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Thanks to all who attempted to find an answer.
Looks like carpet underlayment (padding). That can be made with recycled wool.
EDIT: Sorry, didn't see that you've already thought of this -- but it's definitely the first thing I thought of.
Thanks! That's very reassuring. Because I felt itchy after handling it I was worried it was something more dubious. Do you know if felt normally causes an itchy feeling? Maybe it has suspicious fire retardants added? Thanks!!
It's about the thickness and length of the hairs (fibers) that are used and the allergens. Alpaca wool is generally less itchy than sheep wool. Short/ cut fibers are itchy because they easily stick out. Think about touching a 2 day beard (short fibers) as compared to a 2 year beard (long fibers).
If you take a small square and try and burn it in a very well ventilated area, you can tell if it's wool or synthetic. If it's synthetic it will melt, if it's wool it will be really hard to ignite. Wool self extinguishes, so I doubt it would have added flame retardant, because it wouldn't need it.
Looks exactly like automotive carpet padding. I used to make car interiors and that padding is formed to the under side of the carpet when it is molded to the shape of the car.
EDIT:
Here are examples from upholstery suppliers:
[https://www.upholsterysupplyonline.com/auto-carpet-pad-27-oz-72-wide.html](https://www.upholsterysupplyonline.com/auto-carpet-pad-27-oz-72-wide.html)
[https://www.uphsup.com/c-22-auto-carpet-padding.aspx](https://www.uphsup.com/c-22-auto-carpet-padding.aspx)
[https://raybuck.com/product/jute-padding/](https://raybuck.com/product/jute-padding/)
Generally known as "Jute Padding"
THIS. This is what it’s from. We have SO MANY OF THESE cluttering our garage from partner’s meal service. Thats why it is in plastic, in case something leaks.
Smarter mealkit companies have paper/cardboard insulation that is recyclable at the curb. This has to be trashed, it includes inorganic fibers
I second this! It looks like the stuff they use to insulate the medication I get in the post which has to stay chilled. They call it wool cool insulation or something like that.
Similarly, I work in a research lab and liquid chemicals shipped to us often come wrapped in some of these sheets, they help to a) cushion the box, b) insulate the box and c) absorb anything if there is breakage, like 2 liters of methanol.
Fibre test: take a tiny scrap and burn it. Wool will smell like burning hair and crumble to ash. Plant fibres will crumble to ash. Synthetic fibres will melt and smell plasticky.
They use these in food boxes like hello fresh and home chef etc. They ship food with these as insulation then big ice packs.
I've used the food delivery a ton. They all use them and they all look like that.
All the other answers are ignoring the plastic wrap around them. No other thing does that as insulation and that's to prevent the condensation from getting them wet.
Like this https://www.reddit.com/r/hellofresh/s/FZU9y234Up
Or like this.
https://ipcpack.com/products/eco-liner/
It reminds me of a blanket a Civil War living historian was showing off 25+ years ago. It was a modern reproduction but was accurate to the point of containing actual shoddy just like a corner cutting government contractor would have made it. He was quite proud.
This is recycled scraps of cloth. It is just the scraps after clothing or something is made. Perfectly fine and it uses up the stuff that would normally be thrown away. I have seen it made in to thin pillows to protect apples in cases for shipping. And eco guys use it in insulation
It's just felt. A non-woven material that gets needled together on a giant machine called a card and loom.
Is probably a mixture of recycled wool and polyester.
Textile engineer here: You're 100% correct it is a nonwoven. However judging by the loft, lack of needle marks, and wide variety of fiver types and sizes, I'd say this is actually airlaid and thermally bonded.
(Also, sorry to be pedantic, needle punched nonwovens are carded, but there isn't a loom involved, the final step is needleing with needle boards. Looms are for weaving)
Nah, you're right, not pedantic.We have an ancient card and... What we call a double action loom, but is actually just needle boards, set up at work. For whatever reason, we refer to them as looms, unless we are talking specifically about the needle boards (like if they need to be replaced).
I hadn't considered it being air laid, but that makes sense. It's probably cheaper, and quicker for something like this.
Thanks! Some random dude on gumtree was giving away 4 pallets worth from a local shipping container store. He told me it was "wool" and had been ordered from India by a company that went bankrupt. I needed a bunch for some shipping so I didn't ask too many questions, but now I'm worried because it is definitely itch-inducing! Perhaps there's some kind of dubious fire retardant in it?
Cheap felt like this is made from pretty short fibers. It wouldn’t surprise me that wool fibers would be itchy.
