# How do you wash fleece?



## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

Our sheep were sheared a few weeks ago, so I've slowly started washing (when there's sunny weather, which isn't often lately!)

What's your preferred method of washing? I've read so many different ways, and Ravelry is full of pages and pages of info! My biggest question is what temperature do you use? I know lanolin melts at 110, so I've been trying to keep the temps between 125-135. Some people on Ravelry SIMMER their wool  I've read that temps TOO high will damage wool. Lots of opinions out there! :shrug:

Also, how does hard water affect the fleece? I'm trying to decide if I should cull one of the wethers, so I washed his fleece, and it just seems courser than what I'd like (compared to his last year). So I thought I'd made the decision, but... 

So today I washed one of the year-olds who's fleece I couldn't wait to try, and she is just not as soft as I thought she'd be (compared to how the fleece feels before washing!!) So I'm wondering if it's the hard water. DH has to add salt to the softener, so we'll see if there's a difference. 

I can't wait to see how this fleece turns out! She was gray, white, and brown last year, but unfortunately, her body turned all white over the winter. Here's her wool - you can see it's half white and half gray...









Here she is last year (she's on the left)









And here is she is after shearing - the gray is gone 









I can't wait to see how she spins up :bouncy:


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Hot water in a Rubbermaid bucket (i.e. out of the tap). Dish soap. Soak.

Remove fleece (if it's in a bag, yay, if not, lift it out by hand) and dump the water (outside is best if you can make it there without dropping the bin ... )

More hot water. Soak. Longer this time.

Dump the water as before.

Repeat until the water looks clear coming off the fleece. 

That's about it for technique at this house!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

That fleece looks so wonderful! Love that crimp!

And what frazzle said about scouring. I also find that judiciously skirting the fleece opening up the tips before you scour will take less soaks.

Each time you scour the same fleece, you can use less dish detergent.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

That's a beautiful fleece!

I've tried several methods, the easiest I've found is the clothes washer. Yep, sounds crazy, but it works.

I put the fleece in 2 laundry bags. then... 

Fill the washer, stop it, put in the fleece, let it soak about 20 minutes, then use the spin cycle to get the water out. If the fleece is real dirty, I wash twice.

Remove the fleece, fill with rinse water, put the fleece back in, let it soak, spin, repeat. If I had to wash more than once, I rinse 3 times, sometimes a 4th time.

I have an old trampoline under a shade tree. I lay out the fleece on it to dry. It works great since it gets air from top and bottom. 

My other option is that if the fleece isn't too dirty, I spin it before washing. It's so much easier to wash yarn than it is to wash fleece that is my preferred method.


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## IowaLez (Mar 6, 2006)

I have a front loader or I'd use my washer, but I always soak for a day or so in cold water with Orvus soap, first. I stuff the fleece into lingerie bags, and change the soapy water a few times, in a 5 gallon bucket. When I have dirt matted in the tips of the locks this seems to soften and remove the dirt the best. It falls to the bottom of the bucket. This also removes some of the lanolin, believe it or not.

When the water runs clear while rinsing, then I am ready to wash in hot water to remove any remaining lanolin. I use a low-sudsing, enzyme-free laundry detergent; since I am doing this all by hand I want it to be easy. The detergent cleans in one wash with only a 5-10 minute soak, and is easy to rinse out. I put vinegar in the final rinse water.

My wool comes out squeaky clean and still in lock formation, and it is relatively easy.


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

Nice fleece! I wash mine in the sink using hot water and Dawn dish soap. I wash and rinse a few times and then set it out to dry. Sometimes I ahve to go back and re-wash, but not often if I really soak it.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I agree with all of the above. There is also a link in the Stickies at the top of the forum, look in the 101 Sticky there is one on washing fleeces. Couple of things to keep in mind with all of the above. Don't let the water cool too much, always keep water about the same temp. Do NOT agitate in any way.

I have hard water too and I haven't had much of a problem that I have noticed. You an always add about a cup of vinegar to the final rinse water.


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

Thanks everyone - I'm on the right track, and after all of these suggestions, I'll be able to tweak what I'm doing. 

