It All Comes Out in the Wash (Well, Most of it Does)
Sunday morning after we got home I laid out all three fleeces (they are technically half fleeces, but writing “half fleece” everytime feels tiresome to me, so when I say fleece, just know that I understand they are only half of a fleece — but a fleece nonetheless) on a sheet in my living room to air out a bit and decide what I was going to do with them. The woman who sold them to us told me *not* to keep them in the plastic bags, but didn’t tell me what I could put them in so I did a little research. Pillow cases, it turns out, are a good idea. So I grabbed the oldest, rattiest ones I could find (that wasn’t hard — linens are not a priority in our household) and wrapped up two of the fleeces. Then I bought a couple large plastic storage bins and placed them in there.
I decided to work with the smallest fleece first, the rich dark chocolate one with the tawny tips (which weighs in at about 2-1/4 lbs.). After much research online I determined that everyone has an opinion about what is the “right” way to wash a fleece, and while they have some similarities, absolutely no two people agree. Some say use hot water, some say use cold. There were a hundred different suggestions for detergent (everything from Dawn or Ajax to various laundry detergents to shampoo to professional wool scours). Some say add in a little vinegar at the end to soften up and condition the wool. Others say don’t bother. Absolutely everyone agreed, however, that if you are using hot, use hot all the way through or if cold, always use cold, and also that agitation was the number one no-no-bad-dog.
So, I’ve been experimenting. The first day I used intensely hot water and a little Ajax dishwashing liquid. I did two soaks with detergent and two or three soaks without. I worried that I had managed to felt it a little bit despite my careful handling of the fiber, but using a pet hair comb (Thanks for the tip, Juno!) I was able to pretty easily comb out both the tips and the end of the lock to get this:
Here is a detail pick that actually manages to almost capture the color.
Since the fleece project falls under the Summer of Knitting Naturally umbrella, I considered my first attempt in terms of impact. A couple of things came to mind. First of all, it required a lot of water. Second, hot water uses considerably more energy and resources than cold. Three, Ajax is not the best, most environmentally friendly detergent in the world. So, for the second attempt I decided to use cold water. When combing out the first batch, I noticed the fibers shed a lot of dirt in the process. To try and reduce the amount of water and eliminate more of the dirt, I let it soak for several hours the first time around. In addition to the extra long soak, I tried to loosen up some of the more matted locks before getting them wet. I also found some excellent dishwashing detergent (nontoxic, no petroleum products, plant based, biodegrable, no chlorine or carcinogens, no fragrances, etc., etc., etc.), which will also replace my Ajax detergent for good.
All in all, I was very happy with the results of the second go. Most of the dirt was gone. The fibers felt soft and easy to loosen up. I’m still not 100% sure that this is the right detergent for the fleece. Since we are experimenting with some new laundry detergents that are less impactful and don’t irritate my skin, which is very, very sensitive (Seriously, I get hives just from taking a shower), I plan to try them out on the fleece as well. So, the answer may lie with one of those products. I guess we shall see. For now, though, this seems to be working just fine.
Today, more washing. Tonight, experiments in hand carding. Details to follow.
May 10th, 2006 at 4:20 pm
Wow Rachel, you have some beautiful fiber! It sounds so fun and overwelming, I wish I could have gone. I am enjoying reading how your are cleaning and processing this. I can’t wait to see it spun! Have fun!