What not to wear/wash? Say NO to fleece.

I do have several warm fleeces that i use all of the time but i will investigate the washing bag as i don't want to give them up.

Plenty of people are allergic to natural wool and cannot wear it, I'm in the other camp, I can't wear anything made of polyester and that of course includes fleece.

If all of us who can wear wool and down stuffed garments do so, then the pollution due to those who need fleece because they are allergic to sheep's wool will be less, I should think.

We need a biochemist or physicist to tell us how we responsibly can get rid of anything, these days, it seems.

If you've got fleeces then I say wear them! Chucking them out could cause more problems it would seem. We have to be sensible about this sort of scenario and not just jump on the proverbial bandwagon. This post has made me think for the future but I shall continue to wear my fleece in the meantime.

Personally, I find pure wool too hot, and cashmere is impossible as it’s so warm (I didn’t buy it, far too expensive, but it was a present). They both make me itchy, but I think it’s because I get so hot. Another layer underneath would make me melt!

All well and good if one can afford extortionate prices for pure wool, cashmere, and cotton.

Do those of you who say you can't wear wool expect to wear it next to your skin?

Asking because I don't like anything except the softest lambswool next to my skin but I wear woollen jumpers all the time with cotton tops underneath so there is no scratchiness.

Wow. Didn't know that about fleeces and yes, I am sure we all own garments created from a variety of man-made fibres.

We really are polluting the poor old planet from all quarters, aren't we? It's quite depressing. Has our education come too late? I feel really angry when I see pictures of all the plastic rubbish in the oceans. I am not sure we can educate everyone or ensure everyone has a conscience and a role to play in reducing waste. I suppose the best we can hope for is that everyone does their bit.

I can’t wear wool, I may as well wear wire wool as sheeps wool. So yes, I do have man made fibre clothes. But I am slowly replacing my faux woolies with bamboo, hemp and cotton. Fleeces are the worst man made stuff for giving up fluff in the wash, but I’m a mucky b**ger so don’t wash them very often. The trouble is they just don’t wear up!

Forgot disposable nappies as well.

Not giving up my fleece until wet wipes, cotton buds etc are all sorted. Love my fleece

If it applies to all man-made fabrics, I don’t think there would be many garments in my wardrobe (or linen cupboard) that won’t be contaminating the water. I only possess one fleece, which I wear in the house occasionally, but lots of polycotton, acrylic etc although many of my clothese are a mix of natural and man made fibres

Wash them less, find a wash bag. Throwing away does not really solve anything.

It's complicated isn't it? We have already made the plastic, so re-using or recycling it is an obviously good idea. But then the lightweight, warm, cheerfully coloured and non-going-grey white fabric causes issues when it is washed. My frail mother could wear fleece when everything else was too heavy. (We couldn't afford silk or cashmere!)

It's all about the Law of Unintended Consequences, which seems to govern most human activity. No one thinks beyond the immediate next step. I have spent the last 50 years trying to persuade people there is no 'away' to throw things into. I try not to get too depressed about it. At least we are aware and talking about it now!

I wear fleeces all the time when working out on the farm (am rubbish at washing wool sweaters). Anyway if the vegans manage to stop everyone ‘exploiting’ animals, there won’t be any wool to make sweaters from. It’s not viable to keep sheep for wool only as the wool price is so low.

Volunteering in a charity shop I wear a fleece over a t shirt as I have to unpack a lot of grubby books from bookbanks.
These then go straight in the washing machine as they wear & wash easily. So guilty but will not give up the fleeces until more is proved!

Some companies make it from 100% cotton.

I've known this for a while. Initially I was really happy to learn that fleeces are made from recycled washing up liquid bottles. Great way of recycling plastic I thought. Then I found out about the fibres being released every time you wash them and realised that plastic, once created never goes away. I've still got three ancient fleece jackets that I wear for gardening and don't want to dispose of them so will look into getting one if those wash bags and hope it works.
By the way, it's not just fleece, it's any man made fabric, polyester, acrylic etc.

Not all fleeces contain plastic. Patagonia have confirmed that theres don't.
Worth checking before you give up on them.

Oh dear. Guilty as charged and a houseful of fleece clothing. Wool is a total no no for me and finances dictate I cannot afford to get rid of my stock of fleeces. Looks like they will have to last me out and /or be replaced with cotton.

I did make a stand some time ago with winter duvet type coats when I found out that many of the feather linings are from feathers pulled from live birds This is done three or four times - resulting in great pain and infection - or until they no longer feather up or die.

I really don't like fleeces anyway but have two microfleeces for golf- once they have worn out I wont be buying anymore. I always remember Trinny and Susannah saying the only being a fleece looked good on was a sheep.

So we all give up our fleeces but the waterways continue to be poisoned by run off from fertilisers and industrial processes, what next? It would be good to know how serious a contaminant (is this a word?) these microfibres are in the grand scale of things. 40% of the fibres x how many fleeces = what per cent of the pollution? I think we need more information before throwing out serviceable garments and risk being told next that dry cleaning fluid, or fabric conditioner are equally harmful

Yes but wouldn’t the soil have a filtering effect? It has to go through a lot of soil before it gets to the water course. Even the bags don’t filter out all the particles.

Water in the garden will leech into the watercourse, definitely a no no.

Maybe wash fleece by hand and dispose water in garden?

NanaNancy, when you have discarded your fleeces what do you do with them.? I took this decision a couple of months ago but if I take them to the tip will they just be recycled?
Or put them into landfill? Will they break down into the environment there.
Is it like nuclear waste, there forever? I’d really appreciate some help with this. At the moment I have a pile of fleeces, little snuggly blankets, a dressing gown, even my little slipperettes. I didn’t realise I had so much fleece!