Late to the wool game

Copernicus08

I've only used WCW soakers for overnight sleeping and was always "meh" about their performance. They are super cute and they work, don't get me wrong. I just always had compression problems with them. 

But ... I picked up the TT March to Mauritania shorties on Thursday, washed & lanolized them immediately, and starting using them on Friday night. Why didn't I put DS in shorties sooner? OMG. The wool paired with a TT or sbish obf was amazing. Not even damp. And DS seemed happy as a clam in them, even though his bedroom was a balmy 78 degrees.

Time to go buy more cute (boyish!) wool!

His(1&only)wife

Wool is amazing!!  I just listed some on Spots and the link is in my post above

Myst2211

I got a super cute woolie this weekend at the diaper swap. I have no idea how to wash and prepare it for use. Can you send me your wash prepare routine.

M

koopa+troopa

OOOH... you snagged those eh. I was trying but failed.
JEALOUS! they are so cute. OTB PIP?

There's a ton of cute girl wool out there (especially used). I have a hard time trying to find boyish wool (although I did just get a pair of barely used shorties from his1&only). The TT wool is also just amazing due to the intarsia designs.

 

Copernicus08

Myst2211:

I got a super cute woolie this weekend at the diaper swap. I have no idea how to wash and prepare it for use. Can you send me your wash prepare routine.

M

I use these instructions from Zany Zebra. They're a bit overwhelming, but here's what it breaks down to:

What you'll need: a clean sink, Lansinoh lanolin, baby wash, EO if desired (I use lavender because I have it on hand)

1) Rinse your wool with cool water and gently squeeze it out. Then fill a clean sink with tepid water (too hot to drink but too cool to bathe in).

2) Fill a Pyrex cup with about a cup of water and microwave it for a couple of minutes until it gets hot. Put a pea-sized amount of Lansinoh and a couple drops of baby wash (and a drop or two of your EO if you want) into the hot water and stir it up gently until the lanolin dissolves. This is your wool wash/lanolizing mixture. Pour the entire mixture into the sink of water and give it a gentle swish.

3) Turn your wool inside out and submerge into the sink of water. Leave it for as little as 15 minutes or as long as overnight (this varies for everyone so there's no right or wrong answer -- it is whatever works for you. I tend to leave it for a couple of hours to really let the lanolin get in there). The wool wash and lanolin will work on their own to clean and relanolize the wool.

4) Take the wool out of the water, gently squeeze the water out. Drain the sink and fill it with clean cool water for a final rinse of your wool. Dunk your wool a couple times. Gently squeeze it out again.

Here is where I generally throw my wool into the washer and give it a spin cycle to spin out all the excess water that I can't squeeze out myself. 

5) Gentle reshape your wool and lay it out to dry, either on a towel or a flat rack. I lay mine on top of my dog's wire crate since it can get air circulation from both sides that way. 

I've done as many as three pieces at a time this way, only adjusting the lanolin and baby wash ever so slightly. You don't need much. Too much lanolin and your wool gets sticky.

 

Hope this helps a bit!

Nature Lover

I followed the insturctions abover more or less but I used a pre-mixed wool wash and left it for 30 minutes per the manufacturers instructions. It did NOT lanolize well and I had major leaks.  I plan to lanolize again leaving it in for much longer!  This was the first lanolizing of some knitted soakers so I think maybe the first time it needs longer???

Also I didn't do a rinse at the end - the manufacturers instructions didn't call for that.  But makes since it its beenpeed in!  I also didn't spin it in the washer.  I think becuase these were knitted, isntead of a solid piece, you aren't supposed to spin (or even wring it out too much) or it causes felting.  I think solid wool is different.

Anyway, here's hoping that another round of lanolizing works and I can rave about my wool like OP.  It sure would be nice to make it through the night without everything being drenched in pee!!!

Copernicus08

Nature Lover:

I followed the insturctions abover more or less but I used a pre-mixed wool wash and left it for 30 minutes per the manufacturers instructions. It did NOT lanolize well and I had major leaks.  I plan to lanolize again leaving it in for much longer!  This was the first lanolizing of some knitted soakers so I think maybe the first time it needs longer???

Also I didn't do a rinse at the end - the manufacturers instructions didn't call for that.  But makes since it its beenpeed in!  I also didn't spin it in the washer.  I think becuase these were knitted, isntead of a solid piece, you aren't supposed to spin (or even wring it out too much) or it causes felting.  I think solid wool is different.

Anyway, here's hoping that another round of lanolizing works and I can rave about my wool like OP.  It sure would be nice to make it through the night without everything being drenched in pee!!!

Regarding felting: I believe (and someone correct me if I'm wrong!) that felting occurs when the wool repeatedly rubs on itself or other wool, hence why you should not wash it in the washer. But if you just throw it in the washer for the spin cycle, it's only using the centrifugal force of the spin to "stick" to the side of the drum, so it doesn't rub on itself or other wool. I haven't had any issues with spinning any of my wool. 

StephanieDM

Copernicus08:

Nature Lover:

I followed the insturctions abover more or less but I used a pre-mixed wool wash and left it for 30 minutes per the manufacturers instructions. It did NOT lanolize well and I had major leaks.  I plan to lanolize again leaving it in for much longer!  This was the first lanolizing of some knitted soakers so I think maybe the first time it needs longer???

Also I didn't do a rinse at the end - the manufacturers instructions didn't call for that.  But makes since it its beenpeed in!  I also didn't spin it in the washer.  I think becuase these were knitted, isntead of a solid piece, you aren't supposed to spin (or even wring it out too much) or it causes felting.  I think solid wool is different.

Anyway, here's hoping that another round of lanolizing works and I can rave about my wool like OP.  It sure would be nice to make it through the night without everything being drenched in pee!!!

Regarding felting: I believe (and someone correct me if I'm wrong!) that felting occurs when the wool repeatedly rubs on itself or other wool, hence why you should not wash it in the washer. But if you just throw it in the washer for the spin cycle, it's only using the centrifugal force of the spin to "stick" to the side of the drum, so it doesn't rub on itself or other wool. I haven't had any issues with spinning any of my wool. 

This is exactly right. I never get felting by using the spin cycle, the wool sticks to the side of the drum and it just spins off extra water, and most of my woolies are knitted.

But do NOT wash in the washer, obviously - that will cause felting!

OP- Wool is fabulous and SO addictive. I am constantly looking at woolies online and finding new ones that DD has to have!

JAnalynn3767

Myst2211:

I got a super cute woolie this weekend at the diaper swap. I have no idea how to wash and prepare it for use. Can you send me your wash prepare routine.

M

I use these instructions  https://www.diaperpin.com/clothdiapers/article_howtolanolizewool.asp

(sorry not clicky)

The Pics were very helpful for me especially in the beginning. 

Myst2211

You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for the information.

M