I can't think how to clean it without getting it all over my washer any ideas

Oops double post.

I would not risk my washer! Try hand wasing small piece in a mesh bag and see how that goes. Sounds like an out door project to me. I don't think you want a lot of loose fibers going down your drain. Someone will probably have a better solution, though!

Google wool, wool processing for spinning, etc. There are many people that prepare their wool from scratch. Google should get you way more info than you ever wanted. Keep us posted on this project:)

Lucky! My suggestion is that you google how to clean and process raw wool. You'll want to look at spinning sites. Also, depending on your plumbing system you may want to wash it outside in a tub. I have septic so I do not wash any raw wool in the house.

This is an ok tutorial. She uses a washing machine.

http://sweetleafnotes.blogspot.com/2...off-sheep.html

Just remember to not run water on top of the fleece as you will lose some of it to felting. Depending on what you will use it for will determine how clean you want to get it. I like to spin with a fair amount of lanolin so I don't take mine 'squeaky clean' but that is an individual preference.

There are probably some youtube videos on this as well. Have fun!

It is not so much the loose fibers but the lanolin. That can really clog up the plumbing. However, I know several people who do clean their fleeces in the house. If you do just a little a few times a year it probably isn't a big deal but if you do alot it can really build up.

DO NOT PUT IT IN YOUR WASHER!!!IT WILL SIMPLY DISINTEGRATE
YOU HAVE TO FELT IT at least enough for the fibers to hold together....the more it is felted the more stable it will be....you use hot water and detergent when felting- so the washing part will be accomplished at the same time you are felting it FOR IT TO BE USED AS A BATTING.

I would not try to felt raw wool to use it for quilt batting. You will end up with a huge, thick block that you could not quilt through. There is a different set of steps if it is going to be made into batting. First, though, it has to be cleaned - if is indeed a raw, unprocessed, freshly shorn pelt.

When washing wool in a washing machine you're not agitating it like you would clothes. You're basically using the tub to soak and then spin.

raw wool is SOOOO oily. my mom, who was the best knitter, used to prepare her own wool, already spun, but not processed in any way. she spent days getting it clean in the bathtub, soaking in woolite and then swishing. rinse and repeat. even then, it never felt completely free of oil. i'm not sure i would use unprocessed wool in a quilt batt. the oiliness might wick into the cotton, no matter how much you washed it. that's just my opinion.

Hosta, what were you planning on using the wool for? Were you even thinking of using for quilt batting?