I just got my order from Marie Reading of 3 raw fibers, bfl, derby gritstone and texel. I cant wait to try to wash them using your method. It's much faster and simpler than Woolery's.
I find using the right product makes it easier too. I find unicorn power scour quicker and more efficient but get that isn't always an option. Dishwashing soap works and I'm a firm believer in use what you got!
I was surprised to see you using hot water. I prefer to leave some lanolin in my fleece and always use cold water. To get the water out, I put the fleece in a pillow case and run it through the final spin cycle in my washing machine.
I like to get all the lanolin out if I'm not going to spin it right away, otherwise I find it gets too sticky to draft. I've used a washing machine spin cycle and I also have a large industrial salad spinner I use. I've been looking at just a small spin dryer as well. Anything to remove the excess water works. Thanks for watching.
I’ve been doing a hot wash, but I let it cool for a bit. I find it gets most of the lanolin off, but since some settles back onto the wool it’s still a little greasy when I spin it.
You are braver than me! I scoop my fleece out with a dedicated egg flipper lol. I don’t mind the smell of fleece but I can’t bring myself to reach into the water hahaha
@Tamsin Juby. Rubber gloves will protect your hands from getting burned so readily. Thanks for making this video! It’s been a couple years since I washed any raw fleece, and I’m refreshing my memory. I want to get back into washing/processing/dyeing/spinning my own wools again. I also now have the chance to design/specify my own fleece-washing set-up in the basement. I’m trying to decide between a kitchen double sink, like yours, or 2 deep sinks, like commercial kitchen sinks. (I’ve broken at least 1 salad spinner spinning wet fleece! 😆). Any suggestions for me about the sinks?
I would prefer the deep sinks likely. You can do more fleece at one time. But it would be harder physically reaching to the bottom. I guess there's a case to be made for either lol. I'm not much help. I think I'm on my third little salad spinner. I just get dollar store ones so they're easily and cheaply replaced.
@@bffiberarts thanks for answering me! 🙏 I also just binge-watched more of your videos, including the one you made in 2017 washing fleece in the giant, 5 gallon salad spinner. That looks awesome! Do you still wash fleece that way? I can see how you’d want to do it outside, so you can drain the water outside and not clog your plumbing with the lanolin (at least the washes). I live in a 100-year-old house, and I’d be concerned about such clogs, so I’d probably want to wash as much as possible outside, at least in warm weather; I live in Nebraska, where we have real winters.
@@bffiberarts Great! And you’ve found no problems with clogs? I’m seriously considering buying the honkin’ big salad spinner from a restaurant supply store.
Love the video, but people with septic systems should never wash fleece in their sinks! I will totally be following your suggestions, but will be washing mine outside under my Apple tree with biodegradable soap. Thanks for the video ☺️
I’m back again with another comment lol - I cleaned some fleece today, but since I don’t have a fibre-dedicated salad spinner, I took my fleece out and spun it in circles myself. I break my fleece up and put it in reusable produce bags, so I held onto the bag straps and aggressively spun it in circles. It worked, but I’m hoping my neighbour didn’t see lol
It shows their skill first of all and second it makes it easier to skirt the fleece if you can lay it out and see which part of the body each section came off. The fleece tends to stay together regardless and when shearing they want to get the fleece off fast so the sheep isn't overly stressed by the process.
I just got my order from Marie Reading of 3 raw fibers, bfl, derby gritstone and texel. I cant wait to try to wash them using your method. It's much faster and simpler than Woolery's.
I find using the right product makes it easier too. I find unicorn power scour quicker and more efficient but get that isn't always an option. Dishwashing soap works and I'm a firm believer in use what you got!
This was so helpful! I have about 10 fleeces to process and no idea how to start!
it is so calming watching/listening to your fleece-washing process.
Aww thanks.
I was surprised to see you using hot water. I prefer to leave some lanolin in my fleece and always use cold water. To get the water out, I put the fleece in a pillow case and run it through the final spin cycle in my washing machine.
