Lanolising Wool Nappy Covers

Wool Nappy Covers!

They come in different shapes, sizes and can be knitted by a Nonna or purchased from your local retailer. Either way, some are afraid of these babies and some fall in love because they are just so super soft and easy to use.

The secret lies in lanolising wool nappy covers properly, but before I show you how to lanolise your wool nappy covers, let me first tell you a little about why they are so wonderful.

Baby Beehinds Wool Nappy Cover

Natural Fibre. Wool has a wonderful ability to be both warming and cooling due to aeration between the fibres providing insulation & breathability. This means your child will not overheat wearing their wool nappy cover and their skin is kept as dry and fresh.
Wool is hydrophobic – meaning that, like our sheepies, it is water-repellant…. once combined with the application of lanolin to waterproof the wool fibres this water repelling quality is unbeatable.
Wool is absorbent. It can actually soak up to 40% of its weight in moisture without feeling wet whilst still working to maintain airflow and repel the moisture it’s not absorbing back into the nappy. For this reason, anyone experiencing little leaks at night would benefit GREATLY from a wool nappy cover instead of a conventional cover.
Washing. Wool nappy covers (unless soiled) do not have to be washed after every use, simply air them out and the smell will be gone before you need them next. A chemical reaction actually occurs between the wool and the lanolin which works to evaporate ammonia from the cover, this is how you know it's time to wash and lanolise when the cover starts to smell.
Resistant to mould and mildew.
Long Lasting. Wool is extremely durable; these babies will last and last and last...

Washing Wool Nappy Covers

Firstly, wash your wool nappy cover prior to lanolising with a good wool wash detergent. You only need to re-wash your cover if it becomes soiled, stinky or dirty, or when it requires re-lanolising. Washing is always an important first step before lanolising wool nappy covers.

If your baby is a heavy wetter with very strong urine, you will probably need to lanolise more regularly. As mentioned before, if your wool nappy cover starts to smell, this is an indication that you need to wash and re-lanolise.

I do not recommend washing wool nappy covers in the machine as they can start to felt. Wash your cover in the sink or bucket using lukewarm water and a gentle baby wash or even better wool wash.

Once clean, rinse well under cool water, lanolise, and then lay flat in the shade to dry. It is an even better option to lay between two tels of blankets to dry.

Tips:

Do not soak your covers or agitate
Do not tumble dry
Lanolise straight after washing while the cover is still damp

Lanolising Wool Nappy Covers

Ever wondered why the "barrr-sheep" don't seem fussed by the cold or rain? Their wool contains natural lanolin oil which protects them from moisture and other elements. For this reason, we need to lanolise wool nappy covers every couple of weeks to maintain their leak proof and antibacterial abilities. Don’t stress, lanolising is super easy!

What do you need?

You may have come across ‘Lansinoh’, which is sold at chemists (commonly used to soothe sore nipples when breastfeeding- ahh now you know what I'm talking about). It is the purest form of lanolin available and is completely natural and hypoallergenic.

So, what do you do?

1. Grab a mug and a teaspoon and boil the kettle (take out a tea bag too and add it to your own mug).

2. Add a small (pea sized- half a teaspoon) to hot water and melt & disperse.

Tip: The lanolin will float on the top like oil in water. To break this down further simply add a drop of baby wash (or two if needed) to the mixture and stir through until dissolved.

3. Once the lanolin is melted and evenly dispersed throughout the hot water, add the mixture to your cleaned sink or bucket with enough hot/warm water to submerge the cover. Enjoy your tea now while you wait for the water to cool until lukewarm.

Tip: You may notice little white floaties on the mixtures surface. Do not worry this is simply small parts of the lanolin emulsifying. It doesn't affect the waterproofing of the cover however may leave tiny white patches on your cover which won’t be visible once dried. If this bothers you, I've heard that adding an ice-cube to straight after you've dissolved the lanolin can prevent this.

4. Now that you've finished your tea. Submerge your wool nappy cover into the lukewarm solution (inside out) and leave it to soak for a couple of hours or overnight.

Tip: Do not agitate as this can cause the cover to felt. It doesn't like it.

5. When you are ready to remove the cover, do not rinse it, just gently squeeze out the excess water by hand.

Tip: Do not squeeze hard or wring.

6. Now, roll your cover up in a towel to remove as much moisture as possible, and then lay flat in the shade to dry.

Tip: Lay on top of a drying rack to allow air to circulate the whole cover while drying.

7. Re- lanolise wool nappy covers every 2-4 weeks, or when the cover starts to get a bit stinky!

Tip: You can purchase Lanolin spray to help between washes if your child isn't a master wetter.