dritz 3-Inch Latch-Hook Knit Picker, $4

When there are big pulls in the fabric, I use this knit picker to pull them back through to the “bad” side. Because I can only access the fabric from the top side, it does require a little finesse (and lots of practice). If your sofa cushions have covers, it should be an easier task for you.

House of Wonderful Wonder Lint Sweater Shaver, $34

Once the big pulls are taken care of, the second and final step is just a pass with this fabric shaver. I use it most often on the sofa, but it’s also been great to use on my sweaters and coats at the start and end of the cold season. You just plug it in and work the business end over your fabric like a lawnmower.