Wool Questions

[mama2be11]

I really, really want to like wool but I have a few kinks I need to work out. I am hoping to switch over to wool covers when I order my ds next size up and am expecting again so am looking to replace a bunch of covers with wool. I love the many benefits wool has but I have had a few problems with them leaking. Sometimes ds can go all night without a change and wake up perfectly dry and then sometimes he gets just a little wet and I can feel that he is damp on the outside of the cover and his clothes. I have heard that wool is excellent for heavy wetters ,which I think my ds is pretty average, but it seems weird that after he just peed that the cover would not be containing the wetness. I think I must be doing something wrong but need some help troubleshooting. I wash and lanolize his cover every other week and in between changes I let the cover air out and rotate it with his PUL covers. I have also been lanolizing with every wash but I have heard that some only lanolize once per month. Anybody have some insight?

[AKislandgirl]

What kind of covers do you have? maybe you need more layers of wool in the cover. I know we have some that are two-3 layers of wool.

[mama2be11]

They are 2 layers.

[Magali]

I think it depends on the cover. I've bought 2 that worked great from day one, 1 that took many washings/lanolizings to work great, and 1 that just sucks. I was ready to give up on my Stacinator wool because it leaked like crazy. But now it really works 100%. Is there any way you can add more absorption to the diaper underneath the cover?

[MommaShark]

When you lanolize I'm assuming you're not just washing with a soap containing lanolin but actually soaking it in a lanolin bath? For my super soaker we used to use a Crickett's fitted with snap in soaker under any wool cover with no leaks....or a toddler prefold and a hemp doubler with no leaks.....you need to still use more absorbency than you'd use during the day.

I'm sorry you're having issues and hope that you find the answer!

PS when you wash with lanolin - I assume you're using a soap with lanolin like Sonet or Eucalan or something - not Tide and lanolin....heeheehee

[quantumleap]

Is all of your wool leaky? We have one wool cover that I actually threw out in frustration today. I have lanolized the heck out of it (or, into it, more accurately), and it STILL leaks. It's a weird wool - almost feels like fleece. But, all our other wool is awesome. We really like Stacinator, although it is worth your life to find smalls these days (we had to get our smalls from other places, hence the craptastic cover of ooziness from Organic by Nature)
Are your kiddo's pjs tight in the bum? Sometimes if the clothes overtop are too snug, the wetness sort of oozes through.
I hope you can sort out the issue - wool really is great.

[mama2be11]

Thanks for all the replies so far. Most of the time I have leaks are during the day and not at night. I think I may just not have enough absorbency in the diaper. I usually just use a prefold but when it leaks it's usually when I am carrying ds and I feel a wet spot on my shirt. Is it normal for it to seep right through like that? I use Eucalan wool wash and I sometimes even do a double lanolize.

[Jojo F.]

Maybe you are lanolozing TOO much. Try plain warm water next time you need to rinse and see if that helps

Sometimes extreme pressure in one area will wick the pee through the cover. I'd suggest putting a thin liner with the prefold when leaving the house.

[SuzyLee]

It sounds like maybe it is only happened when his penis area is compressed. That is the area where he would have the most wetness, so it makes sense that when compressed it might seep through a bit.

I only have one wool cover but I got it used and it is good and felted up in the crotch. Are yours starting to felt in the crotch? I don't know if you can make that happen, or just use it a lot until it does, but you might look into it.

[Swandira]

I have only a little wool experience, but my experience has been great so far. I have an Aristocrat soaker that my five-month-old wears at night, and the only time it leaks a little is if I wait too long to wash it. Then I wash it and it's bulletproof again. I haven't lanolized yet -- I use a wool-wash bar soap to wash it, and then dry it on the rack. I'm thinking of getting another 'crat, actually, because it does take so long to dry.

I wonder if you might be having trouble with the soaker because of your kid's age/size? I think older babies/toddlers tend to save up their pee and then let fly all at once rather than dribbling pee all night like a baby, which would be harder for the fiber to handle in some cases.

I don't know -- I've never used wool on an older toddler.

[paintingmom]

I agree with a pp it's probably that they have been holding then letting loose--we have been having issues because of this no matter what we have our twenty month old in.

It can be a sign that they are starting to get ready for potty training--which can be a good thing.

[mama2be11]

Yeah, I kind of think it may be because he is getting older and peeing more at a time. I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and get some liners or doublers and see if that does the trick. As for the lanolizing too much, I suppose it may be possible. I guess I never really even thought that was possible but if anybody has been lanolizing too much it would be me!

[CanBoo]

It sounds to me too that you could use more absorbency in the diaper...

If you get doublers, I strongly recommend preemie prefolds. They are nice thin doublers, cheap, dry fast. And the biggest benefit is the way the wetness travels through all its lenght, avoiding the one big wet spot.