How and Why Wool Nappy Covers work

[LittlePants]

LittlePants, I have a question for you. I have recently read of some other ways to lanolize, such as using a lanolin spray or rubbing with a lanolin bar. Are these as effective as the traditional method?

The most efficient way is solid lanolin or instant soluble lanolin which is the same as solid, but already emulsified and ready for use) Spraying it on or rubbing it on, only gets to the outside of the wool, whereas soaking makes sure it gets soaked right through.

 

[JenX]

That makes sense. It sounded too easy to be really effective.

 

[JenX]

A couple more wool questions, LittlePants. I just received a GroVia Kiwi Pie wool cover and the packaging had some washing and lanolizing instructions. The instructions say not to soak, rub, or wring out the wool. They also say that washing should be done as quickly as possible because too much soaking May cause the wool to become hard and shrink. This is the first I have ever heard of this and my lanolizing process typically requires an overnight soak. They say to use lanolin spray, which I do not plan to do, as I don't feel it will be adequate.

Second question- I saw a similar wool cover for sale on eBay used and the description stated that it had been freshly stripped with RLR and was ready to be lanolized. Why would wool need to be stripped and would this ruin it?

Thanks for any insight.

 

[LittlePants]

A couple more wool questions, LittlePants. I just received a GroVia Kiwi Pie wool cover and the packaging had some washing and lanolizing instructions. The instructions say not to soak, rub, or wring out the wool. They also say that washing should be done as quickly as possible because too much soaking May cause the wool to become hard and shrink. This is the first I have ever heard of this and my lanolizing process typically requires an overnight soak. They say to use lanolin spray, which I do not plan to do, as I don't feel it will be adequate.

Second question- I saw a similar wool cover for sale on eBay used and the description stated that it had been freshly stripped with RLR and was ready to be lanolized. Why would wool need to be stripped and would this ruin it?

Thanks for any insight.

I don't know about Kiwi Pie, but can see no reason why any wool should not be soaked. I have found that spray on lanolin doesn't do the job as well as wool soaked in a lanolin solution, as so much of the wool doesn't get treated, but I suggest that you contact Kiwi Pie, and ask them. I am afraid I am a bit cynical and it could be that they are just trying to promote their own spray on lanolin.

I can't understand why anyone would want to strip a wool soaker though. It wouldn't ruin it, but you'd have to start from scratch with building the lanolin up again - i.e. 3 treatments before it's really got through to every fibre of wool.

 

[JenX]

Thanks you. Everything you've said makes sense and is in line with what I was thinking. I plan to lanolize the new cover the usual way

 

[LittlePants]

Here's a video showing the easiest way to lanolise efficiently

 

[LittlePants]

Bump

 

[LittlePants]

Bump

 

[Yammas]

This might be a dumb question but how do you dress baby for going out? Is the wool instead of trousers or could it go underneath?

 

[LittlePants]

If you have wool longies, skirts or shorties, they are clothes in their own right. You don't need anything else on top. If you want to put clothes on top, just use a soaker, and then you can put whatever you like over the top, as long as it's not tight.

 

[LittlePants]

Bump

 

[misspriss]

Okay a quick question, or kind of experience related.

It happened, my husband put a wool wrap in the dirty diapers and I didn't notice and dumped the whole lot in the wash and washed it right up on hot. About halfway through the cycle, I noticed the wool wrap was not on the shelf. I drained the washer and sure enough, there it was. I (carefully as possible as the water was hot, yes I normally use warm but today I went hot ) removed the diaper and quickly rinsed it in tepid water a couple of times (to get as much of the tide out as possible) and then washed with my wool wash bar, let it soak for a while, then rinsed, then did a lanolizing rinse (and apparently used way too much lanolin). It *appears* to have survived.

My questions:
1) why was it not more harmed? It is a Babee Greens wrap, double layer. I think it is interlock instead of a knit like disana or hand knit, is that the difference?
2) what happens if I used too much lanolin? I kind of freaked out because my previously very waterproof cover was completely stripped, so I used like 3 pea sized amounts instead of 1, and it was pretty sticky when I squeezed it out in the towel.
3) After using too much lanolin, I didn't let it soak overnight, I only let it soak for 30-45 minutes while we ate dinner, am I going to need to re treat it soon, or maybe it will be okay?

After writing this, I went ahead and washed my other wool covers after and I'm about to go lanolize them, perhaps I should just redo the damaged one and lanolize them all overnight, perhaps that will allow the extra stickiness lanolin in the one to kind of even out into the other two....maybe I'm just making that up.

 

[LittlePants]

My questions:
1) why was it not more harmed? It is a Babee Greens wrap, double layer. I think it is interlock instead of a knit like disana or hand knit, is that the difference?

It sounds as if the Interlock had already been felted, so won't shrink any more. I haven't come across the make, but that would explain it.

2) what happens if I used too much lanolin? I kind of freaked out because my previously very waterproof cover was completely stripped, so I used like 3 pea sized amounts instead of 1, and it was pretty sticky when I squeezed it out in the towel.

Using too much lanolin won't make any difference, and certainly won't do any harm. Wool can only absorb so much lanolin - once it has reached full capacity, and residue will remain on the surface and feel sticky. The stickiness will wear off, as the lanolin gets soaked up into your baby's skin - that will feel lovely and soft for a while!

3) After using too much lanolin, I didn't let it soak overnight, I only let it soak for 30-45 minutes while we ate dinner, am I going to need to re treat it soon, or maybe it will be okay?

It probably would have been better to leave it to soak, so the wool could absorb right through - wool is quite slow to absorb. You may need to treat it again sooner than you would have otherwise, but absolutely no harm done.

After writing this, I went ahead and washed my other wool covers after and I'm about to go lanolize them, perhaps I should just redo the damaged one and lanolize them all overnight, perhaps that will allow the extra stickiness lanolin in the one to kind of even out into the other two....maybe I'm just making that up.

Adding the overlanolised one to your others which are being re-lanolised won't make any difference to the rest of the soakers - the excess lanolin causing the stickiness will not get reabsorbed into the water, as it would need re-emulsifying before that could happen. If you're worried about the stickiness, make a solution of HOT water with plenty of ordinary detergent, which will absorb and remove the lanolin, and leave the soaker in it WITHOUT MOVING IT, until the water has cooled enough for you to be able to gently squeeze it through, and then rinse the soaker thoroughly. Then start again with a normal strength lanolin solution and leave it to soak overnight.

Hope that helps.

 

[misspriss]

Thanks! I ended up just leaving it to dry.

I need to relanolize my diapers more often, simply because it's lovely for my cuticles...hehe.

I am pretty impressed with this cover, having survived 1 hour on hot wash with tide in a machine washer on the heavy duty cycle!