How to wash sheep wool (raw): step-by-step instructions. How to wash sheep's wool

How to make carding from raw wool suitable for felting at home?
Processing wool is a rather long, painstaking process. But it’s not so complicated that you shouldn’t give it up. If you have wool, you can easily master this, process it and use it for... Let's take a closer look at this process.

I had freshly sheared sheep wool for processing. This is a very good wool, known for its beneficial qualities, and I did not regret the time and effort required to wash and card it. The wool contained quite a lot of debris, matted tufts, burrs and dirt. But it’s quite possible to clean all this and turn it into a good carding machine.

First you need select large debris from wool, burrs, very dirty and matted areas. You can cut it with scissors, since we won’t be able to process it all and will have to throw it away. You don't have to go through everything at once. Let's take a small tuft of wool and work with it.
So, we sorted through the wool, leaving only more or less clean and even strands. There may be soil and small debris on them - all this can be combed out and washed.

Now our wool lay out in small strands on a mosquito net. You can just use a cloth, but with a mesh it is more convenient to wash out fine dirt.

Now carefully wrap the wool in mesh and take it to wash. The mesh is necessary to prevent the wool from matting during the washing process. You also need to keep in mind that very hot water can also cause it to become matted. You need to handle the wool very gently and smoothly.

Pour water into a bowl, put a mesh with wool in it and pour in detergent. You don’t have to skimp, since the wool is oily and you need to rinse off the lanolin thoroughly so that the wool will lie well after drying.

After immersion in soapy water, you still need to press the light with wool with your hands so that it is thoroughly saturated with soapy water, press it with your palms, and stroke it. Everything is very neat, without unnecessary effort. You can leave the wool to soak for a day.

When the time comes to pull out the wool, you need to carefully drain the water, after which rinse the package under running water, preferably from the shower so that there is no high pressure, but the water is running with a diffuse stream.

After washing the wool, without directly unrolling it, leave it with the mesh to dry. Can be put on the battery.

Wool dries quickly. After a few hours you can remove it and unfold it. Let's see what happened. The fibers look much nicer, lighter, soft and fluffy to the touch, and there is no pungent odor. The difference is quite noticeable.

This is only half the process. Now an equally important step - combing wool. Essentially this creating carding at home.

Now let's move on to carding wool. There are special ones for this brushes. But they are quite expensive, so I bought ordinary brushes from a pet store for brushing pets. They may not be as convenient, but you can still comb wool with them, and it’s accessible to everyone.

You need to comb small tufts of wool. You can hold the wool in your hand, holding the tuft between your fingers and brush with one brush, or you can brush with two brushes, with the wool in the middle.

This activity requires diligence and patience. It is necessary to take into account that debris that was not removed during washing will fall off the wool and lay down some newspaper. At the same time, to have a more enjoyable time, you can watch movies, listen to music or chat with friends.

Wool noticeably changes its structure for the better as it is calculated.

So we gradually take small tufts, comb them and put them in a bag. The comb that remains on the brushes can also be used by carefully straightening it.

It turns out soft and pleasant merino carded.

You can easily and without much stress make something out of it, for example bead It turns out quite nice.

If you decide to take up handicrafts and have purchased raw sheep wool for your purposes, then do not rush to put it into use right away. First you need to clean and wash it. Unprepared wool still contains the smell of sheep and contains a lot of debris and dust. It’s simply unpleasant to touch, and there’s no question of using it at all. It is not so easy to wash it; if you do it incorrectly, you will simply ruin the sheepskin. First, you should carefully study how to wash sheep’s wool, what products are needed for this, and how to dry it. This is what we will talk about now.

Be sure to prepare for this process. Collect everything necessary tools and detergents. You can’t just wash the raw material in the sink with soap, it will only ruin the material.

You will need the following wool washing products:

Detergent for wool products. It is better not to wash with regular powder, as it is difficult to wash out and can destroy the structure of the fibers. As a last resort, you can use regular shampoo or pet wash gel.
Dishwashing gel or other grease remover.
Mesh, wire rack, colander and container in which you will wash. The ideal solution is a cat litter box with a grid.

The mesh is necessary to make it easy to lift and lower the wool into the water; it is not advisable to touch it, and it will be inconvenient to collect it when changing the water, which will happen often.

Respirator. Wet wool has a specific, bad smell, so it’s better to close your nose.
Gauze or mesh on which the wool strands will dry.
Hair comb, wooden comb.

