[Jacob-list] washing fleece

[Robin Lynde]

Interesting how everyone has a different method. When I'm washing raw fleeces I first soak in a big outside sink that I can fill with a hose. After soaking the water drains out onto the dirt and takes with it a lot of the dirt in the wool. Next I put the fleece into hot water with Dawn in my washing machine and turn it off. After soaking for awhile I spin it out. I remove the fleece to fill the washer with hot rinse water. Add wool, soak, spin out. My wool comes out great. 

Robin Lynde
Meridian Jacobs
Vacaville, CA 
www.meridianjacobs.com 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Betty Berlenbach 
  To: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 
  Sent: Sunday, August 16, 2009 4:37 AM
  Subject: [Jacob-list] washing fleece


  Two things I have to contribute:

  I would NEVER do the initial wash in the washer; too afraid the lanolin and dirt would clog up the leach field and the septic system.  I hand wash in a canning pot, spilling the wash water outside in the woods away from any place where it would end up too quickly in the water table.

  I would NEVER use DAWN for jacob fleece.  It is very, very strong, and is great for say, merino, where you almost have more grease than fleece.  I use shampoo or organic dish washing liquid for jacob fleeces.  I seldom have to use conditioner, but when I do, it is conditioner for color treated hair.  Color treatment beats up hair so it feels like straw, but after the conditioner, it feels like soft hair again...that's enough evidence for me!  I have to use it once in a while, but for the most part, if a fleece I have needs conditioner, and there are no other contributing factor, that ewe gets culled!  I try not to deal in fleeces which need conditioner to be soft, lofty, and wonderful!
   Betty, in Vermont,who now has a blog, thanks to help from Walter and Linda.  See Betty's blog at http://sheepwoman.wordpress.com.


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