Let's SCOUR this NASTY Wool Together! / How to Scour EXTRA Dirty Fleece

Hey everybody! In this video, I wanted to show you how you can wash and process a "bottom of the barrel" wool. You might think that this wool should be trashed or mulch. Give that dirty fleece a chance you might just be surprised, so make sure you watch till the end of the video! Thank You so much! Don't forget to leave me a LIKE and please SHARE!
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[@WendyMoule]

I've just washed a dirty fleece. Once I got to the stage I would be drying it, I bagged it up in mesh bags and ran it through the washing machine on --spin only cycle! This cut down the drying time by days.

[@CoralStars]

It didn't damage the wool? I really want to try this process of getting wool to making my own yarn so super curious :)

[@WendyMoule]

12 minutes on the spin cycle packed into a small mesh bag does no harm to the wool. I should make a video on the next fleece wash.

[@KrisOberhauserB]

That rinse water is perfect for the garden.

[@KathiTrujillo-kn6qn]

I use the wash water on my flower gardens too. Just let it sit in 5gallon buckets a couple days to break down remaining detergent. Best fertilizer I have ever used.

[@nicolelopresti7308]

Amateur wool processor here. Great video! Thanks for sharing. I’ll be using the wool for insulating a tiny house.

[@nancyskinner5207]

I’ve been washing fleece for many years. I never knew to soak it in plain hot water first. I’ll have to try this. I have a method to get more water out of your fleece. I use old bath towels folded in thirds length wise. I spread a layer of washed fleece on it, roll it up and step on the rolled up towel. When you unroll the towel the fleece is damp and the towel is wet. It dries much faster and the rolling and presser from stepping on it has never caused the fleece to felt. You sound like you’re from the south. I’m in Tennessee. Are you anywhere close? Enjoyed your video. Thank you.

[@RayneFiberArts]

Yes, actually I am from the south, Virginia to be exact! I occasionally use an old towel and step on it, I know of the method I just hate having to deal with soaking wet towels honestly! Thank you so much for your comment I'm so glad you enjoyed!

[@ColorsofHopeCraftsASMR]

I just shared this with my mom. She has some dirty fleeces. I also helped her wash some fleeces similar to these last year. It’s crazy how dirty that water was, and how gorgeous the wool turned out afterward.

[@barbaraberntsen6909]

You saved my life and sanity here. Thank you!

[@RayneFiberArts]

You are very welcome! The wool washing process doesn't have to be intimidating at all!

[@catrionahenderson7759]

Good to see your method here. Thankyou for shareing!

[@libbywalsh358]

Brilliant so helpful and straightforward. Can’t wait to improve my technique . Thank you. 😊

[@_vanearaujo]

Very nice job!! Thank you so much for documenting it and sharing this experience in here. 😊

[@RayneFiberArts]

You are very welcome! Thank you for commenting I am so glad you enjoyed it!

[@andyk1k1]

Wonderful tutorial x wish I'd found you sooner; I just threw away a huge bag of fleeces that someone kindly gifted to me because I did not know where to start. I kept probably only about 1 tenth but at least I know what to do with that now. Thank you x

[@944gemma]

What a gorgeous fleece.

[@RayneFiberArts]

Thank you! It truly is!

[@phoebebaker1575]

I love watching this video.

[@jenniferbrighty5120]

Hi Rayne, I hope you're OK. Love watching how you processed your Fleece. Thankyou for taking us right through, it was so interesting to watch. I think because you explained everything so well and then to see what you had at the end. That Fibre looked so beautiful, soft and squishy. Your videos are always lovely to watch. Happy Spinning. Take care and stay safe. Love Jen xx 💖😘

[@RayneFiberArts]

Thank you so much! It means the world to me!

[@iahelcathartesaura3887]

Thanks for showing us how to save money on a fleece - extra labor is worth the savings for many. This is more natural, you have control over what you want to do, and I have no experience with this but I'll bet a lower-level fleece will give you a more textured rugged natural yarn? I would like that! Sheep herding runs in my family it's in our coat of arms, but no one in living memory knew sheep. We had many cattle way before I came along. I have a natural white sheepskin rug & I've been long looking forward to making yarn out of pet hair. I love your video & presentation! Subscribed!

[@user-kz2pk7vc3m]

Well Done Hun!!! :D

[@Nancytoday]

Yes, it’s nice to see how you soak this in stages.

[@gemmaf_]

Wow I can't believe how that fleece turned out!! Its beautiful. So clean and squishy. Have you spun it yet?

[@K1llsohard]

Thanks

[@RayneFiberArts]

You are very welcome!