Washing step by step

Sort through all the sheep's wool. Remove large debris, straw, and grass from it. To make the process go faster, you can take a comb (for example, a comb for cats or dogs) and comb out the sheepskin. Additionally, you can knock out the trash with a stick. This method has been used since ancient times.
Fill a container with hot water and dilute the grease removing gel in it. This is a very important stage, since it is impossible to wash sheep’s wool without rinsing off the lanolin. Lanolin is a natural animal fat that is secreted from the skin of sheep and remains on the wool.
Place the sheep's wool on a wire rack and place it in the prepared water. Lower and raise the screen for 5-10 minutes, change the water, add detergent and lower and raise again. There is no need to stir or wring out the sheep's wool; it is better not to touch it so as not to damage it.
After half an hour of such manipulations, drain the soapy water and rinse under pressure. hot water and take a new one, diluting wool detergent in it. You need to wash in hot water, since at high temperatures the fat wax will dissolve faster, and the wool fibers will not mat.
Soak the sheepskin for one and a half to two hours, changing the soap solution every half hour. If the water cools faster, change it more often. Temperature shock should not be allowed.
Drain the soap solution one last time and fill with clean hot water. Rinse the wool, again wash only with a net. Change the water. Repeat the procedure until all the dirt and soap solution are washed away.

To prevent hair curls from becoming matted, shiny and easy to comb, you can treat them with hair conditioner. oily hair. Gently spread the balm, leave for 20-30 minutes, rinse under running warm water.

Carefully separate the wool into strands and place them on gauze or mesh to dry. Spread out in an even layer, no more than 1.5 cm thick, otherwise it will not dry well or fall off.
Dry in a well-ventilated place. Better outdoors in the sun. In apartment conditions, it is allowed to install it near the battery.

This completes the washing of sheep's wool. As you can see, this process is different from how to wash wool items. After all, finished products have already undergone all the necessary processing and their cleaning is much easier, although it has many limitations.

Further work with it depends on what exactly you are going to do. For example, if this is hair for a doll, and you want to get curly locks, then after drying the wool strands do not need to be combed. Just take them apart.

In other cases, dried strands must be thoroughly combed. Go over them with a wide-toothed wooden comb, then comb them out with a pet comb. It is necessary to comb until the strands become parallel. The sheepskin will be homogeneous and suitable for further work.

How to wash sheep wool (raw): step-by-step instruction

Raising sheep has long been practiced in a number of regions of Russia. Breeding and processing the wool of these animals on an industrial scale is considered a profitable area among farmers, as in a number of countries that sell sheep products abroad. China has the most developed production, constantly supporting more than 100 million heads, Australia has 120 million heads, India and Iran more than 50 million. New Zealand ranks fifth in terms of livestock - 47.4 million sheep, England - 42 million, The top ten includes Turkey, South Africa and Sudan.

In the Russian Federation as a whole, the livestock reaches the volumes of Spain and Morocco - today it is about 25 million heads. The first place in the world in the processing and production of wool raw materials is occupied by Australia, as well as New Zealand and China; a significant share is produced by the former southern republics of the USSR. Sheep farming and wool processing for Russia can also become an export direction, for which the state is taking action to support farming. First of all, high-quality wool raw materials are necessary to saturate the domestic market and reduce the retail price of products for daily use.

Today, Russian textile production is experiencing a serious shortage of high-quality natural raw materials, as a result there is no possibility of producing inexpensive and accessible products for the population. The development of sheep farming, focused on wool processing, can, of course, help with this. The features of organizing such a business within a farm and its prospects will be discussed in our review.

Features of the process of organizing a sheep farming business

In sheep farming, wool can be the main or additional product. Traditionally, farms produce dairy products, dietary meat, wool, smushki (skins of newborn astrakhan lambs), and natural sheepskin. Sheep breeding is developing well in those areas where there is a sufficient amount of pasture, and in the modern understanding of business, an established sales system.

It is obvious that in the end the efficiency of farm sheep farming will depend mainly on government regulation measures and on the assistance that a farmer can receive for his needs. For large businesses that want to integrate into the emerging infrastructure, the task is to establish sustainable corporate connections of the type “from primary raw materials to the final consumer.” In this case, the final consumer of textile products is the population of the country, whose demand is currently not at all satisfied.

