How to Use Wool Diaper Covers

A wool diaper cover protects clothing (and parents) from moisture on a cloth-diapered baby. Wool's lanolin naturally repels wetness and resists water. It also forms an antibacterial detergent when mixed with urine, which means you don't have to wash the diaper covers after every use. Wool is a simple, breathable, and all-natural option for cloth diapering.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Selecting Your Wool Diaper Covers

1. Choose a trim-fitting interlock wool "wrap" style cover to wear under clothes.

2. Buy knit or interlock wool "shorties," "soakers," or "longies" for use without pants. Shorties and longies serve as outerwear.

3. Select snaps or hook-and-eye closures on your wrap covers.

4. Opt for drawstring closures on knit shorties, longies and soakers for more adjustability.

5. Measure your baby's inseam, rise (outside of inner diaper to above the top of the diaper), upper thighs and waist to ensure the wool cover fits over your diaper.

Using Your Wool Diaper Covers

6. Prep your wool diaper cover with lanolin. Use spray-on liquid lanolin for ease of use, or melted lanolin nipple cream for a low-cost option.

7. Put a clean cloth diaper on your baby. Fasten the diaper appropriately, using a Snappi or pins on a prefold. Pull the wool cover onto your baby on top of the diaper.

8. Check the waist and legs to make sure the diaper isn't peeking out. Any exposed diaper wicks moisture onto clothing or skin. After each use, hang the wool cover to air dry.

9. Rotate wool covers regularly, and wash every 1 to 2 weeks. Reapply lanolin to improve waterproofing after a few washes.

Tips & Warnings

• Onesies, bodysuits and pajamas fit snugly over a cloth diaper and wool cover. Buy a size up to ensure a comfortable fit and reduce the risk of compression wicking through the wool.
• Use a wool wash containing lanolin for best results.
• Toddlers notoriously remove their own diapers, so opt for snap closures on wool wraps for better protection.
• Melted lanolin creams and gels occasionally solidify and form globules as they attach to the cover. To avoid lanolin spot stains, use liquid or spray lanolin.

Resources

• Better For Babies--buy organic wool diaper covers and wool wash
• Diaper Swappers for online resources, forums and used wool diaper covers for sale
• Hyena Cart for online wool diaper cover auctions and sales