Cleaning Mud Fleece

[biztekgeek]

I love the bottles! What a great idea.

I was given a lot of free fleece that had lots of poop. Instead of the tub, I use big plastic storage boxes outside - and gloves. When the water gets too nasty, I transfer the wool into the next box of clean water, the grass then gets fertilized with the nasty water. The quality of the wool ended up great and well worth the effort.

[rexenne]

@biztekgeek Sweetness!!!

[MinnesotaFlash]

Say what you will folks, but when you get a fleece that is a total mess (mine usually come from eBAY), your only choices are to pitch them or try to salvage what you can.

I am right now trying to save what I can of a long stapled Angora fleece that apparently was raised under fir trees. I should just pitch it but what I have saved is very nice. You people not approving Rexenne's methods must be the ones getting all the GOOD FLEECES.

[rexenne]

@MinnesotaFlash LOL!!!

[thestarbox]

Love your videos! I have used your method with great success. I used a piece of screen leftover from re-screening my doors to hold the fleece at bay while I drained the tub. It kept the small pieces from getting loose and clogging the drain.For those who are up in arms about possible felting, the agitation is very minimal and any felting is slight and easily combed/carded. I ended up with just tiny nubs or noils here and there while I was combing, carding, and picking my final fleece.

[Cyberchipz]

Just a little info from my experience, as little as that is... So far, the amount of $+#f on the end of the fleece seems to be directly propertional to the price of the fleece. Ex: $8/lb clean & $5 or less/lb. Dirty. Also, with what you're doing, I would be worried about felting. I noticed in your drum carding video that it appeard that some of your wool was felted a little. Perhaps... anyway. You don't mention felting coud you comment on the amount of felting made from your method. TTFN

[swimmingfish5]

do this and you will wind up with a bunch of felted fleece and pipes clogged with hair.

[rexenne]

Clogged pipes do eventually happen when all you have to work with is a tub. Obviously I did not come out with felted fleece otherwise I would have never posted such a video. Do you honestly think I would encourage folks to unknowingly felt their fleece. *face-slap* You obviously did not take the time to read any comments, instead...instantly deciding you know it all better than anyone else.

[Cyberchipz]

@swimmingfish5 oh, BTW I did finally get to try the cold water and soap scrub and as she says, it makes very little to no felt. I wasn't too horribly surprised as I knew a lot more by the time I tried it and understood why it doesn't open up the staple and therefore the natural hooks don't get a chance to catch. soap + warm->hot(water)=felt.

[rokedemiah]

I normally buy raw fleece ( translate that NOT processed and straight off the sheep). thanks for the tip as this is a GREAT IDEA!

[wowitscometothis]

OK, dumb question. How do you drain the tub without clogging the pipes with little peices of fiber? You didn't show the ending. I'm assuming you remove the fiber before draining. Do you have any suggestions for washing a really really really dirty multi-length llama and alpaca fiber? COuld I use this method? Or should I just toss it?

Don't hate me for my stupid questions--- I'm new at this.

Love your videos BTW!

[rexenne]

LOL, you don't. Clogged pipes are inevitable sooner or later, especially when the tub is all I have to work in. A good drain clearer works the clogs out (although it does go against my environmentally conscious mind to do such a thing, but how else could it be done? I've tried the drain zipper. It works great on the kitchen sink but not the tub)!

[rexenne]

Oh forgot....yes I do remove the fiber (as much as I can) before popping the drain. Alpaca fleece is a lot simpler to clean since it has no lanolin in it. Simply soak amounts in warm (not hot) water to loosen dirt & dust. What doesn't come out in the warm water soak will when you spin it. If you fleece has second cuts, I would not recommend the tub but rather a mop bucket. It's slow. It's tedious, but gets the job done.

[AMSroadrunner]

you could make your own drain cleaner! Lye is pretty easy to make and does a wonderful job.

[rexenne]

@AMSroadrunner I never thought of that! Great idea!

[lynxx2]

does this treatment felt the wool??? Thank you, love your videos.

[rexenne]

It does a little, but since there is no soap, it will not felt much. Just hot water to to loosen the tips and some agitation to push the dirt out. The fleece was nice and clean (and workable) when I was done. :) Have fun!

