Mastering the Art of Washing Raw Wool

Mastering the Art of Washing Raw Wool

An interview with Mary Egbert

Welcome to My Way Acres, fellow fiber enthusiasts! Today, we are thrilled to embark on an exciting exploration of the proper way to scour or wash raw wool. As shearing and processing season unfolds, it’s the perfect time to learn the secrets of efficient and effective wool washing. We all know the importance of saving time, resources, and, of course, our beloved fleeces. That’s why we are delighted to have a very special guest joining us on this fiber-filled journey: the knowledgeable Mary Egbert from Camaj Fiber Arts. With her expertise and insights, we’ll uncover the best practices for achieving pristine results while maximizing our savings. So, grab your knitting needles, spin your favorite wheel, and let’s dive into the art of wool scouring together. We’re immensely grateful to Mary for sharing her time and wisdom with us. Get ready to revolutionize your fiber preparation routine and deepen your love for all things fiber arts!

How to Wash Raw Wool with Mary Egbert of Camaj Fiber Arts

*This post contains affiliate links.*
~Images provided by: Mary Egbert

  • Jocelyn : I would like to welcome Mary Egbert of Camaj Fiber Arts to the blog. Thank you Mary for joining us and sharing your expertise.

    Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about how you first started to work with wool, as well as your experience with washing raw wool?

    • Mary: My name is Mary Egbert and I got my start in the fiber arts when we purchased our first few alpacas. This quickly grew to a herd of 25. I took classes and seminars to learn about the animal and their fiber. I then ventured into the realm of wool and realized it was a different animal, especially in regards to scouring. I was then on a mission to research, study and practice to get the best outcomes when scouring wool and mohair.

  • Jocelyn: You have two daughters that work with you in Camaj Fiber Arts. Tell us their journey into the fiber arts world.
    • Mary: Yes, my two daughters, Jessica and Carissa work with me. They were asked to jump on board because, frankly, I needed the help and they could use a little extra income. I love that they are working with me and it helps them because they are both stay-at-home-moms.
  • Jocelyn: For most spinners purchasing an entire fleece is a large investment in both time and money. Could you share any tips on selecting a good fleece for processing at home?
  • Jocelyn: What equipment do you recommend to have on hand to process a fleece or wash raw wool, both bare necessities and ideal supplies?
    • Mary: The items I have on hand when scouring are a large vessel: bowl or bucket, soap, hot, soft water, white vinegar, a spin dryer and a drying rack such as a mesh sweater dryer. A beginner does not need the spin dryer, it’s a luxury item for me that I now can’t live without. Nor is the drying rack necessary. When I washed alpaca back in the day I would lay the fiber out on towels after I removed the excess water.

  • Jocelyn: What are common methods used to wash raw wool? What are the pros and cons of each method?
    • Mary: The most common method is the aqueous method which means the wool is submerged in a scouring liquor, e.g., soap and water. Then you have an old time method called the suint method. It is very stinky, actually quite putrid, and can take days to complete the process.
  • Jocelyn: Which method do you prefer or use to wash raw wool most often and why?
    • Mary: I prefer the aquaeous method. Fast, easy and instant gratification.
  • Jocelyn: How does a fleece need to be prepped for washing?
    • Mary: A fleece should be well skirted to remove any urine or poopy areas, remove any large bits of VM. That’s pretty much all I do. If it still has vm I can take care of that during the prepping phase after it’s scoured.

  • Jocelyn: What soaps do you recommend to wash raw wool with? Are there any that should be avoided (even if we hear others recommend them)?
    • Mary: I recommend any soap that is formulated for the job, which in this case is wool. However, dishwashing soaps are ok for some heartier breeds. Steer clear of any soaps with enzymes such as laundry detergents or other soaps with enzyme boosters. Enzymes are meant to break down protein and wool is a protein fiber.
  • Jocelyn: Could you walk us through the steps involved in how to wash raw wool once it is prepped?
    • Mary: Here are my bare bones steps
      1. Fill a vessel with hot water and soap
      2. Gently submerge the wool
      3. Let the wool sit in the scour solution (soap and water) for 15 minutes.
      4. Gently remove the wool.
      5. Scour twice if the wool has extra lanolin.
      6. Rinse: Fill a vessel with hot water and a glug of white vinegar.
      7. Submerge the fiber and let “rinse” for about 10 – 15 minutes
      8. Remove excess water by either rolling in a towel or using a spin dryer. That’s it!