Wool is a promising export product for network wool harvesting enterprises within the framework of public and private projects. In Russia, there is the most important factor in sheep production - vast pastures, accessible to private owners, suitable for sheep breeding. In addition, this farming business can be called one of the most affordable in terms of initial investment.

fine-fleece - breeds typical of steppes and deserts are bred;
semi-fine-fleece - bet is placed on breeds that live in areas with a mild, humid climate;
semi-coarse wool - based on sheep breeds characteristic of mountainous regions;
coarse-wooled, for example, smushkovoe - sheep of this type traditionally live in semi-desert areas and deserts.

The highest grades of wool raw materials are obtained by raising sheep in mountainous areas with desert and semi-desert pastures (tropics, subtropics). At the same time, a number of breeds from which high-quality natural raw materials are obtained can be bred in colder plains and mountainous areas. Coarse-haired breeding includes smushkovo and fur coat breeding. To the north, meat-fat and meat-and-dairy sheep of the coarse-wool and semi-coarse-wool type are mainly bred. The infographic and table show the areas where different types of sheep farming are traditionally developed.

Explanation of sheep breeding zones in Russia and CIS countries

Marking	Specialization	Regions
Blue	Fine wool sheep breeding	Altai region Stavropol region Rostov region Krasnodar region Kalmykia Dagestan Lower Volga region Omsk region Novosibirsk region Kazakhstan South of Ukraine Kyrgyzstan
Green	Fine and semi-fine wool production	Middle Volga region Republic of Bashkortostan Central regions of Russia Eastern Siberia Eastern Kazakhstan West of Ukraine Belarus
Yellow	Fine-fleece, semi-fine-fleece, meat-wool-dairy production	North Caucasus Transcaucasia
Blue	Semi-fine wool meat and wool production	Central regions of Russia Northwestern regions of Russia North-Eastern regions of Russia Baltics
Red	Fur sheep breeding	Northern regions of Russia Central regions of Russia Komi Republic The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Orange	Smushko and meat-fat sheep breeding	Orenburg region Ukraine Uzbekistan Turkmenistan Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan

Types of wool raw materials

According to existing standards, the following types of raw materials are popular with buyers:

homogeneous, obtained from one type of sheep hair, such as down or transition. It is divided into fine, semi-fine and semi-coarse.
thin fiber is obtained by shearing individuals of fine-wool breeds; their wool consists mainly of downy hair 25 microns. The length of the workpiece does not exceed 7-9 cm, and the yield of pure raw materials is approximately 45-50%. It is used to make premium soft textile products. Produced from merino and non-merino sheep;
semi-fine fiber is the coarse, thick hair of the sheep's transitional undercoat and coarse down. It is obtained from semi-fine-fleece sheep and fine-fleece and semi-fine-fleece hybrids common in Russia. It is mainly used as a raw material for the production of class 2 felt, including for technical and industrial applications.

From the above list it is obvious that for breeding in most areas Russian Federation semi-fine-fleece breeds are suitable, for example: Sovetskaya, North Caucasus, Kuibyshevskaya and others. To increase productive yield and unpretentiousness, farms practice selection by crossing fine-wool sheep breeds with males.

It is worth drawing the attention of future farmers that fine-wool sheep are well adapted to Russian conditions. According to the dissertation of I.E. Kremer, defended at the Timiryazev Academy, the share of fine wool breeds in Russia accounts for up to 81% of the total volume of wool produced, and the share of fine raw materials – 76%. Private sheep farms may well be engaged in the production of high-quality wool and finished consumer products.

Choosing a breed for effective business

To obtain raw materials High Quality The emphasis is on breeding long-haired, semi-fine-fleece breeds. Such individuals produce a sufficient amount of uniform white wool with a characteristic “luster” shine with a fiber length of 10-14 cm, in some cases the fiber length reaches 20 cm. The best long-haired species include the Lincoln and Russian Longhair.

The Lincoln breed produces wool with a strong lustre (shine) and is highly prized. It is distinguished by its long fiber length and high strength. With normal shearing, 8-10 kg of raw material is obtained from rams and 5-6 kg from ewes. The raw shorn mass consists of coarse fiber braids, from which 55-60% of purified wool fiber can be obtained. The breed is kept in a cool climate and is demanding in terms of conditions.

The Russian Longhair was obtained through a complex selection of coarse-haired individuals of local Russian breeds with Lincolns. Like all hybrids, they are distinguished by good health and endurance, and also have excellent wool productivity. The shearing from a ram is 6-6.5 kg of wool and 3.5-4.8 kg from females. The raw material is homogeneous with crimped fiber and a beautiful luster shine.

