How to get rid of the smell

spincrazy wrote

on Apr 2, 2009 4:12 PM

I am working with some mohair fleece that I got from a local farm.  It smells awful!!  I need to wear gloves to handle it because the smell is even hard to wash off my hands.  I have washed some (repeated washing with almost boiling water and dawn dish detergent).  The fiber is absolutely gorgeous when clean.  Has anybody else run into this kind of problem?  And what did you do about it?

Gwen Powell wrote

on Apr 4, 2009 3:14 PM

HI,

Since no one has addressed this for you, I will give it a try.  Protein fiber itself has a very mild aroma depending on the source.  When dog hair or goat or sheep--whatever smells, it is the oils, dirt, and other beastly things that are on the fiber.  Some of these are hard to get off.  If you spin the fiber up before you remove the order, it might never come out as it can be so tightly trapped in the twist.  If the aroma is still on your hands, my guess is that the offending smell is oil based.  You need to cut that chemical with something that cuts oil very well without damaging the fiber.  I strong vinegar or citric acid should do the trick.  Dawn is not going to cut that order out.  And, don't use boiling water, when it gets near to burning the hands, it is too hot for the protein fiber (imho).  I suggest using ivory liquid and then a strong vinegar rinse.  Let it soak in the vinegar (or citric acid) for 15-30 minutes, then rinse well.  Remember not to shock the fiber by changing the temperature of the water, either keep it always hot or alway cold but never back and forth between the two.

Let us know how it comes out.

Gwen Powell

spincrazy wrote

on Apr 5, 2009 7:08 AM

Thank you for your suggestions.   I tried the vinegar before your post.  It helped, but this stuff is pungent!  I am currently soaking some in water with lemon juice and vinegar.  I have considered just throwing it out and be done with it.  Maybe it just is not worth the effort!?  Then I remember that I spent $30 for it.  I guess I will just keep trying.  I am wondering why you say that the temperature of the water may be too hot.  When I dye fiber I bring it to high temperatures and the fiber doesn't get damaged.  Is it Ivory dish soap or laundry detergent I should try?  Thank you.  Laura

PENNYK@5 wrote

on Apr 6, 2009 6:46 AM

I had a similar problem and was ready to trash it. I used very hot water, near a simmer. Eventually I threw in a tablespoon of washing soda and regular clothes detergent with about a cup of dawn. Yes, I know. It's alkali. But I didn't leave it in long, fished it out and put into hot rinse water and I was done. Once I'd rinsed it well, and quickly, I threw in vinegar to neutralize it. It seemed fine, but mohair hasn't tempted me since. Maybe write to a mohair farmer website from the classifieds of Spin-Off. If anyone would know, they would.

Amy Clarke Moore wrote

on Apr 6, 2009 11:33 AM

I've heard that sometimes the fleece from bucks can be really, really stinky. I haven't encountered one myself, but I've heard tales. I'll ask my friend who raises goats if she knows of any remedies.

Amy Clarke Moore wrote

on Apr 6, 2009 1:50 PM

I consulted my goat-owning friend, Liz Gipson, and she consulted her goat-owning friend, Diane Kelly--and this is what Diane says:

The only mohair fleece that should smell is one of a mature buck. It is urine smell. Typically the worst of the smelly bits are skirted off.  I use a commercial cleaner that works really well for me. Eccoscour from Eastern Color and Chemical. It has citrus in it and smells great (at least to me). The lemon juice or vinegar rinse is good, too--same idea. You have to make sure to use enough detergent. Most people don't realize how much they need for something like this—be generous! And, everyone should try different soaps to see what works in their water. Depending on the hardness, acidity, etc., different things will work for different people--Dawn, Tide, Orvus, etc. Try different ones until you find what works for your water. It makes a difference. (Orvus used to be great for me at the old house--now I use Dawn and the Eccoscour.) Mohair is usually easier to clean than many sheep fleeces but you have to remember the oil on them is different than the lanolin on a sheep fleece.
 