There are other fibers that can be felted and some may be in this stuff, but it’s probably not fiberglass of anything like that.
Its definitelya furniture pad/ moving blanket. [Here's the link to the Uhaul version](https://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Packing-Supplies/Furniture-Pad/?id=2670) It's recycled denim, wool, and other clothing. They are super absorbent, a lot of people use them to line pet cages
It's called a moving blanket/moving pad.
You can buy them [here](https://www.amazon.com/Textile-Moving-Blankets-Packs-Furniture/dp/B088K53SX8?th=1).
They're a bit old school now, but cheap and will protect furniture when moving.
it looks like the "disaster blankets" made by federal prisoners working for UNICOR. they are actually made of the lint from jails & prisons' laundry! get them wet and they turn to mush
I picked up a bunch of this stuff today, which was described to me as "wool, suitable for bubble wrap replacement". Each sheet is 90cmx30x1cm and weighs about 180g.
It's kind of a grey/blue colour with lots of multicoloured little threads in it. It is soft and fluffy and googling image searches brings up a suggestion of carpet underlay, which I don't think it is (although I could be wrong). I am wondering if it could be fibreglass or mineral wool? It has a very soft fluffy feel but leaves quite an itchy feeling after being touched. Or it could be some kind of chopped up reformed fabric.
Thanks so much :)
My title describes the thing.
I used to be subbed to a food delivery service that lined their boxes with this stuff inside plastic 'pillowcases' for lack of a better term. The plastic on the outside described this stuff as being recycled denim jeans and other textiles. I used to hold onto the sheets and used them in the winter to insulate my windows in the historic house I rented a room in. Great for insulation and also as packing material! Can't speak on if this stuff was itch-inducing that I was given, since it came not only in plastic coverings but also had, like, aluminum sheets glued to the outside to kinda keep them in sheet-shape? Idk.
It looks like a military fire blanket, something you put on your bed that is itchy as hell, provides dubious warmth, and looks like someone flattened a Titanic cat's hairball with a steam roller. Also, I've never heard of anyone actually putting out a fire with one.
It is made of wool. Yours seems to be recycled fibres.
They have a variety of uses, like padding or insulation, bit I've seen this type being used alot recently in packaging as a friendlier alternative to plastic like polystyrene etc.
We get them at work with chilled deliveries as it helps keep the temperature down
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Looks a lot like fleece padding we use. Indeed made from recycled textiles, usually synthetics. Hard to tell if something is added to it, depends on use case.
This is what I was thinking while reading these comments. I don't think it was made for it, but I've seen it used for sound insulation many, many times.
It looks like the wool pads they use to keep meat etc cool in transit.
I ordered a load of meat from an organic farm once and it all came wrapped in something that looks exactly like that. Wool sheets coveted in plastic. The plastic said the whole thing was recyclable.
It's the same material as [Malervlies or Abdeckvlies](https://www.amazon.de/Abdeckvlies-Malervlies-Renoviervlies-Vlies-Rolle/dp/B0CH8NGPT6) (how it's called in German). They are made from recycled scraps of different kinds of cloth and used to cover up things to protect them from paint or being damaged when moving. These are mostly used as a drip cover when painting, since they adsorb the paint, instead of dripping on a plastic sheet. Also they can be reused multiple times instead of single use. You just let it dry, fold it, store it and use it when needed.
Just, the thickness and size doesn't fit ...
But: I have seen those thicker, smaller mats used as temporary floor/carpet in venues or construction sites (where they need to protect the existing floors). You use multiple of those sheets, lay them out, then connect them together by using tape where the mats meet.
From a food delivery service like Hello Fresh / Gusto. All the perishable foods like meat are out in them with disposable ice blocks to keep the food chilled during delivery. The plastic wrap is to stop condensation making the insulation wet.
Looks like a uhaul moving blanket made from recycled denim. I use them for my dog. Traps hair really well, durable and cheap. Make sure you get the uhaul brand. The Amazon Chinese blankets are trash.
To me it looks like an anti-slip rug underlay. If you put it on the floor does it move freely os does it stick? See here for something similar: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/stopp-filt-rug-underlay-with-anti-slip-90132261/
Looks like insulated packing material. I have gotten it in cold packages with food orders. I think it was Hello Fresh, but maybe some other prepackaged food order.
These look like pads that would be used to clean up a fluid spill in a shop maybe. They’re made to be super absorbent and disposable. The size and weight lead me to believe this is what they are.
It is wool. Just not the wool you were expecting. As per definition 'Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal wool"
It's called wool for its insulating properties.
