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What detergent you use for Merino wool base layer?

EasternCanadaDiva

Certified Ski Diva
so, ladiess, it turns out it's not about the detergent I used. So I got a replacement. and I have wore it a few times, never washed it once, because I was afraid it will break.

Guess what, has developed a few holes already without ever being washed.

now I have a dilemma: Do I ask for a replacement for a replacement? I hate to ask. It's not funny. I don't feel really comfortable keep asking and getting things. or will they give replacement for a replacement? I hate not to ask either, because they are all defectives.

OMG, how can it really be? the replacement is directly from the manufacturer. really moth?

how come you people don't have such issue? for sure I will not buy icebreaker, despite I like the texture and feel of the pants. it just doesn't last.

why is this company not going broke? if people keep asking and getting replacement.

mostly I hate wasting natural resources because it's not good for the environment.
 

AJM

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
so, ladiess, it turns out it's not about the detergent I used. So I got a replacement. and I have wore it a few times, never washed it once, because I was afraid it will break.

Guess what, has developed a few holes already without ever being washed.

now I have a dilemma: Do I ask for a replacement for a replacement? I hate to ask. It's not funny. I don't feel really comfortable keep asking and getting things. or will they give replacement for a replacement? I hate not to ask either, because they are all defectives.

OMG, how can it really be? the replacement is directly from the manufacturer. really moth?

how come you people don't have such issue? for sure I will not buy icebreaker, despite I like the texture and feel of the pants. it just doesn't last.

why is this company not going broke? if people keep asking and getting replacement.

mostly I hate wasting natural resources because it's not good for the environment.
I personally stay away from Icebreaker there are much better brands out there. Try Mons Royale a much better product .
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I personally stay away from Icebreaker as I feel there are far superior merino brands out there such as Smartwool and Mons Royale also checkout Untouched World, I think they ship overseas and in my mind theirs is the best but it does come at a price. One thing I learned from working with Merino is that the "staple" of the fibre plays a huge part in how well it wears and performs. The "staple" is the length of the actual clumps of fiber used before it is spun, a longer staple will perform better than a shorter one so the ideal is for a longer staple to be used and of course that comes at a price. Our farmers here have to pay very close attention to this when they are shearing and sorting the wool as they get paid a premium for the longer staples.
Interesting. My Icebreaker tops feel much nicer and have held up much better than my previous Smartwool tops. Granted I had Smartwool like 10 years ago, and my Icebreakers are all well over 5 yrs old, so maybe their products have changed?

ETA: ended up with holes in all my Smartwool items, including the two pairs of leggings I have that I currently need to replace. Only Smartwool items that I haven't had hole issues with are my socks.
 
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tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
It is lifetime for socks and 12 months otherwise "We will replace your icebreaker garment within 12 months of purchase if it has been assessed and deemed faulty due to faulty fabric, stitching or manufacturing"

I don't have problems with their thicker layers (most of my stuff is 260-320gsm) but I believe they changed to nylon core for some of their other garments due to the difficulty balancing lightweight, finer-micron merino fabrics with durability (I think on the podcast they said they try to use 18.5 micron for base layers, but ran into durability issues with thinner base layers)

I have recently had some leggings replaced after they got a hole as I was pulling them on at what looked like a joining area (front crotch) of a "seamless" garment. Washed and worn for bike trail riding before that but only 3 months of wear! So at least they honoured it.
Maybe this is why? My icebreaker tops are all 200-260?
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
my unwashed but wore a few times pant is 260
Huh dunno then unless it's b/c mine are older and they changed their manufacturing processes? Or I just got lucky with the few tops I bought.
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Now I'm not upset I can't wear merino...
fwiw, I'm almost certain our holey clothing is caused by carpet beetle larva. it's been a recurring issue in our older home. apparently, they prefer smartwoold to icebreaker. must taste better. lol
 

WaterGirl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@EasternCanadaDiva is it only the Icebreaker products? what about any other wool items?
 

AJM

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Now I'm not upset I can't wear merino...
To be honest, even though its sacrilege to say over here in the home of Merino, I actually prefer my manmade base layers these days. I wear a brand called Eivy most of the time.
 

EasternCanadaDiva

Certified Ski Diva
@EasternCanadaDiva is it only the Icebreaker products? what about any other wool items?

I don't have carpet in the house, only kind of old hardwood floor.

I have no hole in any other clothing. only one wool base layer that's not from Icebreaker. it's from Mountain hardware, but it's not 100% wool, probably 70% or 50%. No breakage at all, very durable, but it formed tiny balls/lint in the fabric and not smooth and comfortable like Icebreaker. I do like the feel of icebreaker on my skin. I have a couple of tops/sweater that's wool, but they are very very thick stuff, so no holes
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
I have lots of Smartwool and Icebreaker and have been wearing for years. I think one tank top had a couple little holes....nothing else.
 

edelweissmaedl

Angel Diva
We have slowly removed all our carpet, but the beetles/larva can still live under baseboards, etc. I will never assume our house will be beetle free and pack wool in sealed containers off season because of it.
 

Bookworm

Angel Diva
I have an Icebreaker top that I love because it's orange and only 200 weight so I wear it for running in the fall. I wash it with this Bioclene (I think) for sports clothes.
I like Ridge Merino the best. Good quality for a good price
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
We have slowly removed all our carpet, but the beetles/larva can still live under baseboards, etc. I will never assume our house will be beetle free and pack wool in sealed containers off season because of it.
off-topic but our house is 1920, all hardwood/tile with a few area rugs. the carpet beetle larva are a real pain. i swear every year they take up residence in a new box in a closet or something and we only find the exo-skeletons down the road after the fact.

ETA: i should probably pack up our wool sweaters/base layers each spring also to protect them better
 

EasternCanadaDiva

Certified Ski Diva
Hi ladies, so how do I know if my house has moth/beetle/larva? yes, it's a house built in the mid 50's.

so they only eat wool and nothing else?
 

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