Mum-of-four Brittany Balinski set herself the challenge of wearing the same wool dress for 100 days without washing it, explaining why she views the durable material as self-cleaning, despite what online critics may say
Woman wears same wool dress for 100 days straight to prove material’s benefits
A busy mum claims wool doesn’t need washing, even if her kids have urinated on it, and has now worn the same dress for 100 days straight to prove her point. Taking to TikTok, where she’s clocked up more than 50,000 followers, Brittany Balinski opened up a discussion about the versatility of wool and why she views the material as self-cleaning.
The 34-year-old showed followers the bedding she never washes, as well as the wool dress she wore every single day between December 17 2024 and March 26 2025, in a bid to change people’s minds about wool, and its “connotations of old ladies”. Unfortunately, mum-of-four Brittany has come up against some harsh criticism while championing the various benefits of wool, with some branding her a “tramp”.
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However, Brittany, who is also a “full-time barefoot shoe advocate”, hasn’t been deterred by some of the negativity she’s encountered. She first learned about wool’s “natural water resistance” while raising her children, Benedykt, eight, Sylvester, six, Otylia, four, and Olympia, two, “nappy-free,” instead relying on their “innate” ability to communicate “their toileting needs”.
Brittany explained: “If you allow your children to be nappy-free as much as we did, wool is a really useful tool to have around the house because of its natural water resistance.” She added: “They can wee on it, and if you are quick enough, you can literally pour the wee off. If it does sink in and gets wet, you simply put it on a line, and within an hour, all of that liquid has evaporated. That’s the beauty of wool that people completely disregard and disbelieve.”
Pointing out exactly why wool was a wardrobe essential for centuries, Brittany advised: “When cared for appropriately, wool does not need to be rigorously washed.” Although Brittany dedicates herself mostly to championing barefoot shows, she also uses her sizeable platform to celebrate all things wool.
In one video, Brittany gives followers a look at her woollen bedding, which includes a “huge sheepskin throw”, a wool duvet and pillowcase, and a wool mattress topper. According to Brittany, these cosy bedclothes help moderate her temperature at night and don’t require washing. She revealed: “You just hang them up, unless they’re soiled.”
Back in December, determined to prove her point about the wonders of wool, Brittany began her challenge to wear the same plum-purple wool dress for 100 days. She recalled: “I started without any thought, I didn’t plan to do it at all. I ordered the dress, and then I joined their Facebook group and saw that people talk about the 100-day challenge.”
After showing off her new frock in a TikTok video, Brittany mentioned the challenge to followers, and decided she wanted to go through with it. She said: “Then I was like, I’ve said that now, I might as well do it. The whole premise of the challenge is to demonstrate the versatility of wool.
“Wool isn’t really part of people’s wardrobe any more – it’s a historical fabric. It’s got connotations of old ladies and warmth.”
Each day, Brittany would take to TikTok to demonstrate she was still wearing the same dress, switching things up by adding a belt, layering beneath wool jumpers, or tucking into her jeans. Looking back on her challenge, Brittany considered: “I probably had one snotty-nosed child in the whole three months, and the dog jumped up and left paw prints, but mud just dries and brushes off.
“If that happened to a white cotton T-shirt, it would be massively annoying because you would have to wash it. But not with wool.”
According to Brittany, she mostly relied on spot-cleaning the dress before airing it out; however, she did clarify that she washed the dress four times over the course of the 100 days. When asked whether this undermined the purpose of the stunt, Brittany responded: “It wasn’t necessary. I just decided to because I had other wool clothes from the kids.
“It doesn’t need to be washed. It just needs to be hung and aired, and all of the odours and even the marks just disappear. People think I’m nuts.”
Addressing some of the more critical comments she’s had to contend with online, Brittany reflected: “I don’t understand how it shocks people because I’m not doing anything obscene, and I’m not doing anything weird. I’m just doing things with a very natural perspective. It’s about being more sustainable, mindful and minimalist – which is beneficial for your economic status too.”
And despite having worn the dress so often, Brittany is yet to tire of it. She shared: “Come the autumn, I’m sure I’ll want to wear it again.”
According to guidance from farmer-owned trade organisation British Wool, the natural oils and wax found on wool can help the durable material stay strong against stains and odours.
“Full-time barefoot shoe advocate” Brittany also keeps her children in barefoot shoes and has called upon the fashion industry to become more respectful when it comes to “comfort and function”. The mother-of-four became interested in “natural” parenting after becoming pregnant with eldest child, Benedykt, nine years ago.
Following a complicated hospital birth, Brittany and husband Damian opted for home births for their three younger kids, Sylvester, Otylia and Olympia. She said: “We did everything as naturally as possible. I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a hippie, but that’s the way I’m perceived now because I just like doing things more naturally than others.”
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