[@Clubkidknitter]

Have you ever or have you considered using a mild conditioner in your last water-only rinse? But I digress. LOVE your vids!!❤

[@spinderella3602]

I just sheered my ram. He was super nasty and greasy (from his lanolin). Thank you for this video.

[@myuncle2]

microwaving is quicker, as they heat only water molecules. To clean the brown tips you can use vinegar, lemon juice or thin bleach.

[@crowznest438]

The sides of an old crib make good drying racks, either put up in the rafters or over chairs or ? I also use an old drawer with the bottom removed and hardware cloth stapled on.

[@tamararobertson5756]

Lay it out on a trampoline in the summer

[@btblueearth]

Thank you so much for this video! Your wool really turned out beautiful It looks like cotton candy!. I am new to this. Today I cleaned a fleece 3 times and it still had a yellow tint mostly on the tips... I think from pee and poop. the lanolin lifted out...it is pretty yellow in areas...Is there anything you would suggest to get rid of that?

[@RayneFiberArts]

Some fleeces have what is called meconium staining, when the baby is inside the mother it has its first bowel movement inside the sac and this can permanently stain wool. Other than that it may just be some very filthy tips like you stated. You can flick the tips before washing with a flicker or dog slicker brush, to allow the soap and hot water to get in the tips more, that could help. Other than that I haven't found a solution to this other than to go through and cut the tips off if the staple is long enough. I just leave it and over-dye it later on in the process. Thank you so much for the comment! I hope these tips could be of some use to you. I have been experimenting with different methods to tackle this but haven't got definitive results yet. Perhaps I will make a video on some of the methods I have been trying. Hope you have a great day!

[@abigailchaffin1502]

For a drying rack I just built a simple wood frame out of scraps and stapled chicken wire on it

[@RayneFiberArts]

That sounds awesome!

[@downtime86stars17]

I have a mesh sweater drying rack that cost about $15 from Amazon and hangs from my shower curtain rod. Works great for drying fleece.

[@RayneFiberArts]

That sounds awesome! I got an herb dryer, and it has helped tremendously. It has several compartments for multiple fleeces or different parts of it. Thank you for your comment!

[@downtime86stars17]

@@RayneFiberArts You're very welcome. The rack I got has three levels, so it will hold quite a lot.

[@RayneFiberArts]

@@downtime86stars17 Thats awesome!

[@lindaspellman2108]

I had a small greenhouse with four shelves aand a plastic cover. I placed it over a heat vent so it would get warm air circling through but you could just lay a fan down in the bottom. Worked fabulously.

[@somerandomperson7223]

Is it possible to “overclean” the wool? What will happen if it is and how will it damage it (theoretically)?

[@artmuse2691]

I would like to try processing my wool but have no idea what is a fair price to pay for it. Could you tell me? Thanks🙂

[@dshe8637]

I washed an alpaca fleece first of all, but found out it has a lot of hay in it. I think I should have picked it first😮

[@beagleissleeping5359]

I have a question you may be able to answer: My hand carders leave my white wool with a faint grey haze (and no it won't wash out later once it becomes yarn.) Is this "normal" or a quality issue with the carding cloth? Or did I neglect to do something important before using them?

[@RayneFiberArts]

This is a good question and I really wish I could help more but I did do a little research for you and some reliable sources say to use a dark or gray colored wool to "break in" brand new drum carders. So, I assume it would be the same for hand cards. I have yet to own hand cards so I cannot speak from experience for this. Hope this helps!

[@naomipetersen6509]

Have a question I'm getting some fresh from the farm in spring my first time to do was wondering how much time do I have from cutting to having to clean

[@Janeiac]

The sooner the better because the lanolin dries out and makes it much harder to clean later, and also dirty fleece attracts moths.

[@pegz.3959]

OMGosh! LOLOL You considered that a really nasty dirty fleece?!?!?!???? You thought you needed gloves?? I'm sorry....I really just have to laugh at the whole idea of "one man's trash is another's treasure" situation because that would be considered a pretty darn clean fleece by my standard. I very much enjoyed the video! 🙂

[@Janeiac]

Me too! I just finished washing 2 fleeces that were 10x dirtier than this and I have 2 more to go. I don't think twice about mere dirt-- it's structural integrity and quality of the fiber that I care about. Dirt simply washes away.

[@glendasmith7507]

I just bought a fleece that has a lot of that yellowing I see even on your finished cleaned fleece, how to you get that out or does it just comb and spread out in the fiber? This is the first time processing a raw fleece for me and I would really love some advice. Thank you!😊

[@RayneFiberArts]

Really good question! So, if you check out some of my other videos on flicking the tips which is done before scouring, that is your best bet to remove the yellow in the tips. Other than that and maybe gently massaging the tips in the same direction the fiber is going from cut end to tip end, that is the only way I know how to get out the yellowing. However, some fleeces have yellow staining on the tips especially lamb fleeces that may have meconium staining, that will not be able to be removed.

