Washing sheep is as much of an art as fitting sheep.  You try and do as much with your shears before washing as possible to make the washing chore go by faster and your sheep cleaner in the end.  This is why we stress cutting the fleece down short before washing whenever possible.

Tools to have on hand:

• Fitting Stand
• Water Nozzle on hose that does not need your hand’s pressure to operate.  You want to hold the hose, not having to depress the nozzle while washing. (Saves your hands and wrists.)
• Deer or man made Chamois (do not use a blow dryer!!!!!)
• Clean Towels for use on sheep (not your good ones from inside)
• 5 gallon Bucket
• Hot Water Bucket Heater
• Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
• Dog Grooming Soap for White Animals (get at pet store.)  This is usually a purple soap.  You can also use Horse soap for Paint Horses.  I can’t recall the name, but this product is also a purple soap.
• Show Blankets
• Blanket Pins
• Curry Comb
• Sheep Card (preferably #3 but a #2 will also work)
• Dog Brush or Poodle brush for small work on legs
• An old Sock for washing grease pockets near udder

Instructions to Wash:
Place your carding table on a concrete surface or one that is not dirt.  Dirt makes mud and getting clean sheep off of your table onto the muddy ground is an accident waiting to happen!

Set your headpiece so that it is comfortable for the sheep and not in too high of a position.  If it is too high, your sheep will panic when it gets cold water on its body and possibly knock the stand over. (We have had that happen.)  If the head is comfortable they tend to be better on the table while they are getting wet.

Put your sheep up onto the table and secure him/her into the headpiece.  Before getting your sheep wet, take your small poodle dog card/brush and go over the legs removing any straw/hay or debris in the leg wool.  (The rest of the sheep hopefully will already be free of large pieces of debris.)
Keep your soap at the front of the trimming stand and your equipment away from where the sheep is standing.   Be sure to get in the habit of not leaving combs, hand blades etc. underneath your sheep on the table while working.  They will always step on your stuff and damage it.  (Have done that too!)

Get your 5 gallon bucket filled about ¾’s full of water and plug your bucket heater in.  Put the heater into the water.  Have someone keep an eye on the heater to be sure your water doesn’t get too hot. You will be using this water across your sheep’s back during the final wash/rinse.  Very warm is fine…just enough to break down any lanolin still in the fleece from washing with cold water.  Put about ¼ cup or a little less of your purple dog soap into the water.

Have your clean towels and chamois ready nearby but away from the water and trimming stand.  Same with all the other equipment like the blankets and pins.

Turn on your water with your nozzle and start at a low pressure at the front end of your sheep (neck and brisket.)  They seem to get more used to the water this way than to start on the head and back first.  Gradually increase the pressure of spray and move your hose back and forth, starting from the top down.  Dirt and water flows down when you wash, so never go from the bottom up while washing your sheep.  After you have gotten the neck area pretty good, start at the head and work down the back of the neck.  Using the spray from the nozzle in a back and forth motion all the while and watching the dirt leave the area before moving on.
Get the head and neck very well especially in the base of the neck where dirt likes to hide. (Short fleece is great there and less of a chance of getting dirt lodged down deep.)

What I like to do from that point is either start at the side on the front shoulder and then go back to the top at the base of the neck.  From the base of the neck I usually stand on the trimming table over top the sheep and point the spray nozzle directly onto the back.  Going right and left removing the dirt from the top and letting it flow down the sides.  If you get your top done first you can see where you have to take more dirt off on the sides.  Work one side from the front back and then the other all the way to the flank of your sheep.  When you get to the butt area take a lot of time going from the top of the back all the way down the backside and profile of the butt wool on one side.  Then do the same on the other.  You can use one hand to part the wool in the longer fleeced areas to be sure that you are getting all of the dirt out.

Favorite places for dirt to hide in a washed sheep are the base of the neck, shoulder blade just below, and inside the flank in front of your butt wool area.  These are the hardest to get clean and you have to spend a little more time in those places to be sure you are clean enough.

Once you think you have rinsed your sheep very well, use your Dawn dishwashing liquid (Baby shampoo is also used on the head and face if you are squeamish about soap in the eyes of your sheep.  I have done that on occasion.)  Start at the same places in the front as you rinsed and soap those areas up going from front to back.  If your sheep has dried out, be sure and wet those areas down again.  (Be sure and get those grease pockets near the udders and testicles clean with your sock over your hand.  Easier to reach those areas with the sock and you will get them cleaner.

Once your have your sheep completely soaped up, take your curry comb and completely go over the entire body.  You are trying to pull all of the wool fibers out straight so that you can get them super clean and make your job of carding easier on your dry sheep later on.  Curry the entire body well especially the butt wool. 

Go and get your 5 gallon bucket of warm water with whitening soap in it and carefully pour the bucket down the top of the sheep from the base of the neck, down the back.  Get some on the head too.  This warm water added to your soaped sheep will help to really open up the fleece and clean it even better.  The purple soap is a whitener and brightener also.   Card down the fleece once again and then get your hose.

Rinse your sheep off with that nasty cold water and be sure and get all of the soap out.  Rinse in the same manner as you did when you did it the first time.  Always start top to bottom and front to back.  Your second rinse will probably hide some dirty areas and you will be able to get even more dirt out of the sheep than you thought may be there.

After you have rinsed, take your curry comb out and remove as much water from the fleece with it as you can.  Squeeze the fleece with your hands if need be.   Take your Chamois and get as much water off of the wool as you can, wringing out the chamois each time and going over the body.  The top of the back will dry out first but you will forever be getting more water from the flank and butt area.  Work on those areas well.

When you think you have gotten most of the “wet” off of your sheep take your Dry Towels and work on the sheep from head to toe.  Dry off as much of the wool as possible being sure to get the leg wool well.  This is a good time to get your dog card/poodle brush out and go over the leg wool and brush out away from the legs and top of the head.  Be careful not to be too rough on this wool.  It may have a tendency to shed off and you will lose the leg wool from the front legs especially.

When you think your sheep is plenty dry enough, take your #3 or #2 sheep card and begin to card out your wool over the ENTIRE sheep.  Yes, like you are going to fit your sheep for a show.  Believe it or not this step will keep you from having to spend too much time carding during the fitting process.  You are also pulling out those fibers while they are damp so that they don’t lie down on the body and make it harder to get them carded when the fleece is dry.  Card up the sheep’s entire body until smooth.  Taking care to do the top and butt wool well.  Remember, this is going to save you time later.

When the sheep has been carded completely then get your blanket and hood and blanket up your sheep.  (Always use the hood!) You will never get a Dorset clean if you un-hood them and try and clean them up later on.  Use one blanket pin to the back of the hood and one to the front.  Make sure your straps in the back of the blanket are crossed underneath and you won’t have a blanket riding up and coming off at a show or in the trailer.  (That is a terrible thing, and we have had that happen more than once!)