Tell me about wool...

[MayasMama88]

I have read a little bit about how wool works, I understand what shorties and longies are, but the general idea is still pretty fuzzy. What are soakers? What goes underneath the woolies? What are the pros? Any cons? I'm very interested in trying them out because of the use of natural fibers, but I don't want to jump into it without knowing what I'm getting into. Thanks for any info you can offer! Even if there are any good links to the info, I'd appreciate that as well!

[treeoflife3]

soakers are the covers shaped like underwear. They have the same shape as a closed thirsties or bummis cover... so a wrap that doesn't wrap hahaha.

Nothing goes under woolies except diapers. So a pair of longies would go right over a flat or prefold or fitted. Not that you CAN'T use them as regular clothes over pockets, disposables, or underwear on the PL'd toddler/kid but they are just fine as the only diaper cover to diapers that need covers.

The pros are that they are extremely absorbent so they work as more diaper but without the outside getting wet. It makes wool an awesome cover for nighttime with little ones who are super soakers. They are also anti bacterial which is always a good thing when we are talking bodily waste. Plus, they are breathable which helps keep rashes down since the skin can get a bit more air circulation than it would in pul.

The cons are price (although you can find decent used wool for cheaper) and they can't be used if your kid has a wool allergy, although from what I understand, this is actually pretty rare and I do know people with wool allergies who use them on their kids no problem as well. You also have to know your child's measurements to get the right fit since not everyone makes them to the same size so there is no real standard. You can find 'medium' longies with a 16 inch rise as well as an 18 inch rise and the inseam can fluctuate equally as much as well, especially if you are buying custom used wool where the person selling needed special measurements for a child who wasn't average in one area.

Mostly I feel the pros FAR outweigh the cons. It takes a bit more work and money to find what will work that you like (unless you can knit your own or sew interlock yourself) but the return can be high when you resell and they work really well making the cost worth it. Plus, you don't need pants AND longies or shorties or skirties since the cover is already clothes so you save a bit on that end helping it even out a tad.

[MayasMama88]

Wow, that's awesome! I so want to try them now, but I can't afford it at the moment. I would trade some FuzziBunz OS and/or Mediums for some woolies/prefolds/flats, but I don't really know if anyone would want to go with pockets if they're already using wool. I heard that you usually only have to wash the wool once a month? Is this true? And what is lanolizing? Sorry for all the questions, but the more I learn about it, the more I want to try it! Thank you so much for the info, treeoflife3!

[chely7425]

How much you need to wash TOTALLY depends on the kid and the wool use. Like, we use Disana pull on soakers for over night... I have to wash/lanolize every 1.5 to 2 weeks because my kids are super soakers at night. I wash their day time wool less often. You can tell you need to wash/lanolize when the wool starts to have a bit of a smell, or when it stops working sa well.

Lanolizing is when you soak your cover in warm water with lanolin, it just helps it work better.

[MayasMama88]

I see. Whenever I would read a post about people "lanolizing" their wool, I always pictured a complicated process for prepping the wool. This doesn't sound so bad! Crap, now I'm going to have another obsession to worry about!

[treeoflife3]

yup, lanolizing can just be soaking in lanolin. There are also lanolin sprays so you can just spray the wetzone. Most wool washes have lanolin in them as well - sometimes enough that you don't have to do further lanolizing. It really just depends on your preference.

It is also possible to wash/lanolize with things you more than likely already have in your house. Lanolin nipple cream is pure lanolin (assuming you get the one in the purple bottle) and you can melt about half an inch to an inch of it in hot water. Fill a bucket with warm water (hot will felt the wool) and put in a squirt of baby wash (I like california baby) and swish the wool around... add the cup of hot water with melted lanolin and swish more. Let it sit til cold. You've just washed and lanolized! Squeeze out excess water (don't wring, you'll stretch the wool) and then fold it into a towel and walk on to get the excess water you couldn't squeeze. Let it sit for awhile to air dry. Ready to use!

[chely7425]

Originally Posted by MayasMama88

I see. Whenever I would read a post about people "lanolizing" their wool, I always pictured a complicated process for prepping the wool. This doesn't sound so bad! Crap, now I'm going to have another obsession to worry about!

I was worried about it too, ask TreeOfLife... she is the one who got me started on it to begin with! I am also the one she was talking about who is allergic to wool but still uses it on the kids

[MayasMama88]

Oh my god, why am I so excited about wool?? Lol! Anyone wanna trade a few FBs for a pair of longies??

[treeoflife3]

you should check out diaperswappers, hyenacart's spots corner, and craigslist. You could find some really nice used wool for cheaper to try out and see if you like it!

Last night I got a pair of shorties and a soaker for 17 dollars total on spots so sometimes you can get good deals. I personally never find much on craigslist but once in awhile something pops up so it can't hurt to look! Some areas have a lot more than others too.

and you are excited about wool because it is AWESOME. I just got a new pair of longies in the mail today... I keep petting them because they are so purty and soft hahaha

[lapis]

[MayasMama88]

Oh I am SO looking for some wool!!!

[SilverFish]

do you sew at all? i will not buy new wool (vegan) and i don't live in a great area to buy second-hand, but i have had pretty good success with making longies and soakers out of felted thrift store woollen sweaters. my first attempts were not pretty, but they worked awesome for night-time, now i'm getting a little fancy and making cute woolly pants with appliqued designs and everything! total cost is $6 for two pairs of pants and a soaker (a small baby could probably get as many as 4 soakers from one sweater). much better than $20-$30 for a new soaker!

my favourite part of wool is the self-regulating temperature. i love a wool soaker in august heat waves... you go to change the diaper and it's actually cool... and in winter, a pair of longies will keep them warmer than anything else.

[MayasMama88]

Originally Posted by SilverFish

do you sew at all? i will not buy new wool (vegan) and i don't live in a great area to buy second-hand, but i have had pretty good success with making longies and soakers out of felted thrift store woollen sweaters. my first attempts were not pretty, but they worked awesome for night-time, now i'm getting a little fancy and making cute woolly pants with appliqued designs and everything! total cost is $6 for two pairs of pants and a soaker (a small baby could probably get as many as 4 soakers from one sweater). much better than $20-$30 for a new soaker!

my favourite part of wool is the self-regulating temperature. i love a wool soaker in august heat waves... you go to change the diaper and it's actually cool... and in winter, a pair of longies will keep them warmer than anything else.

I actually don't knit. I want to learn, though, so maybe I will and then I can just make my own. We're not exactly in a financial spot to buy what I'd like, so I might try to trade for some longies for winter! And the recycled wool sounds like a good idea, but I have heard that some babies/toddlers have reactions to it, and that the Disana wool is a better choice.

[chely7425]

I love my Disana wool It isn't the cutest thing ever but it is awesome for night time and the colors are pretty and they are very well priced.