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Sheep's wool contains lanolin as a form of protection against nature and insects. Human use of lanolin is as old as the use of wool. Extracting it is easy to do at home and is a great way to get lanolin that is pure, free of industrial chemicals and ready for use in homemade products.
Steps
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Obtain raw wool pieces or fleece that has not been washed . Raw wool or fleece can be purchased direct from a sheep farm, or, if you have your own sheep, use your own fleece.
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Fill a pot with water until full. The pot should be large enough to contain all the wool. It might be easier to do this outdoors over an open fire if you have a large amount of fleece.Advertisement
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Add 1 - 3 tablespoons of salt to the water. [2] X Research source
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Bring the water to boil. Keep the wool boiling over a period of several hours. During this time, keep an eye on the boiling water and add more water as it evaporates off. Do not leave unattended as the water could boil off and burn the wool.
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Remove the wool from the boiling water. Do this using a pair of tongs or large slotted spoons.
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Keep the water boiling until all the water evaporates off. The remaining substance is lanolin. [3] X Research source
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Pour the lanolin through a cheesecloth. This will remove any impurities. Pour it into a bowl and leave to cool. Once cooled, scrape off the lanolin and place into sterilized jars. The lanolin is ready to use. [4] X Research source
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Community Q&A
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QuestionCan I turn the leftover wool into yarn?Community AnswerIf the wool has been steamed or kept just under a boil (so that the water doesnt ripple at all), then the wool should still be usable. A better option is to do at least two 30-minute soaks in small batches in water that is at least 130F. Pull the wool from the water, let it drain, and place it on a drying rack over a pan. Transfer the water from the first kettle to a larger kettle and boil it there for a while to remove most of the water leaving the lanolin. Do the same for the second soak and dump the water from the second soak into the larger kettle. Keep doing this as you progress through your fleece, and you shouldn't get any felted wool as long as you dont agitate it when submerging or pulling it out.
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QuestionDoes boiling the wool for such a long time affect it in any way? Can I still use it for spinning?Community AnswerIf you lower the temperature to steaming, you might be able to use the wool afterwards. However, when re-filling the pot, use hot water to avoid temperature shifts. A rapid boil or even a simmer for an extended period would likely felt the wool.
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QuestionIs the wool any good afterwards?Community AnswerIt's generally not a good idea to boil wool that you plan to spin into yarn. It makes it harsher-feeling. For carding into batts for quilts, stuffing, or needlefelting, it would be fine.
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Tips
- Do not wash the wool in warm (hot) water before the process or the lanolin will be washed away!Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Large pan/pot
- Laundry mesh bags
- Water
- 1 - 3 tablespoons of salt
- Stove or open fire.
- Raw wool
- Tongs/slotted spoons
References
About This Article
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Reader Success Stories
- "I live in New Zealand. I recently bought a property with a small amount of land, and was fortunate enough to be left two sheep by the previous owner. Although I've always been fond of sheep I've never had any personal experience of looking after them, so your article was very helpful to me." ..." more
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"I live in New Zealand. I recently bought a property with a small amount of land, and was fortunate enough to be left two sheep by the previous owner. Although I've always been fond of sheep I've never had any personal experience of looking after them, so your article was very helpful to me."
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"I was doing research for a roleplaying game. I wanted to know the low-tech way a shepherd could clean wool for market, extracting lanolin as well. A simple, clear set of instructions is just what I needed."
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"I enjoyed seeing the pictures along with the article. They will help me remember how lanolin is processed. I had no idea lanolin came from sheeps wool."
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"Learned how lanolin is extracted. Interesting."
"Supported my decision to buy and use lanolin."
