Diapering with wool has many advantages and is a great alternative for all parents who want a purely natural option for their children. Wool is very breathable, hardly gets dirty and regulates temperature naturally. Most wool overpants for cloth diapers are made from 100% virgin wool. Natural wool is characterized by its special fineness, strong crimp and soft touch. It is therefore particularly soft, comfortable on the skin and yet robust against environmental influences.
Virgin wool contains lanolin (wool grease), a special substance that makes wool water repellent. Wool absorbs 30% of its own weight before it feels wet. When the diaper is full, the excess liquid is absorbed by the wool. There are three situations in which the wool needs to be re-greased: after washing, after a long period of use or sometimes when the diaper has become particularly wet and the wool grease has been used up.
.png)
Virgin wool, thanks to its natural properties, has a self-cleaning effect. A worn wool article does not need to be washed immediately, leaving it in fresh air is usually enough to make it clean.
Wool tolerates hot temperatures, but must not be moved. Absolutely avoid temperature changes of the water when rinsing. Wool should only be washed gently and not spun hard.
Our wool care tips will help you make a successful switch to diapering with wool and prevent unwanted shrinking, stretching or tearing.
Greasing woolen overpants
We recommend using pure lanolin for greasing (adeps lanae anhydricus). In our store we offer Avo&Cado wool wax.
You need the following things for greasing:
A clean pair of wool overpants - whether freshly washed or already dry again
A large bowl, bucket or small sink.
The bucket should be clean and free of sharp edges where the wool fabric can get caught or snagged.
Dish wash liquid
A cup and a teaspoon
Preparation
The following instructions are for greasing one pair of overpants. If you want to grease two overpants at the same time, please double the amount of wool wax and water.
Take the clean wool overpants.
If they are double knit or slip overpants, turn them inside out.
If the overtpants have Velcro hook & loop panel, please close the hook and loop before greasing.
Fill the cup with boiling water and add a maximum of ½ teaspoon of lanolin.
Add a splash of dishwashing liquid and mix until a white mixture is formed and the lanolin is completely melted. The dishwashing liquid is a fat solvent and helps to distribute the lanolin in the water.
Fill the big bowl/bucket with the remaining hot water and then add the lanolin mixture. Stir until everything is well mixed.
Put the wool overpants turned inside out into the water and use the spoon to push the overpants under the water. Don't worry about the hot water. As long as the wool is not moved, it will not shrink. So please do not knead or stir the overpant in the water. Also, do not pour cold water on it. Just let it sit until the water cools down!
The overpants should be completely drown in water. Leave them in the water until the water has cooled down or leave it simply overnight. Take the overpants out and squeeze them gently. Place the wet overpants between two towels and roll them up to squeeze out the remaining water. Leave the overpants air dry. The dry, greased overpants will feel a little sticky before the first use, this is normal. Done :)
The washing of wool overpants
Wool overpants need to be washed only in the following situations:
Before the first use
When they are dirty
When they smell
When wetness penetrates through the fabric
Otherwise simply every 3-6 weeks
The overpants can be washed in the cold wool cycle in the washing machine or by hand with a suitable delicates/wool detergent. Please do not wring out or brush out.
It is best to drain and place wool overpants between two towels, then squeeze, pull into shape and allow to dry. Wool needs about 24 hours to dry in the air.
Please NEVER dry wool overpants or other wool items in the dryer or on the heater. Otherwise, you will end up with overpants that will only fit one doll. Please be careful with rings or with Velcro, which can get caught in the wool and tear it.
Change of shape and structure
Double knitted wool overpants will look different after a few times of washing and greasing than at the beginning. The texture and also the shape will change. The waist and leg cuffs will stretch to the right size for your child, the wide diaper area will shrink, and the area between the legs will naturally become matted and denser.
Overpants made from boiled wool will soften after the first wash and will not be as stiff.
Please note that knitted overpants, unlike boiled wool ones, take some time to become reliably tight. Therefore, in the beginning they should be used only for shorter wrapping intervals.
Here you can download the PDF version of our wool care guide for printing! (in German)