sore sides; soap residue
Laney Humphrey (laneyh@mbay.net)
Wed, 12 Nov 1997 09:25:02 -0800
Hi all - in another of my lives I'm a weaver/spinner. I've experimented
with just about every technique for getting wool fleece clean. There is a
chemical difference between soaps and detergents; many soaps are marketed
as being gentler than detergents and many of them are in fact detergents.
The reason is that detergents are really easier to deal with and actually
do a better job of removing animal based fats (which hold the dirt).
For years I've used plain old cheap hand dishwashing detergent (NOT
DISHWASHER DETERGENT!!!) for washing fleece, dishes, dainty handwashables
(like I own that many!). Soft water and heat are the other 2 necessities
for getting fleece clean. Sheep's wool, horses' hair & hide and our hair &
hide are not very different. When I wash my saddle pad cover, I use lots
of hot water, just a dab of clothes detergent (don't try to use dishwashing
detergent in your washing machine!) and I check the rinse water until it
looks clean. If I can hear any crackly noises when I pick up and move the
pad before putting it in the drying I know I need to rinse it again because
there is more residue still in it. Hope this helps, Laney