I use 5-gal buckets now, and I was very careful about keeping the water temp above 125, but I didn't add vinegar to the final rinse, so I'll try that. 

Also, the locks just become a jumbled mess, which I can pick them apart, but they just get 'messy.' I'll try putting them in lingerie bags, or netting, and soaking them that way. Thanks!

I would love to use the washing machine, but we have septic, and wooboy, that wouldn't fly!

The sheep are such a MESS that I could feed all of them for a WEEK with what I flick card out of them! We are slowly figuring out how to hay them for minimal waste and mess. I flick card each lock, which gets them pretty clean, then just spin the lock from the cut end. 

Here's what I've spun so far - not much, but I love it! I wish she would have stayed gray multicolored 










GAM - I am AMAZED at how much you get accomplished - spinning, dyeing, then sock knitting at the speed of light - phew! :rock:


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Washing often does result in locks becoming a 'jumbled mess'. This is what pickers are for. 

I have just recently had the opportunity to try out a Pat Greene picker and WOW what a difference. That thing opens up the fleece and knocks out more dirt and gunk than I would've thought possible, and in a very short time! I spent an hour at the picker and worked through an entire garbage bag (like, stuffed right up to the top so you couldn't tie it shut) of washed but stuck-together-fleece. The resulting stuff could be put through the drum carder, or used as-is for felting. Totally awesome.


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

Ooh, look at that pretty single.
Cannot wait to see it plyed. 

To be fair, I started that last project with a prepared roving. 
I knit pretty quickly, but that whole thing took a couple of weeks.

For me, it is all about the knitting. I can NOT wait to make something out of a newly spun yarn. 
I am *finally* being able to spin a decent sock yarn. It is still a bit heavier then most commercial stuff, but getting better.

I just keep practicing.


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

frazzlehead said:


> Washing often does result in locks becoming a 'jumbled mess'. This is what pickers are for.


Ok Frazzle - I need to know about this picker!!! 

I sit and flick card every single lock, and if a picker takes care of a whole garbage bag in an hour....  well, all I can say is I need to start saving! I really do love working with the fleece, but I've got 7 garbage bags full, with some still left over from last year :teehee:

GAM - I want to know how many other projects you finished in that same time frame! I think I need to practice more too - LOTS more practice haha!


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

This is the picker I was using.










It looks like a medieval torture device and if you are not careful you can REALLY hurt yourself. However, using it carefully isn't that hard: Stand at the table that supports the picker, left foot braced on the leg of the table. Hold the swinging piece with your right hand (I am right handed, you could reverse all of this) and DO NOT BEND YOUR ELBOW (wrap it with a tensor or vet wrap if you have to ... DO NOT BEND! Bending your elbow brings the cradle up next to your body - your boobs, to be precise - and you DO NOT want that!). Rock your entire body back and forth to move the picker cradle through its swing.

Using your left hand, stuff some fibre up through the gap. Don't let your fingers go above the cross bar, but that's easy, just use big piles of fibre. Don't let too much get snicked in at one time, or it'll snag, but push a bit up then swing the cradle, it'll snag on the teeth and get dragged through the curve of the picker and out the back side (we put a box on the opposite side to catch what comes out). Repeat for an hour and voila, the whole fleece is picked. 

There are also 'box carders' which are closed in and look less dangerous, though they may jam more easily and be harder to get unjammed. I jammed a few times with the Pat Green, I just had to slowly force it through the rest of the swing then reach under and carefully pull off the excess.

If you own sheep that have fleeces that need picking, GET ONE. I have Icelandics, mostly, and those fleeces don't need a picker (part of why I have them!) but for Down breeds and the like, this thing is awesome.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Also, do you have a drum carder? You _can _pick the tips open by hand and run the fibre through a drum carder two or three times ... though if you are processing a lot of fleece, ideally you wash it, pick it, then card it - you'll get the smoothest fibre prep that way.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I usually use my drum carder. I fluff the washed fleece up with my hands and then card it in the drum carder. The carder will get some of the VM out but not all of it.

Those pickers are nice but very dangerous, especially around children. They do come with a lock and key so they can be locked down when not in use.


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