Hot and cold lanolizing

What is this ritual? Why do wool fibres like it? Is it necessary when using wool covers? We will try to answer these and other questions in this article.

Wool, when it is still part of the sheep, is regularly moistened by the animal's body with lanolin. And the same applies to wool covers - they need to be moistened from time to time so that they remain in good condition for a long time and can fulfil their purpose correctly, i.e. no leaks in the nappy. Simply put, the lanolin process prevents leaks and has another very important function. Thanks to lanolin, our wool covers do not need to be washed after each use, because the lanolin contained in wool has properties which make the urine break down into water (which evaporates) and mineral salts. That's why the wool cover doesn't smell bad even after repeated use without washing - just air it out. Simple, right? And how much less work 😉.

How to do a cold lanolin treatment

You will need soap flakes, lanolin, a tall pot or a bowl with a capacity of about 1 litre (1 quart), boiling water, cold water, and a spoon.

1. Put a teaspoon of lanolin and a teaspoon of soap flakes into the pot (proportion for one OS size cover)
2. Pour boiling water up to 1/3 of the container volume, stir vigorously until the components are completely dissolved. The solution should have the colour of diluted milk.
3. Pour the remaining 2/3 of cool water into the solution and immediately place the preferably dry and clean cover in it. Make sure that the whole thing is submerged under the surface of the water.
4. Leave the whole thing for about 6 hours.
5. After this time remove the cover, rinse under running water at room temperature until the water is clear.
6. Finally squeeze (rather than wring) the cover into a towel and leave to dry
7. Done!

The lanolin procedure is carried out as needed, usually before the first use (the wool may need to be treated twice) and every 2 months or so during use. However, it will also depend on how often the cover has been washed and whether the cover is beginning to let moisture through due to very wet inserts. Lanolin is washed out of the fibres over time, hence the need for replenishment.

How to do a warm lanolin treatment

Hot lanolizing is done in a very similar way to cold lanolizing. You need soap flakes, lanolin, a pot of about 1 litre (1 quart), boiling water, cold water, and a teaspoon.

1. Put a teaspoon of lanolin and a teaspoon of soap flakes into a container (proportion for 1 OS size wool cover)
2. Pour boiling water over lanolin and soap flakes to 1/3 of the pot volume, stir vigorously until the components are completely dissolved. The solution should have the colour of diluted milk.
3. Pour the remaining 2/3 of cool water into the solution and immediately place the (preferably dry and clean) wool cover in it. Try to keep the whole thing submerged under the surface of the water.
4. The next step is to slowly heat up the solution and the wool cover to about 70°C, stirring from time to time.
5. Then leave to cool. If you take the wool cover out and rinse it, it will probably get felted and you don't want that 😉.
6. After the water has cooled, take out the wool cover and rinse under running water at room temperature until the water is clear
7. Finally squeeze (rather than wring) the wool cover in a towel and leave to dry
8. Done!

Air the wool covers

Daily wool care is not as difficult as it may seem at first. All you need is a bit of regularity, patience and willingness.

The wool used to sew the covers does not require frequent washing, unless it is very dirty or excessively wet. It is usually enough to air it out - optimally in a slightly humid environment (e.g. during a shower in the bathroom).

Wool covers, although resistant to various temperatures (wool can easily be boiled) have one drawback: they do not like extreme temperature changes or friction such as rubbing during washing. Try to avoid washing in very hot water and rinsing in much colder water. Subjecting wool to such temperature differences and prolonged rubbing and kneading will cause it to felt, and unfortunately, this is an irreversible process.

Wool is extremely difficult to get dirty in normal use, dirt does not usually penetrate the fibre structure, which makes washing very easy. It is recommended to wash the cover once every 7-10 days according to the washing instructions (unless it is soiled or heavily soaked then wash as needed).