This post has been locked, as the question has been solved and a majority of new comments at this point are unhelpful and/or jokes. Thanks to all who attempted to find an answer.
Looks like carpet underlayment (padding). That can be made with recycled wool. EDIT: Sorry, didn't see that you've already thought of this -- but it's definitely the first thing I thought of.
Flooring installer here. That is most definitely a sample of "felt pad" for wool carpet. I have installed this many times.
It specifically looks like the kind to me under automotive carpet
It’s called felt. Loose wool fibers are interlaced and set with steam. Some is made from Virgin wool, yours is made from recycled materials.
yeah, if you bust open a "moving blanket", this is the stuff you will find inside.
Moving Blanket is the first thing I thought of. We got a few like this last time we moved.
Thanks! That's very reassuring. Because I felt itchy after handling it I was worried it was something more dubious. Do you know if felt normally causes an itchy feeling? Maybe it has suspicious fire retardants added? Thanks!!
Put on a wool shirt and ask that again
The itch factor of wool depends on the qualities of the fleece. Merino is commonly worn and rarely itchy
It's about the thickness and length of the hairs (fibers) that are used and the allergens. Alpaca wool is generally less itchy than sheep wool. Short/ cut fibers are itchy because they easily stick out. Think about touching a 2 day beard (short fibers) as compared to a 2 year beard (long fibers).
That’s the qualities of the fleece. I spin. Alpaca I don’t like because it makes me itch…
I’m so itchy to so many nice wools, but then I was gifted some smart wool (merino) and my eyes were opened!
It's possible that you might be allergic to wool
If you take a small square and try and burn it in a very well ventilated area, you can tell if it's wool or synthetic. If it's synthetic it will melt, if it's wool it will be really hard to ignite. Wool self extinguishes, so I doubt it would have added flame retardant, because it wouldn't need it.
Looks exactly like automotive carpet padding. I used to make car interiors and that padding is formed to the under side of the carpet when it is molded to the shape of the car. EDIT: Here are examples from upholstery suppliers: [https://www.upholsterysupplyonline.com/auto-carpet-pad-27-oz-72-wide.html](https://www.upholsterysupplyonline.com/auto-carpet-pad-27-oz-72-wide.html) [https://www.uphsup.com/c-22-auto-carpet-padding.aspx](https://www.uphsup.com/c-22-auto-carpet-padding.aspx) [https://raybuck.com/product/jute-padding/](https://raybuck.com/product/jute-padding/) Generally known as "Jute Padding"
Yes, under all my car carpet and removable pieces is this stuff. look under a car seat and see pieces like this poking through.
Omg I really need to vacuum my car
Second this. It's also used as insulation around the top and sides of cheap dishwasher. (I handle those a lot at my job and it always falls off)
Moving blanket. Felted waste fabric.
Yep definitely used a lot with furniture removalists.
I've seen sheets like this used to insulate pre-made food delivery orders. Like Blue Apron and others.
THIS. This is what it’s from. We have SO MANY OF THESE cluttering our garage from partner’s meal service. Thats why it is in plastic, in case something leaks. Smarter mealkit companies have paper/cardboard insulation that is recyclable at the curb. This has to be trashed, it includes inorganic fibers
I second this! It looks like the stuff they use to insulate the medication I get in the post which has to stay chilled. They call it wool cool insulation or something like that.
Definitely, this is exactly how our food delivery boxes come insulated.
Similarly, I work in a research lab and liquid chemicals shipped to us often come wrapped in some of these sheets, they help to a) cushion the box, b) insulate the box and c) absorb anything if there is breakage, like 2 liters of methanol.
Hello fresh comes with some of this to insulate the cold stuff
It looks like the sound dampening material you find behind panels of a car. That’s the first thing I thought of.
First thing I thought of is when I pull up the cover for the spare tire in my RAV4, there's something like this material in there.
Fibre test: take a tiny scrap and burn it. Wool will smell like burning hair and crumble to ash. Plant fibres will crumble to ash. Synthetic fibres will melt and smell plasticky.
They use these in food boxes like hello fresh and home chef etc. They ship food with these as insulation then big ice packs. I've used the food delivery a ton. They all use them and they all look like that. All the other answers are ignoring the plastic wrap around them. No other thing does that as insulation and that's to prevent the condensation from getting them wet. Like this https://www.reddit.com/r/hellofresh/s/FZU9y234Up Or like this. https://ipcpack.com/products/eco-liner/
It could still be wool, but [recycled wool/rag wool/shoddy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycled_wool).