( For a more detailed information and step by step see Mary’s Book! )

  • Jocelyn: Let’s talk about water temperature! There are so many recommendations out there about water temperature. The first time you and I spoke, I was looking for help with a Shetland fleece that was breaking and I couldn’t figure out why! It turns out I had used water too hot for the fiber type and damaged the hair. I am obviously personally invested in this answer and want to spare others from damaging an entire fleece. (Family, be expecting dryer balls for Christmas!) So what are best practices for water temperatures when you wash raw wool and how does that vary by fleece type?
    • Mary: Ahhh water. So much about water when scouring. Temperature is one very important aspect. If you are scouring wool or fiber with lanolin, you need the water hot enough to melt the lanolin so the soap can remove it and suspend it in the water. The melting point of lanolin is about 100 degrees F to 140 degrees F. I usually scour at 120 degrees F because while it sits for that 15 minutes of scouring the water will cool off. If the water temperature goes below 100 degrees F the lanolin will start to solidify again and could re-attach to the wool. I use a thermometer throughout the scouring process to keep the water at an optimal temperature and ensure the lanolin will be in that melted state.
    • Mary: Ahhh water. So much about water when scouring. Temperature is one very important aspect. If you are scouring wool or fiber with lanolin, you need the water hot enough to melt the lanolin so the soap can remove it and suspend it in the water. The melting point of lanolin is about 100 degrees F to 140 degrees F. I usually scour at 120 degrees F because while it sits for that 15 minutes of scouring the water will cool off. If the water temperature goes below 100 degrees F the lanolin will start to solidify again and could re-attach to the wool. I use a thermometer throughout the scouring process to keep the water at an optimal temperature and ensure the lanolin will be in that melted state.

  • Jocelyn: Is there any other aspect of the washing process that would vary according to fleece type?
    • Mary: That is a great question and the answer is yes. Alpaca does not need as hot of water because it does not have lanolin, but I find it does best in hot vs cool water. Mohair is another fiber I find you need to use a little hotter water to remove that waxy coating.
  • Jocelyn: Obviously, felting is a concern whilst washing, how can that be avoided?
    • Mary: I think that is the biggest fear that stops people from scouring their own fiber, but it’s not something to be afraid of. Just scour a handful to get a feel for it before you dive in and do an entire fleece.
    • The number one thing to avoid felting is be gentle. Move the fiber slowly, remove it from the scour water gently, don’t squeeze it with a fist or knead it, don’t over handle it. The second thing is don’t put your wool in hot water than into cold water. There are instances where you might want to do this such as if you wanted to make the fiber felt. Third is don’t use alkaline soaps.

  • Jocelyn: Are there other common mistakes you see people make? How can those be avoided?
    • Mary: The biggest thing I see is not using enough water.
  • Jocelyn: How do you know when the wool is clean enough? How do you know you got all of the lanolin out?
    • Mary: It can be difficult to tell when the wool is still wet if all the lanolin is removed. However, using really good scouring techniques and understanding the process. In fact, I scoured a Romney that had so much lanolin I could wring it out. I only scoured that once and it was beautiful. On the other hand, a fine, really crimpy fiber may require two scours due to the surface area. It really boils down to experience.and practice scouring wool.

