How to Scour Raw Mohair Fleece

After shearing is completed, raw mohair fleece from an Angora goat will need to be scoured. Scouring the fleece removes oil and dirt so that the locks can be used for spinning, weaving, felting, or other projects. Here are two options for washing raw mohair for clean, shiny, usable fiber.

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If you just sheared your Angora goats, or purchased a raw fleece, I bet you are eager to start to process the fiber!

I know I was.

The first Angora that I sheared was my new buck and couldn’t wait to do something with the 5.6 pounds of beautiful, but stinky, raw mohair.

For information on how to shear an Angora goat, click here to read my other article.

Why Scour a Fleece?

Raw fleeces need to be washed, or scoured, before the fiber can be used for spinning, weaving, felting, or other projects. Even with the best animal husbandry practices, your goat’s fleece will have natural oils, odors, and some amount of dirt, vegetable matter (VM), urine, or feces incorporated.

The goal of scouring a fleece is to remove oil, dirt, and other extraneous materials from the fiber without adversely affecting the integrity of the fiber itself.

Suitable cleaning compounds need to be used, specific temperatures need to be maintained, and techniques employed so that your mohair does not become damaged in the scouring process.

Suitable Detergents for Scouring Mohair

There are two detergents that I have personally used to scour mohair with great success. One option is to use Dawn dish soap to wash your fiber. The nice thing about Dawn is that you can buy it anywhere, it is relatively inexpensive, and it works! While Dawn is not specifically made for washing fleece, its use as a scouring detergent for mohair is recommended by the Colored Angora Goat Breeders Association.

Another option is to use Power Scour. This product by Unicorn brands is specifically formulated for cleaning natural fibers. It is pricier, but more effective. I use less Power Scour and achieve clean mohair with fewer washes than I do with Dawn dish soap.

Preparing to Scour Raw Mohair

To scour mohair, you will need the following:

• Raw fleece
• Kitchen scale
• Scouring tubs
• Hot water
• Thermometer
• Detergent
• Drying rack

I scour my mohair in the house because that is the only place that I have access to hot water. I wash my mohair in small batches, I do about one pound of raw fleece at a time.

I use 8-quart dishpans as scouring tubs for my mohair. I use four dishpans total; I start by putting a half pound of raw fleece into two of the pans and use the other two for transferring and rinsing as I progress in the scouring process. You can do larger batches and use Rubbermaid totes, a sink, a bathtub, or bucket if you prefer.

I use an infrared digital thermometer to check the temperature of my water. It is quick and easy to use.

You will need some way to dry your scoured mohair. A screen, tray, or any mesh material will work. I have a large piece of perforated metal that I repurposed as a drying rack (see below). There are some cool tiered sweater drying racks available online that don’t take up a lot of space that would work well too.

How to Scour Raw Mohair Step-by-Step

1. Weigh your raw fleece and place it in a scouring tub. I put a half pound of mohair into two different 8-quart dishpans.
2. Take the mohair outside and shake it out. This will help remove excess dirt and hay before you start scouring. Place the shaken mohair back in the scouring tub.
3. Run hot water until it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Use the hot water to cover your mohair in the scouring bins. Use enough water so that the mohair can expand and move freely. I use about a gallon of water in each of my dishpans.
4. Let the mohair sit in the hot water for 30 minutes. This initial soak does not use any detergent. You can carefully move the mohair a little bit, but do not agitate or stir the mohair aggressively or you can felt the locks and  damage their structure.
5. After 30 minutes have elapsed, lift the mohair from the water, squeeze it out, and place it in an empty scouring tub.

6. Add clean, hot water (160 degrees) and your desired detergent to the rinsed mohair. I add either 1/8 of a cup of Dawn dish soap or ½ tablespoon of Power Scour to each of my dishpans.
7. Let it sit for one hour.
8. While the mohair is soaking, dump the dirty water from the other scouring tubs outside. Rinse thoroughly so that you can transfer to a clean tub again.
9. Once an hour has passed, lift the mohair from the water, squeeze it out, and place it in an empty scouring tub.
10. Repeat the scouring process, adding new detergent and hot water until the mohair looks and feels clean. When I use Dawn dish soap, the locks are clean and silky after 3 washes. When I use Power Scour, the same results are achieved after just 2 washes.
11. Rinse the washed mohair thoroughly with clean, hot water to remove any residual detergent. The water should run clear.
12. Squeeze the washed and rinsed mohair to remove as much water as possible and arrange it on your drying rack.
13. Let the mohair sit out on the drying rack in a well-ventilated area for several days to ensure it is completely dry before storing or using in a project.

Mohair Transformation

I love comparing before and after pictures. It’s so cool to see how the mohair started, fresh off the goat and how you can transform it with a little processing. In the picture above, you see one tub with raw fleece (right side) and another that has been scoured and combed (left side). What a difference!

For more information on combing mohair, click here to read my other article.

Sam

Mother, farmer, author, and teacher by trade… She loves tending to things and watching them grow!