# Cleaning hand carders



## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

Not knowing that I had "lousy" fleece, I cold-washed then carded and spun a few rolags last night (UGH!!) :sob: I did find a few lice in the washed fleece, so stuck those in the barn freezer and vacuumed my spinning area thoroughly! (AND washed my sheets and every possible thing that came in contact with them) :badmood:

I unwound the little bit I had spun, and checked carefully with the magnifying glass, and no little creepy-crawlies, so they must have all fallen out with the carding. Next time I won't be so impatient, and check out the fleeces carefully! Wow have I learned this year!!!

I picked out all of the fleecey bits in the hand carders, but should I disinfect them with alcohol? I wasn't sure what was safe...


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

Ohmygoodness. I think you should calm down.  

The lice cannot possibly contaminate everything. They live on live sheep. 
I think your carders will be fine. If it is really freaking you out, you could put them in the freezer too.


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

haha gam - I didn't even think of the freezer, that's how freaked out I was/am! Thanks for the reality check 

breathe in... breathe out... assume yoga position


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## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

lice are species specific, sheep lice can live on you, and cant live with out a live sheep, but the freezer is a quick kill, cause they can crawl and bite on you


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## Mrs. Homesteader (May 10, 2002)

I agree with Jerseygurl. Lice are species specific, so you will not be getting lice from the sheep or the fleeces. They will need a live sheep to continue to live.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Breath, they will die without their host- SHEEP, live, sheep at that


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

I understand your freak out, I bought a fleece out of Madras, OR. It was full of ticks, I was so freaked out and EbGb'd that I left it laying in the yard until my husband came home and bagged it up for me.
I sent it back to the woman, she said the ticks must have entered the fleece after I got it...the Valley has some ticks but NOT that many, and my fleece didn't take a walk through the woods once it got here...sheesh!


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I understand, ticks,lice,spiders, they all totally gross me out. I'll never get over it, no amount of reasoning can keep me from freaking out.


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## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

I have a completely irrational fear when it comes to creatures that want to suck my blood including lice, ticks and the phlebotomist.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

WIHH I have one in a week. I'll think of you tomorrow morning. I have tiny veins and they always collapse them on me. They always remind me to drink plenty of water before my appointment.


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

Marchwind and WIHH - I have this picture in my head of both of you giggling maniacally as the white-coated creature approaches you, blood-sucking instrument in hand... 

(sorry - couldn't resist haha - good luck!)


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

I have to share a lice story - we had just moved to our current town (15 yrs ago), and the 4 of us went to a local amusement park. We were standing in line, when I noticed something crawling in DD(then 8) hair. YUP - the dreaded lice! We had only gone on 2 rides, and we hustled those kids out of there so fast they didn't know what hit them! Of course, you know the routine - wash and comb, vacuum, launder, bag up the stuffed animals, etc etc etc... (that's probably where the paranoia came from). Little did I know that lice know no bounds, and was mortified that I had to tell the school that the "new" kid had lice!

We had been to a local county fair where they went into the "Moon Bounce" - for the last 15 years we have called them the "LICE PITS" and refused to let our kids in them! Who knows if that's where she picked them up - but it freaked us out haha!


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## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

Marchwind said:


> WIHH I have one in a week. I'll think of you tomorrow morning. I have tiny veins and they always collapse them on me. They always remind me to drink plenty of water before my appointment.


 I have the opposite going on, nice big fat veins that just sit there. Years ago, I actually had a lady that was complimenting me while she was _petting_ them. While I understand that this is a dream come true, it doesn't exactly put me at ease to have you looking at them like they're juicy t-bones. LOL 

Sorry WIHH, wishing you a fantastic phlebotomist! One with a feather light touch and a sunny disposition.


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