# FSV or FSM to wash wool!!!!!!Great results



## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

I had read a number of posts on Raverly about the FSV or FSM same thing just different names, method of washing wool. A rubbermaid type tub of rain water some tulle or plastic screen I got a bunch of it called easy screen at the local habitat for humanity store cheap) and you are set, leave it out in the sun for a week or so I left mine for 9 days. This fleece turned out amazing, better then 3 hot water washes and 3 rinces on the same fleece. After the first fleece you save the fermentation bath and reuse it 2nd time the fleece needs 2 or 3 days. Even the nasty tips are clean. My only problem now is that I only hand washed a 5 gallon bucket at a time before and now I need more drying space. 

WARNING: while this gives the fleeces an extrodinary wash this is a project that MUCT be done outside and perferably a DISTANCE from your house IT STINKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Links would be helpful.


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

Sorry brain Dead today while I was typing I actually thought about posting links then I forgot.

This one has a lot of great info in it.

http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/fiber-prep/1092857/1-25

This one is a really long thread 

http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/fiber-prep/685730/1-25

This thread is about certain type of fleece but has FSV pictures click the underlined links they are not blue so just look for the underlines

http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/raw-wool-lovers-unite/984765/1-25#19


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Fermentation Suint Methood

Suint = sheep sweat. 

Somewhere in all that, I found this nice blog which talks about it some more too.
You are forced to look at other fiber pics for a bit, but just keep scrolling down. 

http://mozfiberfun.blogspot.com/sea...-max=2010-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=23

luvzmybabz, does it actually get the lanolin out?

It looks like the results have been mixed on that.
One lady still washed her fleece in hot water several more times,
which (to me) defies the purpose.

How did yours do? can you spin it 'as is' or did you do more to it?


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

It depends on the lanolin content of the wool, High lanolin content = hot water wash, I have some dorset columbian cross and was planning on at least 1 wash but not thinking I will need to going to test some of it tomorrow on a quasi comb and hackle and see. I will post pictures of some that I did 3 washes on and some from the FSV not washed yet tomorrow they will not be great pictures cause the I don't know monster unplugged my card reader and lost it ( do any of you have these at your house).

The secret to this is the first fleece should be yucky nasty lanolin greasy stinky, but mine were noot thast bad and did great.


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

I started a FSV about 2 months ago, with a variety of greasy fleeces I had picked up at MD S&W. It worked well, although the fleeces still had some grease in them. I fogot about the second batch for 6 weeks, and I'm still processing that...
http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/fiber-prep/1212729/1-25#14

I saved some rainwater Saturday, and I'm going to start another batch today. It seems to me that your hot washing time is reduced (maybe not eliminated though). But, I'm very new to this and I messed it up big time haha!


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

PKBoo said:


> I started a FSV about 2 months ago, with a variety of greasy fleeces I had picked up at MD S&W. It worked well, although the fleeces still had some grease in them. I fogot about the second batch for 6 weeks, and I'm still processing that...
> http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/fiber-prep/1212729/1-25#14
> 
> I saved some rainwater Saturday, and I'm going to start another batch today. It seems to me that your hot washing time is reduced (maybe not eliminated though). But, I'm very new to this and I messed it up big time haha!


I just realized I replied to your thread on raverly


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

The I-Dont-Know Monster. Yes, elusive creature.
Him and his friend, Itwasn'tMe. Those guys were here and 
one of them didn't put the lid on the pickles yesterday.
Making room for a watermelon and bowled that jar over in the fridge. 
Eggcartons soaked with dill brine, the easy way to pickling eggs?


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Fermentation is an amazing thing. Some people are claiming that this method
really gets the wool cleaner. Like many shades whiter! than soap and water.
I think it is more THAT then 'easier'. 

I suppose it is like any other ferment though, it would depend on the particular 
group of enzymes/ bacteria/ yeasts in the 'brew'.
Which could be why a well-aged vat that has contained many fleeces would work better than the 'first dunked' one.

It is an interesting idea, and I can see how it developed. 
If I had left a fleece in my wheelbarrow lastnight....I would be well on the way to trying this right now. LOL.

I dont have a shed full of fleeces to test it on, so the neighbor's noses are safe for now. :gaptooth: 

I would love to hear more from anyone else who has tried this though. 
I am not scared of stenchfulness.


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

Apparently, in the fermented suint vat, saponification occurs --> a chemical reaction in which soap is made. Sheep sweat (suint) contains potassium salts, and that supposedly reacts with the lanolin (the "fatty" component) and forms a "soapy" solution. But the solution doesn't form soap bubbles; just a powerful cleaning agent that cleans the fleece. 
That's my understanding anyway :huh:

ETA: you're supposed to start with rain water because hard water with lots of minerals in it interferes with the saponification process. And the first fleece to go in should be a "greasy" fleece to get the 'soup' started so to speak :shrug:


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

Science teacher, yes, chemist  NO haha! That's why there's all those disclaimers "apparently" and "supposedly" in there 

WIHH, it sounds like the FSV might be a great experiment for you, if you have all those fleeces to wash :bouncy: Do you have any rainwater? I just use netting from the fabric store and layer the fleece in a bin filled with rainwater. Then just "set it, and forget it!" It should cut down on the wash time then. The first batch should sit for over a week (if you use your greasiest fleece), then the time is shorter for the next batches.

