How to Wash Leggings (and Stop Them Pilling): Washing, Drying, and Fixing Fuzz

Wash leggings inside out in cold water on a gentle cycle, in a mesh bag, with no softener, and let them air dry: that routine keeps them smooth, stretchy and opaque for far longer. If yours are wearing out faster than they should, the steps below explain why, and how to take pills off a pair that has already gone fuzzy.

Leggings rarely die from a hole. The inner thighs go fuzzy, the seat turns shiny and slightly see-through, and the waistband stops snapping back. Much of that happens in the laundry: friction, heat and the wrong washing partners. A few habits fix most of it, and none needs special equipment. If you want the broader routine for everything in your gym bag, our guide to washing workout clothes covers shirts, sports bras, and outerwear too.

Why leggings pill and go see-through

Pills are small balls of tangled fiber that sit on the surface of fabric. They form when the ends of fibers work loose from the yarn and rub against each other until they knot. Anything that creates friction speeds up the process, which is why pilling shows up first where leggings take the most rubbing: the inner thighs, the seat, and behind the knees.

Four things do most of the damage.

Friction while you wear them: thighs rubbing, rough benches, sliding on equipment. Some of it can't be avoided, and it's why the same pair pills faster when you lift in it than when you walk in it.

Abrasion in the wash. The drum tumbles everything together, so leggings washed with towels, jeans or Velcro get scrubbed by coarser fabric for the whole cycle.

Heat. Hot water and a hot dryer weaken spandex (also sold as elastane or Lycra), the fiber that gives leggings their stretch and recovery. Weak spandex relaxes, the knit loosens, and a loose knit shows more skin when you bend.

Residue. Too much detergent, and any fabric softener, leaves a film on synthetic fibers that holds odor and makes the fabric feel slick and dull.

Opacity loss and pilling are related. As the surface fibers wear down and the knit relaxes, the fabric thins. Leggings that passed the squat test when new can start to show through at the seat after enough abrasion and heat. Our best squat-proof leggings guide explains what makes a knit opaque to begin with, and the care below is how you keep it that way.

Washing them, step by step

Always start with the care label. Most activewear labels recommend cold water, a gentle cycle, and line drying, but some brands are stricter, and the label is the only instruction written for that specific fabric. It is also the one the maker has to stand behind: the FTC's Care Labeling Rule requires it to cover washing, drying and ironing, to warn against any method that would damage the garment, and to be backed by reliable evidence. When the label and a general guide disagree, follow the label.

1. Wash them soon, but not too hot

Sweaty leggings left balled up in a gym bag give odor-causing bacteria time to settle in. Hang them to air out if you cannot wash them the same day, and wash them within a day or so. Waiting does not cause pilling, but it makes odor harder to remove, which tempts people into hotter washes that do cause damage.

2. Turn them inside out

Turning leggings inside out puts the lining side against the drum and the other clothes, so the outer face, the side everyone sees, takes less abrasion. It also exposes the inside, where sweat and skin oils collect, directly to the water and detergent.

3. Zip them into a mesh laundry bag

A mesh laundry bag keeps leggings from rubbing directly against heavier items and stops waistband drawcords from tangling around other clothes. Do not overstuff it. Two or three pairs in a medium bag is plenty; the water and detergent still need to move through the fabric.

4. Wash with like fabrics

Sort by texture, not only by color. Leggings, sports bras, and synthetic tops can share a load. Towels, denim, fleece, and anything with Velcro or exposed zippers should go in a separate load. Towels are especially rough on leggings because they shed lint that clings to synthetic fibers and they are coarse enough to scrub the surface.

5. Choose cold water and a gentle cycle

Cold or cool water is enough to clean activewear with a modern detergent, and it is easier on spandex than hot water. Pick the gentle, delicate, or hand-wash cycle so the drum tumbles less aggressively and spins more slowly. A shorter cycle means less time for fibers to rub.

6. Use less detergent than you think

Measure to the lower end of the dose line. Synthetic fabrics do not hold much dirt, and excess detergent that does not rinse out stays in the fibers. If odor is a recurring problem, an activewear detergent formulated for synthetics is an option, but the bigger win is usually using less of whatever you already have.

7. Skip fabric softener and dryer sheets

Softener works by coating fibers. On leggings that coating traps sweat and odor, and it can interfere with how moisture-wicking fabrics move sweat off the skin. Dryer sheets do the same thing through heat. Leave both out of any load that contains activewear.

Drying: keep them out of the dryer

The dryer ages leggings faster than anything else. The heat weakens spandex and the tumbling adds another round of friction.

Air dry them flat on a rack or over a hanger by the waistband. Synthetics dry fast, often within a few hours indoors. Keep them out of strong sun, which can fade dark dyes, and off radiators, which are no gentler than a dryer.

If you have to use the dryer, pick the lowest heat or air-only setting, keep them inside out and take them out while still slightly damp. Don't wring them; roll them in a dry towel and press if you want them to dry faster, because twisting stretches the knit unevenly.

