Cleaning Sheep wool

RSS
Email

0 Kudo

Forum Jump

Author	Comment
Wulf16	Cleaning Sheep wool	Lead	[-]
Posts: 143 (04/10/09 5:32 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tags : None Someone I know has some sheep wool that she's using as a rug. She bought it at a regular store, so it's most likely commercial tan of some sort. Does anyone know the best way to clean it? I imagine it shouldn't be thrown in the washing machine. : ) "Do not be bound by the limits you place on yourself. It is only when you reach beyond what you think you can do that you will almost surely do far more than you thought you could." ~Chiungalla, A Sorrow in Our Heart
Quillsnkiko		#1	[-]
Posts: 2041 (04/10/09 8:27 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	some.... sheepskin can be thrown in the washer on gentle cycle ..no hot water ..and spun dry in the washer... then hung up to dry on the line.. most can be washed by hand in a bucket or barrell and drip dried. any of them .... when dry tumble on no heat with some fabric softner sheets. If the sheeps wool is real long one may have to brush it out afterwards. " You can't stop the waves .... but, you can learn to surf."
Wulf16		#2	[-]
Posts: 145 (04/11/09 4:23 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Thanks so much Quills! "Do not be bound by the limits you place on yourself. It is only when you reach beyond what you think you can do that you will almost surely do far more than you thought you could." ~Chiungalla, A Sorrow in Our Heart
Coyotlviejo		#3	[-]
Posts: 4157 (04/11/09 7:30 AM) Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	If the wool on the hide is long, then take extreme care or you can end up with felted wool, which would not be soft and plush. If it's sheared short, then it can be washed more vigorously. Dan My Website...
Wulf16		#4	[-]
Posts: 146 (04/11/09 12:04 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Thanks, Dan! Good advice! "Do not be bound by the limits you place on yourself. It is only when you reach beyond what you think you can do that you will almost surely do far more than you thought you could." ~Chiungalla, A Sorrow in Our Heart
Quillsnkiko		#5	[-]
Posts: 2042 (04/12/09 7:45 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	That is a good point..if I had a hide that had long hair on it... like those icelandic sheep rugs.... I'd probably wash it in a large container by dipping up and down thru several changes of warm water.... with some kind of mild soap..or shampoo..rather than spin it at all in the washer.if I spun it at all it would be to spin the water out to make the hide dryer. then drip dry on a windy day would be ideal. I have some grey sheep skins on my cars seats... I intend to wash them some time this spring..as I spilled a pepsi on one of them and the other is just dirty from dog feet and misc . stuff.... and a year and a half of dust from driving on gravel roads. I will probably throw them both in the wash machine on gentle cycleand drip them dry on a windy day on the clothes line. after they are dry I will brush them up with a dog slicker pin brush.I am betting they will wash fine. the slicker brush will plump up the wool and make it softer. they are shorn pretty short. maybe a inch if that.... I'll see some day soon now that its getting warm. " You can't stop the waves .... but, you can learn to surf."
Coyotlviejo		#6	[-]
Posts: 4159 (04/12/09 8:51 PM) Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I wash sheeps wool (sheared wool, not on the hide) to prepare it for carding and spinning. I get the water as hot as I can stand it, in four basins of roughly the same size. You want your water to stay the same temp (or close to it) in each basin so that you minimize thermal shock to the fibers. Basin one gets dish detergent added, basin two gets only clear water, basin three gets a cup of vinegar added, and basin four gets only clear water. Although your fleece won't have the lanolin oils in it anymore, you'll still want to follow a similar process, if it has long wool. Settle the fleece on top of the water in basin one and allow it to sink into the water on its own. If it won't sink, then GENTLY press it into the water. Allow it to sit for ten minutes or so. MILD agitation is okay, but not in a way that would cause the fibers to tangle and felt together. I basically push it down into the water gently and allow it to float back up, repeatedly to get some water flowing through the fibers. Then if there are any tough spots (lots of dirt) I'll work my fingers through it gently to slip the dirt out without tangling the fibers. After ten minutes in the detergent bath, then you lift it out carefully and lower it into the clear bath for a rinse. I usually agitate it slightly just to get out as much detergent as possible, then lift it out. Lower it gently into the vinegar bath and allow it to sit for about ten minutes. The acetic acid in the vinegar will help to neutralize any remaining detergent that is in the wool. No need to agitate. Basin four is for rinsing out the vinegar. Just let it sit for several minutes in the clear water bath, agitate slightly to move water around, then lift it out to dry. Allow it to dry on a towel, turning it once or twice during the course of warm day to ensure it is dried all the way through. The trick is to avoid agitation as much as possible, and to avoid thermal shock. Both can cause the fibers to tangle into a mass of felt that you'll never be able to undo. If you can clean it thoroughly while keeping it from felting then you have succeeded, no matter the method you use. Good luck! Dan My Website...
Wulf16		#7	[-]
Posts: 147 (04/13/09 11:19 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Wow, you two are thorough! I'll pass the info on. Thannk! "Do not be bound by the limits you place on yourself. It is only when you reach beyond what you think you can do that you will almost surely do far more than you thought you could." ~Chiungalla, A Sorrow in Our Heart
spoons		#8	[-]
Posts: 54 (04/18/09 6:13 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tepid water NO agitation and Dawn Per the wifes instructions, a member of several spinning weaving and natural dyes groups
Wulf16		#9	[-]
Posts: 154 (05/21/09 6:18 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Thanks for the tips everyone. Apparently the pelt was accidentally bleached, as per the owner (she forgot to tell the person who was cleaning it). The fur turned yellow; she said it looked like natural tannins had dyed the fur. Any suggestions? Trust me, I was not the one responsible. : ) "Do not be bound by the limits you place on yourself. It is only when you reach beyond what you think you can do that you will almost surely do far more than you thought you could." ~Chiungalla, A Sorrow in Our Heart

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Yuku free message boards

Cleaning Sheep wool

Cleaning Sheep wool

Quick Reply