A word on wool
by
, 06-03-2012 at 11:59
(1191 Views)
If you've dabbled into cloth nappying, chances are you would have taken on, considered or at least come across wool soakers/covers.
I myself jumped onboard the wool train some time ago and love them for these top three reasons:
.Friends who have seen my son toddling around in a wool cover often eye it dubiously. But despite their 'traditional' appearance, they are wonderfully effective as covers. Even more so due to their in-built moisture-wicking function which is an element that even the best synthetic materials cannot fully emulate.
- Wool fibre is naturally absorbent but is also able to ‘wick’ or pull away moisture and release it into the air
.- The natural lanolin in wool creates a natural waterproof barrier that also neutralises the ammonia in urine
.- Wool is is breathable and therefore cooling to use in summer, but also naturally insulating for winter time
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I think the main reason why the use of wool covers is not widespread is because they require a little bit more care than PUL or even fleece covers. If they get dirty or soiled, you can't simply toss them into the washing machine with the rest of the laundry.
However wool actually doesn't need to be washed as often and can be reused over three weeks or even slightly longer as long as they are sufficiently 'aired' between uses. If they get soiled, a quick handwash is not really that arduous a task.
A few things to note when washing/cleaning wool:
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- Keep the water temperature nice and lukewarmy - plunging it straight into very cold or very hot water might 'shock' the fibres and result in shrinking
.- To clean spots and stains, gentle rubbing will do - vigorous scrubbing may cause the wool to 'felt up'
.- Do not wring the wool fabric but simply squeeze out excess water to maintain the shape your wool cover well
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Wool covers need to be lanolised every now and then to restore the natural waterproof element of the material. Here are a couple of links I referred to for learning about the lanolising process for wool covers:
.To read more on my cloth nappy journey, you can also check out my posts on cloth diapers at livingserenely.blogspot.com
- http://journeywifnappy.blogspot.com....ol-soaker.html
.- http://www.beansproutbubba.com.au/sh...-101-wash-care
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