For storage, fold or roll leggings in a drawer. Hanging them by the waistband is fine for drying, but hanging for months at a time can stretch the waistband, especially on heavier fabrics.

Taking pills off

Washing won't remove pills once they've formed, but you can shave them off if you work carefully. Stretchy knits are thinner than sweaters, so the goal is to remove the fuzz without cutting the fabric underneath.

1. Check the care label and fiber content. Very thin, sheer, or brushed "buttery" fabrics are the easiest to damage. If the leggings are expensive or delicate, be conservative.
2. Lay the leggings flat on a hard surface. Smooth out wrinkles so the fabric does not bunch into the blades.
3. Use a fabric shaver on its lowest setting. Most fabric shavers have a guard with adjustable depth or hole sizes. Start with the setting that keeps the blades furthest from the fabric.
4. Test a hidden area first, such as the inside of the waistband or the gusset seam allowance, before working on the thighs or seat.
5. Move lightly in small circles without pressing down. Let the guard glide over the surface and empty the lint catcher often.
6. Stop at seams and stretched areas. Do not shave over seams, and do not stretch the fabric tight while shaving, because a taut knit pushes up into the blades and can snag.

A lint roller or tape removes loose surface lint but will not lift tightly knotted pills. Avoid razors and pumice-style sweater stones on thin leggings; they cut or abrade the surface far more aggressively than a guarded shaver. And keep expectations realistic: removing pills improves how leggings look, but it cannot restore fabric that has already thinned.

If they still smell after washing

Synthetic fibers like nylon and polyester are great at moving sweat but are also good at holding onto body oils, which is where lingering gym smell comes from. Cold, gentle washes are kind to the fabric, but they are not always enough on their own to clear built-up odor.

If your leggings smell as soon as you start sweating, even straight out of the wash, the fabric likely has residue buildup. Cutting back on detergent and dropping fabric softener is the first fix. For stubborn cases, our guide to removing sweat smell from gym clothes walks through soaking and pre-treatment methods in detail, including the gentler options that suit stretchy fabrics. Our fabric guide to polyester, nylon, and merino explains why some fibers hold odor more than others.

How often to wash them

After every sweaty workout. Sweat, skin oils, and bacteria sit against the body in a snug garment, and letting them build up is what makes odor stick. For a pair worn for a short walk or around the house without much sweating, airing them out and wearing them again before washing is reasonable.

Rotating between two or three pairs helps too. Each pair spends less time in the wash, and fabric gets a rest between wears, which is easier on spandex than wearing and washing the same pair daily.

Care by fabric

Leggings are rarely one fiber, and the label will tell you the mix: FTC textile rules require each fiber to be listed by percentage of weight, largest first. Most are a blend of a main fiber with spandex for stretch, and the main fiber changes what matters most in care.

Brushed, ultra-soft fabrics feel luxurious because their surface fibers are raised, and those raised fibers are exactly what pills most easily. They need the most gentle care. The softness trade-offs are covered in our CRZ YOGA vs Lululemon and Lululemon Align vs Wunder Train comparisons, which are worth reading before you buy a pair you plan to wear hard. For the basic differences between cotton and synthetics, see our cotton vs polyester workout clothes guide.

Where This Advice Comes From

This is a care guide, not a lab or wear test. The routine above follows the conventions printed on most activewear care labels (cold wash, gentle cycle, no softener, line dry) and the fiber properties explained in this site's fabric guides linked throughout. Where brands give different instructions for a specific garment, the care label wins. Tools are linked as Amazon searches rather than specific products because we could not verify individual listings for this guide on publication day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you put leggings in the dryer?

It is best not to. High heat stresses spandex, which can make leggings lose stretch and recovery, and tumbling adds friction that encourages pilling. If you need to use a dryer, choose the lowest heat or air-only setting and remove them while still slightly damp.

Why do my leggings pill between the thighs?

That is where they take the most friction. Thighs rub together with every step, and that abrasion loosens surface fibers that knot into pills. Softer, brushed fabrics pill fastest there. Gentle washing slows it down, and a fabric shaver on a low setting can remove pills that have formed.

Is fabric softener bad for leggings?

For most activewear, yes. Softener coats fibers, which can trap odor and interfere with moisture-wicking. Skip it, along with dryer sheets, in any load with leggings, sports bras, or technical tops.

How do you get pills off leggings without ruining them?

Lay the leggings flat, use a fabric shaver on its lowest setting, test a hidden area first, and move lightly without stretching the fabric or pressing down. Avoid razors and sweater stones on thin knits, and stay away from seams.

Can pilled leggings become squat-proof again?

Removing pills improves the look, but it cannot rebuild fabric that has thinned from abrasion or heat. If leggings have become see-through at the seat, it is usually time to retire them to lounge wear.

The routine in one paragraph

Inside out, into a mesh bag, cold gentle cycle, a light dose of detergent, no softener, no towels or denim in the load, then air dry. When pills appear, use a fabric shaver on its lowest setting, lightly, on a flat surface, after a test patch. If the care label says something different, follow the label.