Conventionally, the “second” grade of semi-fine wool producers includes semi-luster wool of the Kuibyshevskaya, Romney-marsh, and Corridel breeds. At the same time, for example, Romney Marsh allows you to obtain up to 8-9 kg of raw material from a ram 14-16 cm long with a yield of finished wool fiber of up to 60-65%.

The Kuibyshev breed is bred mainly in the southern regions (mainly in the Middle Volga region) due to its good tolerance to high temperatures. From a sheep, up to 5.5 kg of raw meat, 12-17 cm long, is obtained with a yield of pure fiber of up to 54-56%.

Large clipping is characteristic of Corridel, as well as its subspecies - Tien Shan and North Caucasian, which can be contained all year round to the pasture. The original Corridel breed was developed naturally in New Zealand by crossing Merino sheep and Lincoln rams. Mixtures produce a beautiful white or "warm" white coat.

The so-called crossbred wool, obtained from crosses of fine-fleece and semi-fine-fleece individuals, is highly valued by buyers. Hybrids make it possible to obtain raw materials of long fiber length with good crimp, luster, and even fineness. The most popular is the crossbred Tien Shan breed, which allows you to get up to 8-10 kg per ram. The yield of washed raw materials is 69-70% with a fiber length of up to 12.5 cm. This breed is common in Kyrgyzstan.

Primary processing of wool

In sheep-breeding areas, both shorn raw wool and finished washed raw materials can be delivered to procurement enterprises. Finished raw materials are accepted in bulk quantities of guaranteed quality by textile factories that process raw wool into finished products - fabrics or threads.

For this reason, opening a wool processing plant in order to obtain a high-quality semi-finished product in a traditional sheep-raising area or on your own farm can become a profitable area. Higher incomes are associated with bypassing procurement enterprises when supplying raw materials, which collect raw materials from the population. If they have their own processing production, farmers will independently sell their products and those of neighboring farms to factories, receiving higher incomes.

The standard production line includes washing machines and dryers. Please note that this equipment can be used to process virgin raw materials of any fiber, such as cotton or flax. Small industrial lines allow processing from 15 to 400 kg per hour, including ensuring continuous production. The final stage involves drying and dehydration. The overall dimensions and equipment of the line will depend on the productivity.

For a small farm, it makes sense to purchase a small washing line for processing with a productivity of 15 kg/h, which will cover the needs of a fairly large farm supplying the factory directly. Such equipment is produced, for example, by the Chinese company Zhengzhou Aslan Machinery Co., represented on Alibaba and offering to purchase lines with delivery throughout Russia. A closed supply cycle allows factories to produce products with guaranteed quality wool, controlled by origin.

Video - Industrial line for washing and drying wool

Recycling Tools

At home and on the farm, tools help make wool processing convenient and quick. Sheep shearing is usually carried out with specialized clippers, but if they are not available, you can get by with ordinary sheep shearing scissors.

To process raw wool manually, you will need the following equipment:

scissors or clipper;
wool comb;
carder for combing wool, manual or mechanical;
spindle;
spinning wheel;
loom.

The minimum set of tools for making the first wool products consists of only 6 items. With its help you can make a fairly large range of products, as well as exclusive designer models.

If you keep goats or sheep on your farm, you can harvest your own wool. And for these purposes you will probably need a wool comb. You can find out more about it in our article.

Hand processing of sheep's wool

In many traditional sheep-raising areas, the practice of manual primary processing of wool has been preserved to this day. It consists of the following technological processes.

Step	Description
1	Shearing. During shearing, craftsmen sort the raw material by grade, setting aside the dirty pieces. At the next stage, highly contaminated raw materials will be subject to more thorough processing.
2	Combing and preliminary cleaning of raw materials. Comb it with a thick comb. As a rule, wool is combed only in industrial conditions to remove large dirt before washing.
3	The wool is dried in a dryer or in the sun until the smell of sheep grease disappears.
4	Washing and degreasing fleece.
5	The washed wool is wrung out using terry cloth and dried openly or in the sun. Large volumes are hung in a separate room, under a canopy or in the sun, and the washed fleece is also laid out on a mesh for ventilation.
6	Easy combing of wool with a wooden comb.
7	The penultimate stage of processing is lightly beating the wool with a wooden rod to make it soft.
8	Hand spinning of threads and then fabrics using hand looms and tools.

