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caring for your knitted
goodies
There are so many
wonderful things about using wool for diapering. Sometimes
I wonder if I could fill a whole book with information and
scientific gobbledygook about lanolin and breathability and
antibacterial properties... well, I don't think I could fill a
book, but I'm sure someone else could. But here's the
important stuff you really need to know- how to take care of
your wool, and how to make sure it'll fit!
Wool Care
It's simple to wash your wool.
Every two to three weeks, or when you cover gets poop on it or
begins to smell, do the following:
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Fill your sink, a basin, or a large bowl
with cool water.
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Add wool wash ( Sudz
'n' Dudz , Eucalan, etc.) or a squirt of baby shampoo.
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Gently immerse your wool in the
sink/basin/bowl and swish it a bit to get the wool wet.
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Allow your wool to soak for 10-15 minutes.
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Rinse your wool as directed according to
your wool wash. Eucalan doesn't need to be rinsed out.
Baby shampoo does. Use cool water and do not rub your
soaker.
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Gently squeeze the water out of the soaker.
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Every month or two , lanolize after washing.
Follow the directions provided with the lanolin you'll be
using. My generic lanolizing instructions are to boil
a cup of water in the microwave, add a pea size glob of
lanolin, stir until the lanolin is melted, and add this
lanolin water to your wash water, making sure not to pour it
directly on your wool. Swish your soaker in the
lanolized water and allow it to sit for 15-20 minutes.
Gently Squeeze out the water and continue.
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Lay a towel on the floor and fold it over.
Lay your soaker in the middle of the towel and fold the
towel again so the soaker is sandwiched in the middle of the
towel layers. Arrange your soaker so that it is flat,
and give the ribbing a good tug upwards to keep it nice and
tight.
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Walk on the towel-soaker sandwich to get out
all the water.
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Lay your soaker out flat on a dry towel to
dry. You can also lay it flat on top of a box fan, or
if your dryer has a drying rack, lay it flat on the rack and
run the dryer. DO NOT PUT YOUR SOAKER IN THE DRYER TO
SPIN DRY.
Warnings
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DO NOT use hot water. Hot water will
cause your wool to felt and shrink. If you want to
turn your soaker into a doll soaker, this is the way to do
it. Otherwise, cool water only!
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DO NOT machine wash your wool unless you're
experienced! Some people can do it with success.
I cannot. Don't experiment unless you're feeling
really lucky.
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DO NOT hang your wool to dry, as it can
really stretch out the wool and cause it to fit incorrectly.
Always lay flat to dry.
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