Tutorial: How to wash & lanolize your wool diaper covers!
I had to make a new tutorial. The old one is still in the archives, but when I made the move to Wordpress it did not transfer as neat and pretty as I would like… So here we go!
Supplies: Wool wash, or baby wash and Lansinoh lanolin… small baby food jar… clean sink… warm water… towel. Gather your items and fill your small jar about halfway with water. Add your wool wash… or about a half teaspoon of lanolin and a few drops of baby wash. Microwave on high for 30-45 seconds– it will be hot! Be careful. Place lid on jar and shake-shake-shake.
Lanolin or wool wash, I like Sudz n Dudz patchouli scented
Pour melted lanolin into warm sink of water
Water should look shiny and oily on the surface, make sure lanolin is well distributed.
Add your wool cover. I dip mine in "wet-zone" first.
Fully submerge the wool. Be gentle!
Normally I dab a bit of lanolin into the wet zones, just to be safe, especially for the first time lanolizing, but since I only have patchouli scent, I am skipping this step.
Let water drain from sink, lanolin will cling to the wool.
Fold a towel twice and lay on the floor. Lay wool on top.
Fold towel over wool item. Gentle step on it to squeeze out excess water.
Hang to dry or lie flat in a ventilated area.
Sometimes I am impatient and I speed up the drying process by placing my wool over a gallon size vinegar jug and put it front of a fan. Then I can have dry wool in a few hours instead of the next day. Hanging or lying flat it can take anywhere from 18-48 hours.
But that is all there is too it. Not complicated and not time-consuming! In fact, the best part about this process is that as long as you dont get poop on the cover, you only need to wash & lanolize once a month because wool has anti-bacterial properties. All urine absorbed is nuetralized. Your wool wont smell or be nasty at all. Just hang between changes and any dampness will dry right up. I find that my wool covers only really get damp if used over night, and they are usually –barely– damp. I am always amazed by this, especially when the prefold is completely saturated! WOOL IS WONDERFUL!!!
By the way… The soaker used for this tutorial is for sale in my shop here! It is at a discount since I used it here and also because there are a few minor stitch mistakes, that would in no way affect the performance of the soaker. I was going to use it for my son, but I think he would outgrow it too soon since he is growing like a weed. Enjoy!