I now own the "Queen of Set It & Forget It" title - left fleece in the FSV for 6 weeks, and have had celandine fermenting in glass jars for 2 months  I'm going to try dyeing with it tomorrow - I wonder what that will smell like???? :lookout:
Just not enough time for all these fibery pursuits...


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

I went to the dollar store and bought a 10-gallong storage bin and put it under the rainspout - it was filled before I knew it! I got 2 yards of netting for about $1.50/yd at the fabric store, and just fold it back and forth, laying the fleece in before folding it over the fleece and adding another layer. The first bin I used was filled about 3/4 of the way with rainwater. 

It's raining today :clap: so I'll try to get some pictures later. I'm going to set up 2 more bins as soon as I can get to them. I WILL be covering them with screens before putting the lids on though - yuk to wrigglers!


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## Mrs. Homesteader (May 10, 2002)

PKBoo said:


> I got 2 yards of netting for about $1.50/yd at the fabric store, and just fold it back and forth, laying the fleece in before folding it over the fleece and adding another layer.


Not sure if this would work or not, but I have found for draining dairy products that sheer curtains are wonderful. You can usually find them cheap at garage sales or thrift stores. I wash them well and then cut and use. Just a thought.


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

Marci - does the liquid drain through the sheer curtains easily? When you lift the fleece out of the smelly solution, you're supposed to drain the liquid back into the vat to re-use. If liquid drain easily through the sheers, they would be great to use!


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

PKBoo said:


> Marci - does the liquid drain through the sheer curtains easily? When you lift the fleece out of the smelly solution, you're supposed to drain the liquid back into the vat to re-use. If liquid drain easily through the sheers, they would be great to use!


And the shorter the time standing over this vat of fermentation the better. Just trust me on this one!!!


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## Mrs. Homesteader (May 10, 2002)

PKBoo said:


> Marci - does the liquid drain through the sheer curtains easily? When you lift the fleece out of the smelly solution, you're supposed to drain the liquid back into the vat to re-use. If liquid drain easily through the sheers, they would be great to use!


Yes, they drain well.


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

One of the women I have been talking to says she puts about 3 lbs of fleece in her totes. I would worry about the metal , I have a really great HUGE ice cheat that I was going to use but was afraid because it is lined in metal. They say to reuse the same yuckyness over and over again until it is almost sludge-like I will not be using it that long though. I prefer that the fleece has a bit of room to expand in the tote to me it has cleaned better ( take this with a grain of salt I have only completed 3 of these my 4 and 5th are going in today hopefully)On the amount of water I would err towards more is better as you will lose some of the ick with each bathe and need to replace.


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

I have done this with several fleeces this year- left them out in the rain water for 2-3 weeks. The only problem I had was when we had a few hot days in a row, some of the fleeces had mold on them- yuck- so had to throw that bit out. (not much, top layer, use them to mulch raspberries) Like mentioned above- some of the lanolin was still in after washing. Was so much easier to wash that fleece in some hot water, with most of the dirt out. I did not use a sheer, or tule- the fleece kind of sunk after the fermentation, and just dumped the filthy water out (in the garden, great fleece tea!) I also used 5 gallon buckets, rather that purchase something. Was easy- though, I did have people looking out my back window at the buckets lining the roof say "WHAT is in those buckets???" 
Oh, I used our hard well water to start with- then put them where the rain would come off the roof into the container. No problems- except the mold. (about 2 out of 10)


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Yep! Kind of like sourdough, kefir, crock brined pickles..... It goes through a fermenting process..... it gets worse before it gets better sort of thing. I did notice that when it's "done" the fibers seperate much easier= I jumped the gun the first time and stopped too soon, said to myself, this is not working! after a week- left the next one in a second+ week, and what a difference. The lanolin and yuck that was holding it in one piece has "disolved" for the most part. I used a wire basket from an old freezer as a strainer from one bucket to the next- get an old wooden spoon, or broom handle, or gloved hand- plop the stinky mess in the strainer (holding my breath) then leave it for an hour or so to drip, then into a bucket of fresh water. Have not read the Raverly way, but that is what worked here! Fresh water rinse 2x, or till clear, then, if I wanted more lanolin out, washed that much cleaner fleece in hot soapy water. (just squirted dawn in an empty 5 gal. bucket with hot water, add fleece- no agitation) I now have a guest/craft room with clean fleece- rather than stinky. Hurray!


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## meganwf (Jul 5, 2005)

Woa. This is totally rocking my world! Now if I could just get that darn rain barrel set up...

Wonder how it works with fine fleeces like Cormo. I would be afraid to try it!


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

WIHH - I started a new vat yesterday, and took pictures, so I'm off to upload pictures. I have to use the other slooooooowwwww computer, so hopefully I'll be done before tomorrow


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## Nellie (Oct 18, 2006)

Oh man, so I wish I knew this when it was raining nonstop LAST MONTH!! LOL I think I have somewhere around 6 or 8 fleeces to process.... I was waiting until summer to wash them up, now I'll have to wait until fall, heheheheheh


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