Diane

Diane Kelly is Handwoven’s  Technical Editor. She watches over a herd of Angora goats and BFL sheep in Maryland.

spincrazy wrote

on Apr 7, 2009 11:22 AM

I got the smell under control on a small amount.  What finally worked was the lemon juice/vinegar combo and a new product from Dawn dish detergent called Dawn with odor control.  I saw that on the shelf and it sounded like just what  I needed.  The goat that it came from was an older buck.  So now I know that in general I will not purchase any more fleece from male goats or sheep.  Another lesson learned.  I considered using some washing soda but did ruin some fleece with it once so I am hesitant to try it again.  I still have 2 lbs to deal with.  I think I will wait until the weather is warmer and this can be done outside.  Thank you for all the great suggestions.  Laura

dtjacobson wrote

on Apr 7, 2009 2:33 PM

While ram fleece is more "aromatic" than ewe or wether, it's not nearly as bad as buck. I've spun ram fleeces, and the smell is gone by the time I'm finished scouring (in Dawn + very hot water) the fleece.

The single worst-smelling fleece I've ever dealt with was from a ewe lamb. I don't know what she had been doing before she was sheared, but her fleece was truly awful. I gave it a good soak overnight before scouring; it came out so fresh and clean you'd never guess it was the same fleece.

PatE17 wrote

on Apr 9, 2009 5:34 AM

For one pretty smeely fleece that I didn't have much luck getting the smell out of, I bought a commercial product - Unicorn Fiber Wash (at www.unicornfiber.com) and have been really pleased with the results!

bodica2 wrote

on Apr 28, 2009 10:30 AM

Yes - do not give up on rams - I got a wonderful 10lb Romney Ram fleece and it was just fine.  Well skirted of course.  It has no particular odor at all and I am very sensitive to these things.  Male goats are a whole other matter and I agree, you should never go near them unless you are insensitive to these things and can work through the extra cleaning.  This is a wonderful hobby, but once in awhile we should remember that we are not doing this to keep ourselves warm and alive through a winter blizzard.  It is supposed to be fun!  I just gave up on a terrible llama fleece I had made a big mistake in purchasing.  I realized that the effort I put in was never going to fix the defects in the fleece and that my time was valuable.  I have no problem working right from the fleece, but in the end, I expect a good product.  Actually, I didn't throw it out.  I put it through my picker and then threw it all into my new garden beds as a soil conditioner.  Pretty expensive soil amendment, but at least it is not going all to waste.  Eventually it will break down and release a whole bunch of nitrogen along the way.

Sheepcamp wrote

on May 23, 2009 8:19 AM

I use good old Orvis Cattle Shampoo, since I do production processing and a lot of Navajo Churro and Mohair, my best luck comes with very hot, but not boiling water, lots of Orvis and a cup of vinegar in each wash and each rinse.  I do about 30 pounds at a time and even some of the tremedously smelly, old male fiber comes nice and clean. Make sure there is plenty of water, per pounds of fiber so it is not packed into your sinks.    I lay it out on big screens in a shady area and let it dry naturally.   Be sure to skirt off all the britch as it most likely contains urine soaked fiber that contributes to the smell.    Rams and bucks particularly like to mark their territory and when surround by females in estrus, can become pretty raunchy.

Pam

KathyB wrote

on May 23, 2009 12:07 PM

Are you talking about the "wet wool" smell? Will it really go away?

Sheepcamp wrote

on May 24, 2009 7:49 PM

Actually, the wet wool smell will go away as soon as it dries,  in commercial yarn, that smell sometimes comes from either moth proofing or a chemical treatment of the fiber.  A nice freshly cleaned fleece shouldn't have any smell about it.  The smell that some refer to is either Ram (sheep) or Billy (goat)  kind of a rank, sweaty male smell that active males carry about them.  Old billy goat is about the worst in mohair and can be hard to get rid of

KathyB wrote

on May 25, 2009 11:16 AM

Thanks. I always worry that my gorgeous gifts are going to gross out the loved ones I have given them to.

ernie85017 wrote

on Nov 18, 2009 5:48 PM

Hi, newbie here,

This may sound too simplistic, but after SEVERAL washings with dawn in the bathtub (rinsing well with the hand held sprayer, several times between each wash), I do the final wash in a scented shampoo and conditioner. I last used Suave Coconut shampoo and conditioner.  Let it sit!  The conditioner also seems to add to the softness and "handle".

FWIW