Video - Combing wool before spinning

Starting a wool processing business

Creating a wool processing business is profitable in any format. This may be a small production aimed at meeting regional needs, or it may include a full cycle production with sheep rearing. For large owners, it is advisable to create a network of workshops for the primary processing of wool in order to create conditions for the development of farm meat and wool sheep production. For large farms, it makes sense to develop their own wool processing production, which will allow them to buy significant volumes of raw wool from the population for wholesale trade.

The most affordable business option is to open a small workshop that provides primary preparation of raw materials, as well as a small production based on it, producing bedding, textiles made from natural wool, and tinted wool for felting. This direction requires a minimum of funds for investment, but allows us to produce products that are in demand among the population.

In this context, it is worth noting the current reorganization of worsted production in Russia. After a protracted crisis, many manufacturing enterprises producing woolen fabrics and products were closed. Now the revival of Russian textile traditions is beginning. The Bryansk worsted mill is active in the market and will restore the production capacity of a similar Tver mill, which was closed in 2006. These factories will become major buyers of primary raw materials in the near future.

It is impossible not to note the thoughtful work of the Trinity Worsted Factory. If the main problem of many enterprises in previous periods was the lack of a sufficient volume of competitive raw materials, as well as the inability to compete with Turkish and Chinese manufacturers.

At the moment, there is an intensification of domestic producers in all areas of production of essential goods, and therefore the need for the production and primary processing of wool is increasing.

This business can be deployed in the following formats:

a network enterprise with its own production for the procurement and processing of raw wool purchased from the population and regional farms for the purpose of wholesale supplies to factories and export of products;
a small workshop for processing raw wool in areas of traditional sheep breeding for the needs of the region;
full-cycle wool processing enterprises with spinning production in areas of traditional sheep farming to meet regional needs.

In the near future, experts expect an increase in business activity in this area, which involves both updating the processing business and increasing the profits of sheep farms. The largest consumers of wool in the Russian Federation are:

Alekseevskaya artistic weaving factory;
Voskresenskaya felt factory;
Spinning and thread mill named after Kirov;
Bor Felt Factory;
Kineshma Spinning and Weaving Factory;
Yuryev-Polsk weaving factory;
Factory "Red Weaver".

Active consumers of washed wool also remain: spinning production in Ermolino, Pekhorsky textiles, Moscow Wool Spinning Factory, Reutov Manufactory, Krasnaya Polyana factory.

Organization of production

Raw wool processing production consists of the following stages, which involve the organization of premises and production lines:

acceptance and sorting of raw materials;
wool processing on a de-hairing machine;
line for processing tangles and removing debris;
a section of immersion baths and squeezing machines providing 5 washing cycles;
drying of washed fiber;
package;
finished goods warehouse.

Depending on the productivity of the equipment, production can be located on an area from 30 to 250 m. Production areas include an area for receiving and primary processing of wool, washing and drying, packaging and storage of finished products. Such production, depending on productivity, can serve from 5 to 25 people; the production process is characterized by a small number of workers.

Additionally, a felting workshop is being organized for the production of felt and felt, as well as spinning production; a workshop for the production of textile products is equipped in a separate room. The cost of the equipment will depend on the supplier and production capacity.

Production of various products from sheep fiber

Non-factory production of sheep wool products, including primary processing of raw materials, spinning, felting and weaving, may be based in part on manual labor. The manual production method becomes key feature, and such a product is labeled as premium and hand-made.

Felting kits, ready-made wool for sewing products, felt for making hats, sets for saunas and baths, therapeutic clothing - knee pads, wristbands, lumbar warming belts, various accessories and household items, for example, designer slippers, are made from sheep fiber by hand. as well as various warm woolen clothing.

Bedding with wool filling, such as pillows, blankets, and mattress covers, are also in demand among consumers. This list of products for your farm production can be expanded and supplemented, for example, with designer outerwear, traditional felt boots and fashionable shoes from felt. The livestock complex can be expanded to include other animals, for example, Angora rabbits, Alpaca goats and others. This will allow us to produce a variety of premium products.

The structure of sheep wool contributes to its rapid contamination. Long thick fibers intertwine horizontally with each other. The fur and skin underneath are fragile, loose, and get wet easily. For clothing and shoes, sheepskin, or as it is also called, sheepskin, is used with the leather layer facing up. Rugs are placed fur side up. Washing sheep's wool at home is not difficult if you choose the right products.

The main causes of sheep wool contamination

If you do not properly care for items made from sheep wool, they will become yellowish.

