Cleaning Heddles

I got up the courage to try cleaning the heddles in a vinegar soak. I was nervous because I know vinegar can accellerate rust if any is left on. But it's an acid, which means it can clean rust off as well. And it really works!

I soaked the first batch of heddles for a couple hours, then washed repeatedly with liquid castile soap (which is what I have next to the laundry room sink), until they seemed clean. The rinse water looked awful. The vinegar is rust-colored. The heddles are a lot cleaner. I am doing them one shaft's worth at a time. I have 2 done and a third soaking now.

Here is a pic of a rusty batch (top) and a batch just finished (bottom). It's hard to see the difference in this pic, but they are pretty different. There's still some rust on the finished batch, but a lot less, and it's not enough to rub off onto the warp yarns:

Once they are clean & dry, I have been spraying a small amount of the Tri-Flow on them, working it in (while wearing rubber gloves), and then rubbing them down with paper towels to remove all I can. That should leave a thin film that will prevent rust and allow them to move freely on the rails.

Thanks to Annie for suggesting the vinegar soak!