How to Save Lanolin From Wool Fleece

Lanolin, the waxy oil that coats sheep wool, has many practical uses. It acts as a waterproofing agent, and it is naturally anti-fungal and antibacterial. Lanolin is similar to the oils secreted through human skin; these similarities allow lanolin to easily penetrate the skin and prevent chapping. If you want to take advantage of lanolin's benefits, you can save lanolin from wool fleece. Extracting lanolin is a great way to use wool that is not of a high enough quality for processing and hand spinning.

Things You'll Need

  • Raw, unwashed sheep wool
  • Mesh laundry
  • Enamel pot
  • Water
  • Salt
  • Cheesecloth
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place raw, unwashed wool in a wide-mesh laundry bag and shake to remove as much vegetable matter and dirt as possible.

    • 2

      Fill a large enamel pot with water and add 3 tbsp. of salt. Dissolve the salt into the water.

    • 3

      Place the pot over heat and add raw, unwashed wool.

    • 4

      Boil wool for several hours, adding more water as needed.

    • 5

      Remove the sheep wool and boil off most of the remaining water.

    • 6

      Run the remaining solution through cheesecloth while it is still hot to remove dirt, debris and any other undissolved material.

    • 7

      Allow the solution to cool. Once cooled, the lanolin will harden into a yellowish wax, which you can skim from the surface and reserve.