[fettuccinetube]

I just watched this video YET AGAIN! I just can´t stop laughing! It is a real pick me up whenever I feel down. I especially love the ending where you do sort of a Charlie Chaplin thing with the bottles and then throw them down in disgust. This ranks up there with the "I Love Lucy" scene when Lucy stomps around in a vat of grapes. It will NEVER wear away!

[fettuccinetube]

I think this is the FUNNIEST video in your entire series! I have watched it a few times and still laugh! Even so, it is very informative and educational.

[doricebaty]

Very fascinating...I have never seen this done before. I have always wanted to spin. What would you suggest I do in the beginning to learn how to spin--equipment, etc. and I don't mind building my own workings as I am a poor substitute teacher. You're great and i enjoy your videos.

[beans1975]

New spinner here and so happy I found your vids. I have so much to learn and so glad for what I've learned here so far. THANKS~!!!

[Bataviaguy2002]

It is always a pleasure watching your videos! I learn something new each time! Believe me, we've all made our "fiber" mistakes and do the best to make good. I raise and process my own wool for my daughter to spin. My wife WON'T let me wash anything in the house because she "claims" the house smells like a barnyard! Keep up the great job! You always make me smile!!! Frank

[rexenne]

What a lucky woman to have a supply straight from home!!

Oh I love the smell of the barnyard, and that may be because I have never lived on one on a permanent basis! I really don't mind the smell of dirty fleece as it is actually really calming to me. I swear! I must have been a sheep farmer in a past life!!

Thanks for the positive feed back as it is very much appreciated!

[lindaspinsandknits]

Be careful though when leaving fleece sit in the water for long amounts of time. Especially when starting with hot water. When the water cools, then the lanolin sets in. And that really sucks. I've tried the five bucket method, and while you can only do small amounts at a time, it gets muddy fleece clean. Also, when I don't want to fool with the buckets, I've found filling the bath tub with lots of water helps too. Gives the fleece some extra room to swim around.

[rexenne]

Yep I know. I changed the water twice to avoid that and ironically enough, got most if not all the grease out without the use of soap! SO that was a plus considering how much work I had to put into it to get the dang mud out. LOL

[VidBint]

Wow! I feel lucky! The raw fleece I got off of eBay (yarbsofyarn) was immaculate compared to that! Good luck!!

[rexenne]

You is lucky! I don't remember who I purchased this from, but the lady gave me the feeling she could care less once it was out of her hands.

[Bellassett]

Did you use warm or cold water? Any soap?

I bought some really, really dirty Jacob wool from eBay (didn't look so dirty in the photos!), and it was disgusting. I cleaned one pound separating the locks like you described; I had to clean it half an ounce at a time. Too much work. I ended up throwing most of it away. :(

[rexenne]

Yeah I forgot to mention the water temp! I used hot water, as hot as I could stand, and the fleece had been sitting in the water for a good eight hours. I was tired when I shot the vid. Even after sitting in the water for that long the mud still did not want to come off. OYE!! I say if the seller is honest, you can get a picture of the actual fleece before you buy. Otherwise I am in the future, and would suggest, going to a different seller is such a request goes unanswered or refused.

[rexenne]

And no soap! Otherwise it will turn into a blob of felt!

[KITIKATZ]

Actually, if you use Orvus paste soap and no agitation, the dirt falls out of the fleece. I use only Orvus and then a rinse with vinegar on some nasty fleeces. They came out wonderfully soft and clean. This will only work with the dirt, the VM still has to be picked out.

[rexenne]

OOOoo I have some of that that I use to unravel my silk cocoons with! I will definately try this on my next nasty fleece, which is mohair. Mohair and I don't get along (finding out AFTER buying the raw fleece realy bites) so I will try that on it. :) THANKS!!

[KITIKATZ]

hen you do take on a nasty fleece, place it tips down in the water. That way what you want out will fall with more ease. I didn't believe that Orvus would work like this, so I tried it out with a small bunch offleece in a colender. I was surprised at how fast the dirt fell out!

[rexenne]

Thanks for the tip! The cleaning of the nasty mohair fleece is going much faster now!!

[KITIKATZ]

Keep me posted on how it goes!