Why Wool?

Why Choose Wool?
Not hot. Not even in hot, humid Georgia! Not itchy. You have to feel it to believe it!  Today’s wool covers are woven or knit with the softest of wool fibers. Wool covers are a great natural fiber for those cloth diapering moms out there who choose natural vs. synthetic materials for their baby. First, a wool cover is thermal, meaning it can store water vapor up to 35 per cent of its own dry weight yet it remains dry to touch and speeds up the body’s own cooling system. This means it will keep your baby dry and cool as water evaporates from the fibers. Wool is commonly suggested for night-time usage when leaks occur most often, however wool works great for all day wear as well. Second, while absorbent, wool still remains breathable, allowing for circulation around baby’s bottom. This helps prevent diaper rash, but also alleviates the health concerns of trapped heat within a diapering system. Finally, wool contains natural lanolin which creates a natural waterproof barrier, and has antibacterial properties. Wool is our best choice for day or night. There is something about seeing a wool cover on my daughter's bottom that gives me the warm fuzzies.

The Science of Wool
Wool has overlapping cuticles, like shingles on a roof, that have a tendency to repel water droplets. This, along with a thin coating of lanolin (an oil secreted from the sheep’s skin) causes water to not readily be wicked from one fiber to another (as would happen in cotton). It just sort of sits on top of one without the fiber actually getting “wet”. That makes it so that water won’t pass through readily, but any waterproof cover does that. But waterproof covers aren’t entirely breathable. Wool’s fibers are a tangle with lots of air pockets. Air can move through. And while water won’t readily wick from one fiber to another, water vapor can be carried through these air pockets and out. When things get warm and saturated inside, the vapor will move to the outside. So some of the moisture is let go throughout the night. But wool is also absorbent (no other cover is). While it won’t wick from fiber to fiber, the centers of each fiber are porous and absorbent, and can hold 30% of its own weight in liquid. So there’s more moisture being held in the wool itself. It won’t hold it long, though, and will release it readily as it evaporates. A wool cover can get totally full of urine night after night, and after sitting out to dry you can put your face right in it and take a whiff and you smell nothing. No urine. Even after 6 weeks of use with no washing.

Wear and Tear of Wool
Wool uses the best of both worlds; breath-ability and move-ability. When knit or woven (as into diaper covers), it remains stretchy so it can fit well and yield to body movement. Then it absorbs moisture, allows your baby’s body to breathe, but it never feels damp and clammy. A baby can bend, stretch, crawl, and move easily and get the added benefit of a completely breathable diapering system. One common misconception is that wool products are not easy to care for and/or maintain. This isn’t true, they just need to be cared for separately. (See "Wool Care") Wool covers do not need to be washed as regularly as synthetic diaper covers, because of their antibacterial qualities. Wool is also known for its longevity and durability. Wool fibers, with their power to elongate, stretch and recover create an extremely robust fabric that will last for years.

Naturally Antibacterial
You may notice following diaper changes, wool covers may smell of urine; however a system of rotating and airing them out will cause the smell to dissipate completely. This is because the same natural properties of lanolin that allow wool to be virtually waterproof pull double-duty as an anti-bacterial, thus killing germs. Aside of being soiled, one way to know that a wool cover needs laundering, is if the urine smell does not fade after an airing. This means the lanolin has worn thin and most likely the wool diaper cover is losing its waterproofing as well. Please see "Wool Care" for the care and keeping of your wool covers.

Care and Keeping of Wool
As with any cloth diapering system, it is important to read the wash and care information given by the manufacturer. Some wool does require a simple hand washing system, while others can be placed on a gentle cycle in a washing machine.

Hand Washing:

1. Do an initial rinse in cold water to cleanse away any surface urine or solid waste. Then fill the sink or medium sized bucket with warm (ONLY WARM NOT HOT, unless you plan on your cover becoming a doll baby cover) water, add wool wash. 
2. Place your wool items gently into the soak water and soak for at least 15 - 30 minutes.  Most of the time I forget about them and leave them for an hour or two.   Once it has soaked, gently squeeze out all excess water. Do not wring the cover s this may cause felting.  Lay the cover(s) flat on a towel, and roll it up.  I then have my daughter do a little "dance" on the towel to help squeeze as much of the water out as possible.  Then unroll the towel and place your wool item(s) flat to dry.  I normally wash covers about every 4 - 6 weeks.  I have several wool pieces for my daughter:  pants, shorts, capris, skirts, and soakers so they rotated quite frequently.

Machine Washing:

I personally do not recommend machine washing wool unless you have a "wool" setting on your machine.  I do and have washed wool interlock soakers, but have not washed hand-knit wool items.

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