Clean Fleece — Hudson Valley Textile Project

Clean Fleece is an initiative of the 501c3 non-profit Hudson Valley Textile Project. It fills a gap in the current local fiber processing supply chain by scouring fiber at a scale that matches the output of the growing network of sustainable natural fiber farms in the Northeastern US.

Hudson Valley Textile Project is seeking an Assistant Machine Operator, for a 30 hour weekly, part time position, 7 am to 1 pm Monday through Friday at their Clean Fleece facility.

Duties include handling, sorting and classifying wool prior to scouring, operating opening and scouring machinery, overseeing drying wool, and basic record keeping in tracking projects through the process.

No prior experience required and training supplied, but applicants should be comfortable around machinery and in loud environments. Some heavy lifting required. Must be 18 or older to apply. Please email Norah to apply.

Clean Fleece NY scouring services include opening, washing and rinsing, and drying animal fiber to prepare it for further processing. Additional skirting/sorting may be required prior to opening.

2024 PRICE LIST

SCHEDULE DROP OFF

The washlot minimum is 50 lbs of greasy fiber. A "washlot" is 50 lbs or more of a wool group that will be opened, scoured, and dried as a group, and blending within that lot will occur.
All fleeces should be skirted prior to arriving at Clean Fleece, unless prior arrangements are made.
Clean Fleece NY reserves the right to require additional skirting. Please, no fleeces with marking crayon or “show oil”.
All animal fibers are accepted. Colors may be mixed or separated into 50lb batches depending on preference.

Clean Fleece NY is a facility in Mechanicville, NY that provides wool (and other animal fiber) washing services for fiber farms, spinning mills, crafters, felters, carding mills, furniture manufacturers and more. Wool washing is also referred to as scouring.

Clean Fleece opened for business in Q4 of 2023 and is now accepting greasy (raw) fibers for scouring services from both Hudson Valley Textile Project members and non-members. Customers are encouraged to send in well-skirted fibers, but custom sorting is also available for an additional charge.

Get full list of services and prices here >>>

The project was conceptualized by HVTP members at the group’s first summit, and then subsequently researched by an HVTP Scouring Committee. Lack of access to scouring mid-size lots of fiber (100-1000 lbs.) was consistently ranked as one of the leading barriers to success or expansion and was viewed as the top priority need by members and the region at large.

Development of the Clean Fleece NY project was made possible by grants from FuzeHub - Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund for commercialization of manufacturing projects across New York State, the Workforce Development Institute’s initiative to support new manufacturing jobs, and the Empire Sheep Producers Association wool marketing and education program.

In addition, nearly $50,000 in private donations were received from the Hudson Valley textile community and from across the nation. Donations are still always gladly accepted.