  • Jocelyn: What is the best way to dry the wool afterwards? Please share all the tricks for getting out as much water as possible, it amazes me how much water wool can hold!
    • Mary: My trick is a floor model spin dryer. I used to use a salad spinner, but I got tired of spinning it by hand and I could not make it go nearly as fast as an electric spin dryer. I set the spun out wool outside or in the bathroom from a hanging sweater dryer, the mesh type, it works perfectly. Before I had a spin dryer, I would wash alpaca, squeeze the water out in a towel, put it in front of a gas fireplace and it still took about two days to dry. Now, my fiber is dry in a matter of a few hours, even in the Florida humidity. If you are serious about scouring the spin dryer is a fantastic investment.

  • Jocelyn: Sometimes despite our best efforts the wool doesn’t come out white as snow or is discolored in comparison to the rest of the fleece, usually the tips. Could you tell us a bit about common causes and what, if anything, can be done about it?
    • Mary: Staining or discoloration can be frustrating. Let’s talk about staple tips first. Some tips are just plain weathered by being in the elements for 365 days. Some are so weather they are weak and break off. Some are quite strong, but extra dirty. You can either “scrub” the tips in the scour liquor or cut the tips off if one does not like them.
    • Some fleeces get a bit of yellow discoloration which can be urine staining or a bacteria growth often call Canary staining. Once the wool is scoured, growth of the bacteria stops. This is one good reason to scour wool sooner rather than years later. This does not weaken the wool, I have found in the canary stained wools I’ve had, but that is not to say it’s possible. The yellow area is not sticky and when processed you can barely notice it.
  • Jocelyn: Now that we have washed, dried, and clean wool, what is the best way to store it? What about moths?
    • Mary: I store my wool in plastic totes with a tight fitting lid. Some I store in plastic bags that have a good seal. Store in a space with good climate control. If stored properly with a tight fitting lid there is a reduced risk of moths. One mill I went to used pure pine oil on wood rounds. They hung the wood rounds around their fiber room. I do the same thing and *knock on wood* have not had moths.
  • Jocelyn: Whew, that’s a lot of work! But such a fulfilling journey. You literally wrote the book about this journey, “The Art of Washing Wool, Mohair & Alpaca Scour Wool Like a Boss”! After my last fleece disaster I made sure to snap up your book, it has been very helpful and I appreciate that you go into the science behind scouring. How did that book come about and what research or prep work did you do for writing it?
    • Mary: The book came about after many scouring failures and my tenacity to figure out why. I researched published papers in the fiber industry and studied large fiber mills that use really, really, big scour trains. I practiced over and over again until all my trials turned out the same. I realized there were no books on the market focusing on scouring and felt the community really needed one.

  • Jocelyn: You also offer a handful of helpful courses through your Camaj School of Fiber Arts about the scour and fiber prep process. Could you tell us more about those?
    • Mary: Of course, I taught in person at live festivals for many years. In 2019 I decided to put my classes online. I was asked over and over again to please put them online so those that could not attend classes could learn. In 2020 the Camaj School of Fiber Arts was born. I now have 3,546 enrolled students learning the art of the fiber arts.

  • Jocelyn: What other course do you offer in addition to scouring and fiber prep?
    • Mary: I offer a marketing course and also a course how to make your own online course.

  • Jocelyn: Any plans on writing additional books?
    • Mary: I have a book that was put on the back-burner years ago as I ventured into online teaching. Perhaps I will resurrect it and publish it next year. Stay tuned.
  • Jocelyn: Is there anything else that you would like to add?
    • Mary: I would like to thank you for this opportunity and to the fiber community for their continued love and support.

Jocelyn: Again, thank you so much for joining us and for making such a helpful book available to us. Hope to hear from you again soon!

As we come to the end of this interview, I’m truly thrilled by the wealth of knowledge and insights Mary has shared about washing raw wool. I want to express my sincere gratitude to Mary for joining us on the blog and generously sharing her expertise. Her passion for fiber arts is evident, and I can’t help but be intrigued by the courses she offers on her website. Let’s keep our love for fiber arts alive and embrace the sheer joy of crafting beautiful creations together. Here’s to exploring the captivating world of wool processing and unlocking our boundless creative potential!

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