Washing Fiber

After the initial fiber processing I was the fiber.

I soak my fiber in a 5 gallon bucket with a cover, using the hottest tap water I can. I like the first soak to just be hot water. My second and sometimes third soak contains Dawn Dish detergent. Get the original blue DAWN. I let the fiber soak for a few hours in a covered 5 gallon bucket for about 2 hours. No need to time it precisely, just don’t let the water get cold. Many people recommend having a second 5 gallon bucket ready with hot water ready so that as soon as you dump the 1st soaking bucket you are ready to move the fiber to your second bucket. This can be helpful as the main thing about cleaning fiber is you do NOT want to agitate the fiber in the hot soapy water as this can felt your fiber.

Many people soak the fiber in a net bag which can be helpful when transferring the fiber form your wash bucket to your rinse bucket. I like this approach as anything to simplify and make my life easier I like to incorporate.

Once you are satisfied with how clean your fiber is rise by soaking in a 5 gallon bucket with hot water to remove any remaining soap. Once clean and rinsed wring out water and dry your fiber in an area that will allow it to dry without the wind blowing it away. I have dried in my house, but wet fiber smells a lot like a wet dog. If possible dry the fiber on a net or some sort of surface that will allow air to surround the fiber. if this is not possible you can turn the fiber over as it drys. For your first batch start small and you will have a better idea on where and how you will dry a larger batch. I have a fiber tumbler and that can be helpful in completing thee drying process, but it is not necessary.