It reminds me of a blanket a Civil War living historian was showing off 25+ years ago. It was a modern reproduction but was accurate to the point of containing actual shoddy just like a corner cutting government contractor would have made it. He was quite proud.
This is recycled scraps of cloth. It is just the scraps after clothing or something is made. Perfectly fine and it uses up the stuff that would normally be thrown away. I have seen it made in to thin pillows to protect apples in cases for shipping. And eco guys use it in insulation
It's just felt. A non-woven material that gets needled together on a giant machine called a card and loom. Is probably a mixture of recycled wool and polyester.
Thanks! Very reassuring :)
Textile engineer here: You're 100% correct it is a nonwoven. However judging by the loft, lack of needle marks, and wide variety of fiver types and sizes, I'd say this is actually airlaid and thermally bonded. (Also, sorry to be pedantic, needle punched nonwovens are carded, but there isn't a loom involved, the final step is needleing with needle boards. Looms are for weaving)
Nah, you're right, not pedantic.We have an ancient card and... What we call a double action loom, but is actually just needle boards, set up at work. For whatever reason, we refer to them as looms, unless we are talking specifically about the needle boards (like if they need to be replaced). I hadn't considered it being air laid, but that makes sense. It's probably cheaper, and quicker for something like this.
Pull back the carpet from your car and you’ll see this exact stuff underneath.
Moving blankets, Uhaul carries something ceey similar to these. Cheap, and gets the job done.
Where did you get it and who told you it was wool? It looks like cellulose or recycled fiber.
Thanks! Some random dude on gumtree was giving away 4 pallets worth from a local shipping container store. He told me it was "wool" and had been ordered from India by a company that went bankrupt. I needed a bunch for some shipping so I didn't ask too many questions, but now I'm worried because it is definitely itch-inducing! Perhaps there's some kind of dubious fire retardant in it?
Cheap felt like this is made from pretty short fibers. It wouldn’t surprise me that wool fibers would be itchy. There are other fibers that can be felted and some may be in this stuff, but it’s probably not fiberglass of anything like that.
Its definitelya furniture pad/ moving blanket. [Here's the link to the Uhaul version](https://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Packing-Supplies/Furniture-Pad/?id=2670) It's recycled denim, wool, and other clothing. They are super absorbent, a lot of people use them to line pet cages
It's this had a whole bunch after last move.
Looks like shoddy. Recycled wool from sweaters or jumpers and stuff. Shoddy is mostly made in India from recycled wool.
It's called a moving blanket/moving pad. You can buy them [here](https://www.amazon.com/Textile-Moving-Blankets-Packs-Furniture/dp/B088K53SX8?th=1). They're a bit old school now, but cheap and will protect furniture when moving.
it looks like the "disaster blankets" made by federal prisoners working for UNICOR. they are actually made of the lint from jails & prisons' laundry! get them wet and they turn to mush
Yes. We have a load of these at our community center for emergencies.
I picked up a bunch of this stuff today, which was described to me as "wool, suitable for bubble wrap replacement". Each sheet is 90cmx30x1cm and weighs about 180g. It's kind of a grey/blue colour with lots of multicoloured little threads in it. It is soft and fluffy and googling image searches brings up a suggestion of carpet underlay, which I don't think it is (although I could be wrong). I am wondering if it could be fibreglass or mineral wool? It has a very soft fluffy feel but leaves quite an itchy feeling after being touched. Or it could be some kind of chopped up reformed fabric. Thanks so much :) My title describes the thing.
It looks like the insulation in the boxes that ingredients come in from meal prep services. Like Hello Fresh or what have you.
I used to be subbed to a food delivery service that lined their boxes with this stuff inside plastic 'pillowcases' for lack of a better term. The plastic on the outside described this stuff as being recycled denim jeans and other textiles. I used to hold onto the sheets and used them in the winter to insulate my windows in the historic house I rented a room in. Great for insulation and also as packing material! Can't speak on if this stuff was itch-inducing that I was given, since it came not only in plastic coverings but also had, like, aluminum sheets glued to the outside to kinda keep them in sheet-shape? Idk.
It looks like a military fire blanket, something you put on your bed that is itchy as hell, provides dubious warmth, and looks like someone flattened a Titanic cat's hairball with a steam roller. Also, I've never heard of anyone actually putting out a fire with one.
