How to Wash Wool Diaper Covers
Wool diaper covers easily prevent leaks from cloth diapers without using plastics or synthetic materials next to your baby's skin. Surprisingly, wool diaper covers such as wraps, "shorties," "longies," and soakers require little extra care, but last longer and perform better with sporadic washing and treatment.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Wool wash detergent or wool wash bar
- Soft toothbrush (optional)
- Lanolin (see Section 2)
- Towel
- Liquid lanolin, spray lanolin or lanolin nipple cream (use pure lanolin only)
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Washing Your Wool Diaper Covers
-
1
Fill a sink with lukewarm water and a small amount of specialty wool wash or lathered-up wool wash soap bar. Use a small squeeze of mild baby shampoo instead of wool wash if necessary.
-
2
Place your wool covers in the water, and gently swish around. Use a wool wash soap bar or soft toothbrush to remove stains. Scrub very gently to avoid pilling.
-
3
Add extra lanolin if necessary to boost your wool's natural waterproofing and antibacterial properties. See next section, "Adding Lanolin to Your Wool Diaper Covers."
-
4
Gently roll your washed covers in a towel to squeeze out excess water. Lay flat to dry.
Adding Lanolin to Your Wool Diaper Covers
-
1
Boost your wool covers' lanolin every few months, or when wet diapers wick through the covers.
-
2
Spritz spray-on lanolin directly onto clean and wet wool diaper covers.
-
3
For cream lanolin, melt a dollop of lanolin with a small amount of boiling water. Add the melted lanolin to the sink, and top off with warm water.
-
4
Pour liquid lanolin directly into the water.
-
5
Swirl your clean wool diaper covers in the lanolin water and soak for at least 15 minutes.
-
6
Roll your lanolinized covers in a towel to gently remove excess water. Lay them flat to dry.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Wash diaper covers every 1 to 3 weeks or when soiled.
Air out diaper covers between uses to allow the wool's self-cleaning lanolin to react with urine and form a natural detergent.
Avoid exposing wool to hot water to maintain a stretchy fit. Hot water "felts" the wool, which makes it very leak-proof, but not stretchy or very flexible.
Melted lanolin nipple cream hardens again in water, potentially causing lanolin spot stains on your diaper covers. Remove lanolin spots with a wool wash bar if necessary.
