It is fleece washing season again here at my house, most of the fleeces are sheep wool that I have picked up here and there, sometimes free sometimes not. There is also this years Nigora fleeces to wash as well. I have been washing fleeces for several years and it can be back breaking work if you let it. It can also require lots of water, something I am conscious of as we have had several drought years recently in East Tennessee.
Last year I got a piece of equipment that has made it much easier for me to use less water and at the same time it encourages me to do smaller sections of fleece at a time, it is a spin dryer or centrifuge. The spin dryer has cut my washe cycles down to 2 and my rinses down to 2 as well! The secret is to use the spin dryer after every wash and every rinse, thereby getting rid of so much of the dirt and lanolin that would normally pollute the next wash/rinse.
You can use whatever method you are used to and this spin dryer will improve it. I bought mine from Dharma Trading company, they have great customer service if you need it.
Now, one of my friends pointed out that you could use the spin cycle in your washing machine as long as you turn off the water to do it. I agree that you could do that, but for me it is remembering to turn the water off that bothers me, what if I forgot! Ruined fleece! Also, my water shut off is so difficult to reach as it is behind the washer between the hot water heater and the washer.
I use the Spin Dryer primarily to speed up my fleece washing, but Carol uses it when she is rinsing warps and skeins of yarn that she has dyed. If I get into something like that you can be sure I will be using my Nina soft Spin Dryer, from the Dharma Trading Co.
Back to the fleeces, Tina
Last year I got a piece of equipment that has made it much easier for me to use less water and at the same time it encourages me to do smaller sections of fleece at a time, it is a spin dryer or centrifuge. The spin dryer has cut my washe cycles down to 2 and my rinses down to 2 as well! The secret is to use the spin dryer after every wash and every rinse, thereby getting rid of so much of the dirt and lanolin that would normally pollute the next wash/rinse.
Now, one of my friends pointed out that you could use the spin cycle in your washing machine as long as you turn off the water to do it. I agree that you could do that, but for me it is remembering to turn the water off that bothers me, what if I forgot! Ruined fleece! Also, my water shut off is so difficult to reach as it is behind the washer between the hot water heater and the washer.
I use the Spin Dryer primarily to speed up my fleece washing, but Carol uses it when she is rinsing warps and skeins of yarn that she has dyed. If I get into something like that you can be sure I will be using my Nina soft Spin Dryer, from the Dharma Trading Co.
Back to the fleeces, Tina
1 comment:
Great recommendation! I just placed my order! I often pre-wash my weft fabric for rag weaving, and that would be just the ticket!
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