Usually both layers get dirty. Dirt gets stuck between the long, thick fibers. It is quite difficult to pick it out from the rolled up hairs. Spilled coffee and liquids with artificial and natural dyes are also quickly absorbed into the loose layer of the product.

Lack of regular care leads to the fact that the fur becomes dull and acquires a yellowish tint.

How to properly clean sheep's wool items

Washing is done by hand and machine. The latter is used only if the product is small and the instructions for it allow machine cleaning. In this case, you must follow the general rules:

Avoid exposure to aggressive particles.
Do not rub the product too much or twist it.
Washing water should not exceed a temperature of 40 °C.
Avoid prolonged contact with liquids.

Do not leave sheep wool items crumpled after washing. Any product should be straightened before drying.

Wash by hand

Before cleaning the entire product, you need to make sure there are no stains or heavy dirt. Process each of them separately. Also tidy up the fur separately.

When washing by hand, it is recommended to first whip the detergent into foam, and then treat the clothes or rug with it. If the mixture is applied directly to the sheepskin, it must be quickly beaten with your hands or a sponge. You can wash off the foam only with warm or cool water, never hot.

After washing, dry the product thoroughly. If hardened areas have formed, they need to be kneaded. The last stage is combing.

Machine washable

In this case, a special mode for wool or delicate washing is used. At the first stage, it is also recommended to check for stains, get rid of them, and then begin machine processing of sheep wool at home.

The spin speed should not exceed 600 rpm. Upon completion of washing, the items are dried, straightened, and combed if necessary.

Safe products and tools

Items made from sheep's wool should be brushed with a stiff brush.

Stiff brushes deal with stains. They are used only in areas of intense pollution. In other places, the massaging effect of the hands is enough.
Dirt often accumulates on the surface near pockets, belts, buttons, and in the seam area. Rubber brushes or a stationery eraser are used for cleaning.
Rubber or regular sponges for washing help to whip up the foam.

Combing the skin is done with hard brushes. It could even be a cat comb or products made from wire.

Safe chemistry

Only special products can be used to clean sheep's wool. Ordinary powders cannot be used, even if they are pre-dissolved. They are difficult to wash off, can damage the surface, and after use the wool becomes dull and loses softness.

You should also avoid preparations containing chlorine. This substance has a destructive effect on wool.

The cleaning agent must be liquid and have gentle properties. A distinctive feature of most preparations suitable for wool is the presence of lanolin as an active ingredient. It ensures the safety of the fibers.

At home, preparations for washing and removing stains are used, for example:

Henkel. Available in the form of a liquid concentrate that preserves the tenderness and softness of things. Has a pleasant aroma. Easy to rinse.
Wool Care. Prevents hair from rolling and copes well with cleansing in cold water.
Sommieres Powder. Designed to be removed greasy stains. The product is applied to the contaminated area and left for several hours. Then remove it carefully with a napkin.
Living Licker Konz. Restores shine, cleanses, gives softness.
Ultra Finish Milk. Designed for cleaning, eliminating the appearance of sticky fluff, and restoring shine.
Vanish. The product is mixed with water, then whipped until foamy and applied to the product with a sponge.
Villi. The domestic product is perfect for hand washing.

Along with cleaning products, you can use soft rinses, conditioners, and balms. Applicable Domal, AlmaWin.

Any chemical composition must first be tested on the inner surface to make sure that it will not damage the product.

Advantages of traditional methods

Household chemicals are effective and reliable. They act gently when cleaning sheep wool products. They often have a delicate scent that gives the product freshness. However, you can also use folk remedies, which also have their advantages:

Most of the substances used are always at hand.
They rarely cause allergies.
Homemade formulations are much cheaper.
They cope with stains and dirt no worse than chemicals.

Main disadvantage folk remedies– they are suitable for manual cleaning only.

Most Effective Home Remedies

For removal of heavy contaminants use ammonia. It is mixed with cool water in equal quantities, then a sponge is soaked in it and applied to contaminated areas.

To restore brightness, vibrant fur color use walnuts. They are crushed, put in gauze and rubbed on the fur until a shine appears. Walnut oil has a similar effect. A cotton swab is moistened in it and the skin is wiped.

Coping with yellowness 3% hydrogen peroxide helps. 2 tbsp. l. The liquid is mixed with 1 liter of water. Treat the surface of the product with the resulting solution, avoiding deep rubbing.

The inner leather layer is cleaned using a paste of potato peelings. They are washed, squeezed, ground. The resulting mixture is applied in a thin layer to the surface, which is then cleaned with a brush and removed with a dry cloth.

