Wool Washing

Denise Jackson wrote

on Aug 18, 2009 4:09 PM

Shall we log in on the best washing methods for fleece?

What soap/detergent do you use? I'm looking for something other than Dawn.

Has anyone tried some of the woolscours?

I use mesh baskets. After the wash bath, I gently spray down the fleece before the vinegar bath. I've had no problem with felting. I wash in the locks.

sorcaress wrote

on Aug 24, 2009 3:30 AM

Hi Dawn

Wow, I just stick mine into hot soapy water in the laundry tub, or bath, depending on how much I want to wash and let it sit until cold, then rinse or rewash as necessary, then it gets thrown into spin the excess water out. And outside on a sheet to dry. It never felts. Only going from hot to cold water could make it felt, so I keep the temp the same as the previous water it came out of. I havent tried a woolscourer, have not needed to.

It depends on the dirtiness of the fleece as to what I use to wash it, and how I want it to end up. If really dirty I will use whatever washing powder/detergent/liquid I have on hand. If just mildly dirty, I use Lux soap flakes, or other wool wash. Sometimes, to keep some of the lanolin in and dirt out, I just soak it in cold water.

Linda

ernie85017 wrote

on Nov 18, 2009 5:59 PM

No expert here, but when I first cleaned a fleece I was FLOORED at how much MUD came out of it!!!!  I usually tear in in half and put one half in the bathtub and spray with the hand sprayer to get a lot of mud out.  Then lift it out after it drains a bit and put on a sweater rack while I make the hot Dawn bath.  After the bath, it gets rinsed with the sprayer again.  Over and over until it is as clean as I want. 

For small amounts, I put it in a mesh sweater bag and immerse in the kitchen sink, rinse with the kitchen sprayer, and hang above the sink to drip dry.  I have not had any felting so far.  Pretty good for a greenhorn.

Denise Jackson wrote

on Dec 10, 2009 3:24 PM

I've heard of some people using their crock pots to clean fleece; the same pots they prepare food in. ewww! Pardon the pun.

PLEASE use separate crock pots.

Considering the dung, urine, chemicals (sheep dip kills parasites), and soil that is in the fleece, I don't want them in my crockery. There are micro-fissures in the glazes. I used to be a potter. This stuff isn't plastic or metal. The bacteria and chemicals that get trapped in there cannot come clean in the dishwasher.

If some insist they are fine, please don't serve others from that pot.

sorcaress wrote

on Dec 10, 2009 9:55 PM

YUK! Not good. ALWAYS have a separate pot for washing and dyeing your wool - I wouldnt want to be the one to eat from that crockpot.

destiknit wrote

on Dec 11, 2009 5:27 AM

The first few fleece I purchased, I washed in the tub as many forums suggested (using Kookaburra) .  I did this for the last time this past summer.  I do not like the resulting misaligned fibers At.All. 

I then tried SpinningJenny's methods of washing in small batches, placing the locks in plastic bins, tying them down and covering with tulle. This method works much better but I have limited plastic bins and the bins I do own left quite a bit of water in the bottom.

I have resorted to hand washing locks individually.  Of course this method is time consuming but I am enjoying the process (so far) and I think the efforts are well worth the result: gorgeous, clean, well-aligned fibers and no felting at all.

I have had great results with both Kookaburra and Unicorn as a scour for greasy Ramboulliet and Cormo.  I would be interested in trying alternative methods and scouring agents.

ull2 wrote

on Dec 12, 2009 7:37 AM

Hi destiknit,

do you have any pics of the washingmethode in plastic bins and the tulle. It sounds great.

I am at the moment washing through this gourges gray fleece, unbeliefable beautiful and soft, washing 80 gramm at a time, the fleece has 1890 gramm...

Ull

Denise Jackson wrote

on Dec 12, 2009 9:29 AM

For me this is a long summertime activity. Earlier this week it was -20 deg F or around -30 deg C, Brrrrr.

I went to the Dollar Store and bought wire mesh baskets. You could also go to OfficeMax (or the like) and get stackable bins. I also bought buckets to stack my baskets about 2-3 high. Be sure to check size so they fit.

I take sections or locks and lay them flat in the baskets. The tule can be used to help layer: locks, tule, locks, etc. Sometimes I use it, sometimes I don't. I have a cat that likes playing with my tule, so I don't leave it around. If I'm in an industrious mood I stack properly. If I'm tired, I start stacking lazy. All that happens here is it makes it a bit tougher when it comes to combing. I stack the baskets and set them in the buckets for about 15 minutes. I use Kookaburra Wool Scour. Sometimes I use Dawn Dish Soap. (If you use your sink, be sure to disinfect afterward.)

How much in each basket? That depends on how tired I am. At the end of washing a fleece I put more in. I wouldn't fill the basket up. If I do smaller batches, the wool comes out cleaner. Just like the washing machine; if I cram it full, the clothes don't come as clean as if I divided it in 2 batches.

Depending on the fleece, I either rinse once or multiple times. A gentle fresh water rinse from the sink sprayer on the baskets doesn't hurt the wool. I've done fine and coarse and it all turns out fine.

I turn out the wool on Shamwow towels and wrap and step to squeeze. I then put them out on an outdoor screen to dry (southern exposure). I have quite a few birds outside during the summer (fewer insect pests - I don't need to spray my trees) and so put towels over the drying fleece so I don't need to re-wash.

I use a dog comb or flicker to remove the vm and weak tips and butts. I can either spin straight from the flicked locks, comb, or card. If I get behind, there are two mills here in MT that I trust to process my fleece properly, but that is expensive.

d jack wrote

on Dec 12, 2009 5:17 PM

When I had a functioning greenhouse, I would put the dirty fleece in a bucket, add cold water and let it soak. Later, the manure water was used to water plants in the greenhouse. If the fleece was extra dirty like some that come from a farmer who is raising his sheep in feed lots, etc. then the soak would be done over a longer period of time with several water changes. Then the water was squeezed from the fleece. I would fill the washing machine with the hottest water available, add Wisk laundry detergent and agitate it a bit to mix it into the water, then I would put in the wet fleece if presoaked or dry fleece if it didn't need the presoaking. I would let if set in the machine until the water had cooled a lot. Then I would spin out the dirty water. If the fleece felt and looked alright then I would fill the machine with cool water. Sometimes I would leave the fleece in the machine after spinning the water out and let it fill with cold water. I would swish the fleece around with my hand to help with the rinsing. The extra fine fleece like Cormo and some of the others, I would take the wool from the machine to fill the rinse water. Cormo and Merino types often needed to be soaked a second time in the soap because of the extra grease,etc. There was little disturbance of the locks so that many were still intact. I have a triple pick that I use on the coarser wool but found that it was too rough on the Cormo, etc. I also have a Super Card which I use to card the wools and do the blending when I want to do wool and silk, or wool and hemp, for instance. I have also done wool and cotton. the Cormo wool blends beautifully with cotton. I have done the flick carding of locks and spun from the locks. I have also used the combs with good luck, especially on the longer wools. I had a machine that I used exclusively for washing wool. Hopes this helps. I enjoyed reading about the care that others give their wool while washing, etc. If the wool isn't prepared well, then it is very difficult to spin and get a good yarn. Felting is another situation and can use some of the lesser quality wool. To dry the wool, I had a screen door that I put up on boxes on top of a bed (unused at the time!!!) and would spread the wet wool on that. The spinning in the washer left the fleece nearly dry. My picker was nearby in case I wanted to use it to loosen the locks before putting them through the carder.