Making a Wool Mattress

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 37, 8 March 1940, Page 45

Making a Wool Mattress

Dear Aunt Daisy, I heard you read a request from a lady who wished to make a wool mattress, from some sheep’s wool which had been given to her, and wondered how to. go about preparing it, Well, I have

had experience in that way, which has exasperated me considerably. My brother is a sheep farmer, and one day he. gave me a couple of sacks of wool. Well, I had it cleaned properly by a man who. had a scouring plant. It was not successful, really, so I had to set to work and wash it myself. When I had done one sackful I was tired out, and got rid of the other. Finally, I got it dried, after putting it out day after day in the sun. Then I spent nearly every evening except Sunday for about three weeks teasing it out, sometimes being helped by my husband. I bought some good new ticking, and made up a single mattress. It ‘was very nice and about six inches or more thick, and I was very pleased with myself. After being in use for about six months it was, I suppose, less than half its former size, and the wool matted together. It really’ needed to be taken out (the wool, I mean) and teased out again, but so far I have not had the heart, to tackle the job, I would. not advise anyone -to go to the trouble of making: a bed. of it. Of -course, some other folk may have had better luck, but that definitely is mine-* Clara" (Wanganui). Well, that certainly was a very disheartening experience. However, here is a method for preparing the wool, given to me by an old settler, so that if anyone really would like to try her hand at mattress-making she can. Cut up "%4lb, of any good household soap, and put it into a quart of water with one heaped tablespoon of borax and about 2 tablespoons of ammonia. Put all into a saucepan and place on the stove, or over very low heat, until the soap is well dissolved, then pour it into syrup tins to set into a jelly. This is excellent for washing

wool. Just dissolve some of it in hot water and then put it into a vessel of cold water and immerse the wool, Work it about well and I think you will find it nice and. white after several rinsings. Dry it in the sun and "tease" and pull it well. It should stay soft and flufty if the mattress is shaken well, and put out in the sun frequently-when there is any sun! If not, in front of a nice fire for about ten minutes. And here is another secret, from "One Who Knows":