A mixture of Vaseline (1 tablespoon), one yolk, two glasses of warm water is used to restore softness. It is applied to the skin in a thin layer, the excess is removed.

Glycerin mixed with water returns elasticity. The mixture must first sit overnight. And if you heat it up and apply it to the product, you can remove tea and coffee stains.

Get rid of unpleasant odor , which especially often occurs after winter, helps with essential oil added to 3 tbsp. l. soda The resulting composition is carefully distributed over the product, which is then left for a day. Then the soda is shaken off and the sheepskin is washed.

For cleaning rugs starch, talc or tooth powder are used from sheep's wool. The product is first vacuumed, then sprinkled with powder, which is gently rubbed with your hands. If dirt remains, the item is processed again until the fur is clean. In some cases, it is recommended to leave the substance on the skin for 4 hours.

After cleaning, shake the sheepskin and comb the pile with a stiff brush.

How to care for sheepskin items

Clothes made from sheep's wool should be stored on hangers in a special case.

If the item is worn in unfavorable conditions or is exposed to precipitation, protective water-repellent agents should be used.
It is advisable to inspect your items every week to check for any contaminated areas. They must be cleaned immediately, because old stains are more difficult to get rid of.
Shake out woolen items as often as possible, especially for rugs, blankets, and shoes. This measure will help get rid of surface contamination and dust.
Use a vacuum cleaner to remove debris.
Avoid contact with liquid. If the product gets wet, it should be dried in a well-ventilated, warm room. Sheepskin coats and clothes should be hung on hangers. Place blankets and rugs on a horizontal surface. Hair dryers and radiators should not be used for drying.
Be sure to comb the sheepskin after each cleaning.
During the initial processing of wool, it is necessary to put in order not only the hide, but also the skin of the product.
For storage, use covers with a breathable surface made from natural fabrics. It is advisable not to put woolen items in a pile or pile. There should be space between them to allow air to pass through.

An envelope or set made of sheep's wool intended for children requires special care. If the instructions say that it can be machine washed, you need to use the delicate cycle. In this case, special children's wool products are used. If the lining is detachable, the upper part is machine washed and the fur is cleaned by hand.

Any products made from wool, be it home textiles or clothing, are valued for being natural and giving warmth and a feeling of comfort.

Woolen items are wear-resistant, look attractive for a long time, and retain their natural properties, provided that they are properly cared for.

One of the mandatory procedures carried out regularly is washing.

Woolen fabrics, unlike artificial and cotton fabrics, do not need frequent washing. They get dirty a little, and stains that appear on them are often easy to remove. Just wait until the dirt dries and brush it off. One of the disadvantages of woolen items is that they quickly absorb odors, including smoke, food, and sweat. Airing in the open air helps to refresh the product. Such minimal but systematic care without washing significantly extends the life of your favorite sweaters, sundresses, pants and coats. If you cannot do without wet cleaning, it should be done in strict accordance with the information indicated on the label. Otherwise, the product may become stiff, mat, stretch, or, conversely, decrease in size.

Delicate wool materials such as cashmere, alpaca, angora, mohair can only be washed by hand. The water temperature should be no more than 30 degrees. Soap shavings, hair shampoo, and a special gel for delicate fabrics are used as detergents. To keep the wool soft afterwards, add a spoonful of glycerin to the soap solution. You can drip a little for scent essential oil. Prolonged soaking is contraindicated for wool products: to ensure that they are well saturated with water, immersion for 5–10 minutes is sufficient. During the washing process, the item should not be intensively rubbed, pulled, or twisted. Make sure that the water temperature is the same at all stages of the operation.

An alternative to household chemicals can be natural products, for example, mustard. For each liter of solution take 15 g of dry powder. The mustard is poured with warm (not hot!) water and infused for 2 hours. Then the resulting solution is carefully poured into a basin, being careful not to stir up the powder that has settled to the bottom. The solution is diluted with hot water. The remaining sediment will be good for another wash.

Soapwort roots are also a natural cleanser. You can purchase the plant extract at a herbal pharmacy or eco-shop. Per kilogram of dry items, 50 g of “soap root” is required. A day before the planned washing, pour the crushed roots with two glasses of boiling water. Later allotted time the infusion is filtered and boiled over low heat. After 1–2 hours, when the broth has cooled, it is poured into a container with warm water. Another “eco” option is to wash woolen items in a decoction of potatoes (1 kg per 10 liters of water) or white beans (1 kg per 5 liters of water).

