On Mon, 12 Dec 2005 23:57:44 +0100, "Aud"
spewed forth :

I agree, Wooly, but not TOO hot water
Since the persentage of wool is as high as 85!
I would stop at 40 *C.
Aud ;-)

Bah. Heat isn't what fulls sweaters, agitation is. Wool will full in
cold water if you make it angry enough. It'll even full with no water
at all, but that takes a LOT of work We have two water heaters.
The one that serves the kitchen and the utility room is set at 140f,
or about 60c. Water much under 120f won't cut the lanolin out of a
fresh fleece, and much under 130f won't cut the lanolin out of an old
dried fleece.

I have no trouble with accidental fulling or felting unless I forget
to turn off the washer. The first time it happened I caught it just
as it started dumping cold rinsewater onto a $30/lb fleece and I
managed to save most of the wool. The second time I poked in the wool
and left the house, only to return and find a nice wreath base in the
washer - not only did I forget to turn off the washer, I had the
washer set for a SECOND RINSE, and with heavy agitation to boot.

One can shock a sweate scouring it in hot water and then dumping it
into a cold rinse. The rinse should be at least as warm, if not
moreso, than the wash.

Jm2c

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