[@glendasmith7507]

@@RayneFiberArts , thank you for the tips! I will give it a try.

[@lizatraut]

Thank you for your video - what is the reason for putting the lid on? I got some fleece and tried to wash it in hot water, it fletted a bit. I'm wondering if I didn't soak it in enough water. It's still has dirt in it. I'll need to wash it again

[@RayneFiberArts]

You are very welcome so glad to help you! I put the lid on to help keep the heat in so that more lanolin is dissolved. You do need enough water to keep it fully submerged, and if it is very greasy you may need even more water. That could definitely be the issue. I always have a bit of dirt left usually and I wash twice or sometimes three times if it is very dirty. Be very careful when you switch baths so that you do not felt it. If it is a very fine fleece, I like to use a different method, using a strainer to put the locks in and that way you don't have to move them at all. My washing alpaca video has that method shown in it. That could be a better method for you as well. Hope this helps! -Rayne

[@lizatraut]

@@RayneFiberArts thank you Rayne, I really appreciate the advice

[@oakstrong1]

I was donated my very first fleece and it dirty like the one in this video. How how does the water have to be? I don't mind having some lanolin left while spinning but I obviously want it clean and not TOO smelly.

[@RayneFiberArts]

It needs to be just too hot to stand on your hands. You don't have to use boiling water if you don't mind a bit of lanolin left over or if it isn't a very fine lanolin heavy fleece like merino. So, just hot enough that you cannot keep your hands in it.

[@COCOYK3]

Is there any smell?

[@phoebebaker1575]

“So squishy!”

[@kimgardner769]

I have washed my wool... but it has what looks like sawdust all through it. Ugh.... what to do?

[@RayneFiberArts]

The only thing you can do if it is an actual dust and not scurf is to pick it out before carding or use combs. Combs will get alot of vm out.

[@jaclyn4098]

If I pull the locks apart during washing, it will make the fibers face different directions while combing or carding, so it won't be smooth and silky like a worsted yarn, but is more appropriate for a woolen preparation with lots of fluffiness. But I want worsted so I comb these dirty ass tips :')

[@RayneFiberArts]

I absolutely see your point, I have done lots of experiments and usually after the wash you can tell which end is the cut end vs the tip end, but in all honesty, I just flick both ends and comb anyway. I have found there is no difference especially if it is not a shearling (baby) animal's fleece. I find I get a smooth worsted prep regardless of if the ends are facing the same way or not, as long as they are combed into combed top before being spun. I am for sure a comber not a carder LOL!

[@jaclyn4098]

@@RayneFiberArts is the same across different types of fleeces? Right now I'm working with BFL and I feel like I can tell a difference when I'm spinning, it goes smoother if I spin with the grain

[@RayneFiberArts]

@@jaclyn4098 It very well could be! I have worked with about 4 or 5 different breeds & alpaca. Never had the pleasure of working with bfl. Perhaps the longer more curly breeds it could make a difference? I will definitely be writing this down for future testing! Thank you so much for your comments!

[@chelseyashcraft8854]

I feel like it's a bit misleading because I've always been told not to agitate it, let alone pick it apart when it's wet... I just did one yesterday that I had to soak/wash at least 10 times, but I agitated it too much and I think it's felted. Luckily I have 30 more free fleeces to keep trying but I might put it through the picker and see if it's any good. They are way dirtier than this one. I'm not trying to be rude I just hope no one ruins their expensive fleece doing it this way. I might try separating some of the fiber when they are dry, that is a good tip but I don't recommend doing it when it's wet

[@RayneFiberArts]

Yes, I agree, the fiber in this video is not a very fine fiber. This technique is not for the extra fine fleeces. Sorry if I did not clarify that in the video. I do have another video on a very fine fleece washing and combing "the beast" is what it is called. Thank you for the comment and pointing that out.

[@Beemer917]

I always take the Sheep to the car wash before I shear them.

[@lindas5964]

Lol if it could only be so easy 🤣

[@rachelelabbady3399]

You should buy a 2$ spiel and add it to the bottom of the tub on the side. Flip it open and drain the water directly down the bathtub drain.

[@RayneFiberArts]

My bathtub drain clogs every time I drain it there so unfortunately, I have to use the toilet or dispose of it outside. But that is a wonderful idea I will keep it in mind if I ever get my own space like a deep sink to wash my fleeces in. Thank you for the suggestion!

[@KathiTrujillo-kn6qn]

Bad idea...the lanolin clogged up my drains bad. Cost me more than the fleece was worth to get a plumber to fix it.