Important! Do not overuse detergents, as it will be difficult to rinse them out later. Wool washes perfectly even in clean water.

If you bought raw sheep wool for needlework, you must first comb it, removing straw and debris, and then wash it by hand in soapy water.

In a bowl of hot water, dilute any detergent that removes grease well: laundry or dishwashing gel, regular shampoo.
Place the raw meat, folded in a colander or mesh bag, into a soap solution. After 5-10 minutes, lift and allow excess liquid to drain.
Change the water. Repeat the entire procedure 2-3 more times. Finally, to wash off the dissolved fats, rinse the sheep's wool with running hot water.
Using a synthetic detergent, prepare a new solution. Soak the raw cheese for 2 hours. Make sure that there are no strong temperature fluctuations: as soon as the water begins to cool, change it to new one.
After the allotted time, rinse the wool thoroughly, washing away the soap solution and dirt.
To ensure that clean raw hair subsequently shines and is easy to comb, treat it with balm for oily hair. After half an hour, rinse the wool.
After the liquid has drained, remove the raw cheese from the mesh (colander) and spread it in a centimeter layer on gauze. It is good if the wool is dried in the sun in the open air. In an apartment, raw materials can be dried near a hot radiator.

Can wool be washed in a washing machine? Yes, if there are no “do not wash” or “hand wash only” icons on the tag. It is advisable to resort to the help of a machine in caring for practical products made of camel hair. Blankets, blankets, pillows can be pre-soaked for a third of an hour in a solution with a small amount detergent. Before loading them into the machine, rinse them thoroughly and then allow the water to drain. The temperature is set to 30 degrees.

It is better to dry clean a thin, soft item made from an expensive subspecies of camel hair - vigoni. If the tag says that it can be washed in a machine, the water temperature is set to 30–40 degrees, and spinning and drying are not included. Either coat gel or shampoo is poured into the tray.

How to wash sheep's wool in a washing machine? Woolen clothing is turned inside out before loading. To the tray washing machine add a gentle detergent ( better gel) and air conditioning. On the control panel, select the “no spin” and “wool” modes, the temperature “30°”. The same parameters are set when washing blankets and pillows filled with sheep wool.

Important! Do not overload the washing machine. Woolen items, when absorbing water, become very heavy, so you can load no more than 2 kg of dry laundry at a time.

After washing, wool products are not twisted: they are placed in an empty basin, waiting for the water to drain. Small items can be wrung out by wrapping them in a terry towel. When the excess liquid is gone, the products should be shaken and laid out horizontally. Place a terry or cotton sheet folded several times under the still damp item.

During the drying stage, try to carefully straighten woolen items so that there are no folds or distortions. Turn them over from time to time, changing the fabric placed underneath. Knitted items, which contain synthetics in addition to wool fibers, are dried on hangers. If creases still form on the product, smooth them out from the wrong side with an iron. Set the temperature to medium, use steam, use wet gauze folded in half.

How to dry clean a wool coat at home? Sprinkle the item hung on a hanger with a small amount washing powder for wool. Wipe the fabric with a damp sponge and remove any remaining detergent with a soft cloth. Brush and dry the coat.
You can remove dirt stains from wool with a strong vinegar solution. For white woolen fabrics, it is better to use hydrogen peroxide. Stains from chocolate and sweat are removed by a strong solution of salt; stains from milk, tea, and coffee are removed by warm glycerin. To get rid of fresh oily marks on the coat, apply tooth powder or talcum powder for 3-4 hours.
Traces from oil paint wipe with gasoline. Apply salt to a fresh stain from berries or juice, and after half an hour wash the treated area with warm soapy water. Lipstick marks disappear when rubbed with alcohol. Fresh onion juice removes scorch marks left by a hot iron and traces of mold.
How to get rid of the smell of sweat on woolen clothes? Wipe the sweat-soaked areas with an acid solution (1 teaspoon of vinegar per 100 ml of water). If desired, acetic acid can be replaced with lemon juice.
To make woolen items smell nice, place them in your wardrobe with dry napkins soaked in 3-4 drops of lavender oil (patchouli or cedar are more suitable for men). This will not only give your clothes a pleasant floral aroma, but will also repel moths.
Shiny areas often appear on wool trousers and jackets. You can remove shine by moistening the cloth with a solution of vinegar (1 part water and 2 parts acid) or an infusion of strong tea. When the treated areas are dry, iron them through gauze.