VINEGAR USES ON AN ALPACA FARM

Vinegar uses on an alpaca farm are many. It's cheap and can be used safely around your alpacas. One of the most asked questions is why we use vinegar when we wash our fleece.

It is totally optional for you to use it in your rinse water. If you don't think is does that much then ommit it. We do think it helps.

The first reason we use vinegar in our rinse water when washing our fleece is because it has fiber softening properties. A little vinegar helps to make your alpaca fiber even softer.

The second reason is that it will brighten your fiber and make it shine more, especially the white or light colors.

Third, vinegar in your rinse water will help remove any animal smell and soap residue. Your fiber will feel squeeky clean and smell fresh.

Well, there you have our reasons for putting vinegar in the rinse water when we wash our alpaca fiber. Try a batch with the vinegar and a batch of the same fleece without the vinegar and decide for yourself.

There are other vinegar uses for your alpaca farm. Below are just a few things you can use vinegar for on your farm:

• Clean your alpacas ears with vinegar.

• Put apple cider vinegar in your alpacas water to help keep flies away. It will, also, discourage algae growth in the water tank.

• One alpaca farm makes a footbath from vinegar.They use one part vinegar to four parts water with sand to stop the alpacas from slipping. They put it where the alpacas have to walk through it to enter or leave their shelter. The purpose of this is to cleanse any wounds on the feet and kill bacteria.

• Kill weeds without using toxic chemicals around your alpacas. Take one litre of boiled water, 2 tablespoons of salt and 5 tablespoons of vinegar. Mix together and pour over the weeds while it's still hot.

• Use on alpaca skin problems to stop scratching.

• Mix it with water and use as a training aid.

• If you are dying yarn or fiber, use vinegar to set the dye.

Vinegar uses on a farm are many and it's non-toxic. These are just a few ideas on how you can use vinegar on your farm. Now you know our reasons for using it when washing alpaca fiber.

Return from vinegar uses to fiber processing.

Return to owning-alpaca home page.