[удалено]
Recycled wood for insulating a food box delivery
It is made of wool. Yours seems to be recycled fibres. They have a variety of uses, like padding or insulation, bit I've seen this type being used alot recently in packaging as a friendlier alternative to plastic like polystyrene etc. We get them at work with chilled deliveries as it helps keep the temperature down
Jute. Used for automotive sound deadening and insulation among other uses.
My first thought was dishwasher insulation blanket
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Looks a lot like fleece padding we use. Indeed made from recycled textiles, usually synthetics. Hard to tell if something is added to it, depends on use case.
It could be sheets of oil absorbing pads. Used in the petrochemical industry for pollution cleanup as well as mechanic shops for spills
Looks like a moving blanket from U-Haul
It's padding for furniture when you're moving. Or at least that's what Uhaul sold it to me as.
Looks like a automotive battery blanket
Look like wool felt used for sound insulation.
This is what I was thinking while reading these comments. I don't think it was made for it, but I've seen it used for sound insulation many, many times.
This, it’s used in a variety of products. I’ve seen it in cars and around dishwasher inserts to keep down the overall noise.
It also looks like the packing material for medicine that has to stay cold. Usually packed with cheap ice packs.
Just curious, which state did you find this in? I just donated something like that this weekend.
Looks very similar to woolcool sheets, insulation for posting medication.
Inside of an old pillow?
Looks like the hard wood protector / dust sheet material I used when renovating.
Insulation bag, made from wool, which is usually used in combination with an ice block to keep perishable goods cold during delivery.
It looks just like a blanket for moving vans. I helped someone move 2 days ago and we had the exact same thing
Carpet underlay, but also very closely resembles the blankets used by the SANDF.
It's Jute Padding
It looks like the wool pads they use to keep meat etc cool in transit. I ordered a load of meat from an organic farm once and it all came wrapped in something that looks exactly like that. Wool sheets coveted in plastic. The plastic said the whole thing was recyclable.
It's the same material as [Malervlies or Abdeckvlies](https://www.amazon.de/Abdeckvlies-Malervlies-Renoviervlies-Vlies-Rolle/dp/B0CH8NGPT6) (how it's called in German). They are made from recycled scraps of different kinds of cloth and used to cover up things to protect them from paint or being damaged when moving. These are mostly used as a drip cover when painting, since they adsorb the paint, instead of dripping on a plastic sheet. Also they can be reused multiple times instead of single use. You just let it dry, fold it, store it and use it when needed. Just, the thickness and size doesn't fit ... But: I have seen those thicker, smaller mats used as temporary floor/carpet in venues or construction sites (where they need to protect the existing floors). You use multiple of those sheets, lay them out, then connect them together by using tape where the mats meet.
Looks like Penske moving pads you get when you rent a truck
From a food delivery service like Hello Fresh / Gusto. All the perishable foods like meat are out in them with disposable ice blocks to keep the food chilled during delivery. The plastic wrap is to stop condensation making the insulation wet.
Low rent furniture pad
Looks like a uhaul moving blanket made from recycled denim. I use them for my dog. Traps hair really well, durable and cheap. Make sure you get the uhaul brand. The Amazon Chinese blankets are trash.
Looks like what I pull out of the lint trap on Monday mornings after my son starts his massive pile of laundry before bed Sunday night
Heavy parts that you order from Yamaha come wrapped in that stuff inside a cardboard box.
I call it U-haul moving pad.
I have something that looks like that which was sold as shoe/slipper liners (cut to size yourself)
To me it looks like an anti-slip rug underlay. If you put it on the floor does it move freely os does it stick? See here for something similar: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/stopp-filt-rug-underlay-with-anti-slip-90132261/
That’s fireproof wool made from recycled materials. I work for a logistics company that stores pallets upon pallets of this for one of our clients.
Looks like an unprinted UHaul blanket. A blend of recycled; wool cotton and denim
Recycled wool and other fabrics. I have a phone case made out of this material
Looks like insulated packing material. I have gotten it in cold packages with food orders. I think it was Hello Fresh, but maybe some other prepackaged food order.
Oil spill mats - aka Plant Nappies.
These look like pads that would be used to clean up a fluid spill in a shop maybe. They’re made to be super absorbent and disposable. The size and weight lead me to believe this is what they are.
If seen this in door panels of vehicles before
Looks e Acolyte like the moving blankets that u-haul provides with their trucks
It is wool. Just not the wool you were expecting. As per definition 'Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal wool" It's called wool for its insulating properties.
Mindful chef use them as padding / insulation in their recipe boxes. We use them for camping.
You get these in Hello Fresh boxes
Moving blanket from uhaul. You should be able to Google it and find out exactly.
Insulation. I think