I like to get all the lanolin out if I'm not going to spin it right away, otherwise I find it gets too sticky to draft. I've used a washing machine spin cycle and I also have a large industrial salad spinner I use. I've been looking at just a small spin dryer as well. Anything to remove the excess water works. Thanks for watching.
I’ve been doing a hot wash, but I let it cool for a bit. I find it gets most of the lanolin off, but since some settles back onto the wool it’s still a little greasy when I spin it.
Excellent information. Thank you
You are braver than me! I scoop my fleece out with a dedicated egg flipper lol. I don’t mind the smell of fleece but I can’t bring myself to reach into the water hahaha
You're probably the smarter one lol.
@Tamsin Juby. Rubber gloves will protect your hands from getting burned so readily. Thanks for making this video! It’s been a couple years since I washed any raw fleece, and I’m refreshing my memory. I want to get back into washing/processing/dyeing/spinning my own wools again. I also now have the chance to design/specify my own fleece-washing set-up in the basement. I’m trying to decide between a kitchen double sink, like yours, or 2 deep sinks, like commercial kitchen sinks. (I’ve broken at least 1 salad spinner spinning wet fleece! 😆). Any suggestions for me about the sinks?
I would prefer the deep sinks likely. You can do more fleece at one time. But it would be harder physically reaching to the bottom. I guess there's a case to be made for either lol. I'm not much help. I think I'm on my third little salad spinner. I just get dollar store ones so they're easily and cheaply replaced.
@@bffiberarts thanks for answering me! 🙏 I also just binge-watched more of your videos, including the one you made in 2017 washing fleece in the giant, 5 gallon salad spinner. That looks awesome! Do you still wash fleece that way? I can see how you’d want to do it outside, so you can drain the water outside and not clog your plumbing with the lanolin (at least the washes). I live in a 100-year-old house, and I’d be concerned about such clogs, so I’d probably want to wash as much as possible outside, at least in warm weather; I live in Nebraska, where we have real winters.
@@susangrande8142 I use the salad spinner all the time. I'm in Ontario so I get winter as well. I'll use it inside in the cold weather.
@@bffiberarts Great! And you’ve found no problems with clogs? I’m seriously considering buying the honkin’ big salad spinner from a restaurant supply store.
@@susangrande8142 I never had problems in my last home but I just moved here so I can't say for sure. I'm not terribly worried about it.
Thank you❤
You're welcome!
Love the video, but people with septic systems should never wash fleece in their sinks! I will totally be following your suggestions, but will be washing mine outside under my Apple tree with biodegradable soap. Thanks for the video ☺️
Thanks for watching! I'm not on septic anymore but my rubadubdub video is how I washed wool when i did.
The one thing I do first is a room temp soak over night. This gets a ton of dirt out before scouring.
I need to get in the habit of this. But I'm so impulsive I generally decide to wash a fleece two minutes before I'm washing it lol.
I’m back again with another comment lol - I cleaned some fleece today, but since I don’t have a fibre-dedicated salad spinner, I took my fleece out and spun it in circles myself. I break my fleece up and put it in reusable produce bags, so I held onto the bag straps and aggressively spun it in circles. It worked, but I’m hoping my neighbour didn’t see lol
That's the lasso method! It's fun! Lol
I'm new to this. Why do shearers strive to keep the fleece in one piece
It shows their skill first of all and second it makes it easier to skirt the fleece if you can lay it out and see which part of the body each section came off. The fleece tends to stay together regardless and when shearing they want to get the fleece off fast so the sheep isn't overly stressed by the process.
What farm ?
Fusilier sheep farm.
i liked watching...
Perfect. I'm just here for entertainment.
I use tongs. Don’t burn your fingers.
That would be the smart thing to do. Watch enough of my videos you'll see I generally don't do the smart thing lol.