- Location
- South shropshire
If you were going to try and sell wool to an end user, god knows it’s worth a try…… where can you get raw fleeces washed and turned into useable wool?
any help appreciated.
any help appreciated.
Fleece washing
- Thread starter Henery
- Start date
- Location
- North Wales
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Maybe best not to tell the OH though?
I remember an old old episode of river cottage the guy washed a fleece in his own pee... have fun
- Location
- East Sussex
How much do you want to do?
If it is around ten tons then you can get it done at one of the two plants in Bradford and if it goes to Haworth and it is reasonably fine stuff they can process it into Tops.
Smaller amounts of up to a ton can be sent to Italy, there is a small plant in Biella who can turn it into balls of wool.
You get an awful lot though when they are only 100 grams each.
Otherwise as said put it in the washing machine but it will probably only be any good for Felting.
If it is around ten tons then you can get it done at one of the two plants in Bradford and if it goes to Haworth and it is reasonably fine stuff they can process it into Tops.
Smaller amounts of up to a ton can be sent to Italy, there is a small plant in Biella who can turn it into balls of wool.
You get an awful lot though when they are only 100 grams each.
Otherwise as said put it in the washing machine but it will probably only be any good for Felting.
- Location
- Radnorshire
Easiest would be to wash ewes week before shearing, was common practice up to 50 years ago. Sheep would shear easier as well , wool board if I remember rightly paid a bonus if washed.
- Location
- Scottish Borders
Washed as in walked/ swam through a stream/river ?
Yes, but you have to throw the first one in, and the rest just follow.
It gets rid of a fair bit of contamination from rubbing in peat hags or soil banks for example, but the reduced weight balances out any increased price.
- Location
- Exeter, Devon
Depends what you mean by useable wool. Seem to remember my mother spinning wool straight from the fleece after carding it to get the crap out and turn the fibres the right way. It was washed once it had been turned into a garment unless dyed. As said above, @delilah is the expert you need. Will be interesting to see if my memories are correct. How much are you hoping to sell?
- Location
- Isle of Skye
You can do Suint washing, just dump your fleeces in a barrel of clean water, the bacteria that's already in the wool eats at the dirt. It's a fermentation, best in summer as warmth is necessary, leave it for a couple of weeks. The fleece will be very clean but the water will be the filthiest foul smelling stuff you've ever smelt, it's worse than raw sewage.
Rinse the fleece, still got a bit of lanolin in it which is apparently a good thing for working with, it keeps it softer. My wife did some here like this, and the fleece was impressively clean and white, and not holding the smell. Just keep the barrel well away from anything and keep the lid on it....
Rinse the fleece, still got a bit of lanolin in it which is apparently a good thing for working with, it keeps it softer. My wife did some here like this, and the fleece was impressively clean and white, and not holding the smell. Just keep the barrel well away from anything and keep the lid on it....
- Location
- Isle of Skye
There's also quite a few small places here in the UK that will wash, scour and spin small quantities of wool, but they've all got very long waiting lists.
Does the lid have to seal it i.e keep air out ?
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
persil or daz ? Bio or non bio ? Hiy csnnyou imgine them cockwombles at sepa if had 100 romneys in the tweed hoying biological washing powder in the water !! Youd get a Holiday curtisy o the queen hiy !! Dont drop the soap
- Location
- Isle of Skye
Not sure about how well it needs to be sealed, When there was some here we had it in a blue barrel with a decent lid, didn't open it for a week, had a look, retched for a bit, then put the lid back on. It'll need to be quite well sealed to keep flies and stuff out of it.
It's perhaps not the most appealing thing to do but I was genuinely amazed at how well it worked.
- Location
- Scottish Borders
Don’t mention soap, my parents hated me, so dispatched me off to boarding school at a tender age ! My education was like the shawshank redemption , but with less stripes and posher voices !
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Don’t mention soap, my parents hated me, so dispatched me off to boarding school at a tender age ! My education was like the shawshank redemption , but with less stripes and posher voices !
- Location
- Scottish Borders
Character building I believe it was called!
We would be happy to help if you have small scale in mind, drop me a pm or get in touch with the boss via the website .
https://spinningearthwool.co.uk/fibre/
https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/wool-processing-mini-mill.205896/
.https://spinningearthwool.co.uk/fibre/
https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/wool-processing-mini-mill.205896/
Last edited:
Yep, it just felts in the standard washing machine stance, though it is on the to do list to lay one on its back and use as a spinner.