Wool FAQ?

[kjoberk]

We've been cloth diapering for about 4 months now and I'm getting interested in wool diapers. Just today I ordered a soaker to try, but I'm a little confused. Do you just put a normal prefold in between babies butt and the diaper? Do you need a cover in between? Anyone have any tips for a first time wool user? Washing, things like that? Are the soakers safe to put in a load with my other cloth diapers? Help would be fantastic...I feel just as anxious over using a wool soaker as I did when I first started using cloth!

[cristeen]

A wool soaker is not a diaper.  It's a cover.  You do need to be using a diaper still - if that's a prefold or a fitted.  You cannot trifold a pf in a soaker - you need to snappi/pin it on, and you want to do your best to make sure it's not going to leak poo - because wool covers are hand-wash only, and they take a day or two to dry. 

As for washing - there are lots of great tutorials around here - you also need to worry about lanolizing it at some point down the road.  Basically what I do for washing is fill the wash tub with an inch or two of warm water, and a drizzle of wool wash soap (Eucalan or Kookabura - check your local yarn store, you only need the little bottle).  Drop the wool in there so it's laying flat, dunk it under the water, and walk away.  Come back later, lift it out, dump the water.  Refill the tub with warm water (don't run the water onto the cover, move it out of the way), put the cover back in, swish it about a bit (not vigorously, and not a lot, you just want a little bit of movement through the fibers), lay it flat again and walk away.  If it's been feeling crunchy or really stinky, I might repeat that a few more times (drain, rinse, swish, soak).  If there's poo on the cover, after the first soak, I'll rub it gently to get it loose, and after hte second soak I might pull out my wool wash bar, give it a light rub across the spot and then try to work the poo out gently.  Rinse at least one more time after that.  When it's done, lift it out, squeeze it gently (don't wring it), and take a big bath towel, fold it in half longways, lay your wool on one end and roll it up inside the towel so that the excess towel is around the outside.  Put the roll on the floor and walk back and forth on it to squeeze all the water into the towel.  Now unwrap your wool, the towel should be thoroughly wet, and your wool should feel almost dry.  Lay or drape it in a warm spot where it can finish drying.

The above does not cover lanolizing, which I suck at.  Hopefully someone will be along with instructions for that. 

[kjoberk]

Thank you very much! They really need a dummies guide to wool. Would just any prefold work (with snappies of course)? Also, do I need to buy the wool wash? I've read that you can just use lanolin that you use for nipples...is that the case or would I be better off just investing in the wool wash? I really appreciate the details for the washing. I'm very excited to try them, as my mom told me she could knit me some (I'm horrid at knitting) so I'm really excited and hope that these work out for me!

[CraftyMcGluestick]

Thank you for asking this kjoberk. I've been too intimidated by wool this far (CDing our 5 mos old since birth), but I have heard great things about it. Then I saw a link to this thread on twitter and knew I wanted to jump in! I'm still not sure I'm on board after the 5 zillion steps described by the previous poster. What are the advantages of wool over say, a Thirsties or Bummi wrap? I guess it breathes better, but does it smell after only one pee diaper? Is it itchy for baby? Or hot? More info, please!

[wishin'&hopin']

I just lanolize in the kitchen sink every couple of weeks.  (But, we only use wool soakers when kidlet's butt needs to air out and only at home--they are GREAT when he's starting to look a bit rashy.) I put a pea size amount of lanolin mixed with an equal amount of baby body wash (sensitive skin california baby) into about a cup of warm water (so it will dissolve) then add it to a sinkful of lukewarm water and mix it in.  I add the soaker (we've never gotten poo on them--just lucky I guess) and let it sit overnight.  The next day I lay it flat on a towel, roll it up and then gently squeeze out the excess water.  Then I lay it flat to dry (just like I would a sweater).  

Oh, and it's never smelled like urine and baby doesn't seem itchy or hot (altho' it's February and chilly in our house).

[poonico]

Like PP said, it's a cover. I've used it over prefolds, fitteds - even pocket diapers and AIOs as an extra layer of protection for nights or going to town.

I have a post on my blog about lanolizing and another about some of the properties of wool.

I love using wool. It makes a great cover. I'm fond of interlock especially.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by CraftyMcGluestick 

A

Thank you for asking this kjoberk. I've been too intimidated by wool this far (CDing our 5 mos old since birth), but I have heard great things about it. Then I saw a link to this thread on twitter and knew I wanted to jump in! I'm still not sure I'm on board after the 5 zillion steps described by the previous poster. What are the advantages of wool over say, a Thirsties or Bummi wrap? I guess it breathes better, but does it smell after only one pee diaper? Is it itchy for baby? Or hot? More info, please!

Advantages - it breathes, which PUL does not.  It allows them to regulate their temperature, never being too hot.  It absorbs something like 1.5x it's weight in liquid before feeling wet on the outside.  It does not smell after one pee - in fact if it smells (when dry), it's time to relanolize it.  It is not itchy (or at least, shouldn't be - a little hair conditioner in the wash water can take care of that). 

As for the steps above, it seems intimidating, but it's really not.  If you look at what I said, I walk into the bathroom where I have a dishwashing tub I picked up at the drug store specifically for this purpose.  I run some water, drop in the soaker and walk away.  Next time I go to pee, or the next day, or whenever, I dump the water and add fresh.  I might do that a couple times, but it's not complicated at all.  And I only do it this way because I'm running after a toddler most of the time - who has time to stand there and hand-wash something for 10 minutes?  This way it's 30-60 seconds at a time when I'm already in the bathroom.  As for the towel trick - that's just what I've learned works the best.  Nobody told me about that when I started with wool, and I really wish they had, it dries TONS faster. 

Oh, and washing and lanolizing are 2 different things.  Often done at the same time, but lanolin is for lanolizing.  Wool wash is for washing.