The care of wool nappies is easy. This overview gives you insights on how to wash and grease a wool cover and also tips for stain treatment. As you may already know, Jovoh nappies are a two-component system: Absorbing inserts are combined with a wool cover. to form a complete wool nappy. The wool cover is greased with lanolin to make it water-repellent. To maintain the wool different washing routines are used, ranging from washing small stains to complete and deep cleaning of the cover. When to you use what is explained below. Overall, a wool cover is not as fr.agile as a merino wool sweater. So don’t be afraid to wash it. For more information on washing wool in general, see the blog.
The wash-grease-dry cycle
Wool nappies are much less complicated than you may think, as the wool cover only needs to be thoroughly cleaned approx. every 2 weeks. Normally the wool cover is aired-out after use. This is due to the self-cleaning effect and antibacterial properties of wool. If the wool cover does get dirty or starts to leak, there are a few little tricks to get it back up and running again quickly. A full bath in a lanolin emulsion (to get the cover water-repellent) is only needed after deep cleaning.
Reasons why a wool cover must be washed; and not aired-out after use
Wool is traditionally aired-out and rarely washed: as seldom as possible, as often as absolutely necessary. Wool covers can be washed either by hand or by using the wool program of your washing machine at a maximum of 30 degrees Celsius. However, hand washing will remove dirt and stains more thoroughly than the machine washing, especially over time.
There are different reasons why a wool cover has to be partially or completely washed:
- If poo has come into contact with the wool
- When yellow traces of urine stone occur
- If the wool starts to smell
- If the wool cover leaks
- When you think it’s time again to prevent deeper contamination
The cleaning method you choose depends primarily on the intensity of the soiling
General cleaning with wool detergent
Wool covers should be washed routinely every 2-3 weeks (depending on how many wool covers you use). You can either do this by hand or use the wool-washing program of your washing machine at maximum 30 degrees Celsius. You can use a conventional wool detergent. However, from time to time a deep clean will be necessary as wool detergents are not designed to remove urine and faeces from wool.
Refreshing with lanolin soap
Wool washing soap (also called lanolin soap) is a wonderful invention. It washes and simultaneously re-grease the wool. You can use it in two ways for minor contamination: Locally to remove stains and as a full bath to wash the entire cover. The latter is recommended if the wool cover is leaking in one place but does not yet need to be greased in a full lanolin bath.
We have written a wonderful blog about using lanolin soap: read the blog here.
Deep cleaning with olive soap
If the wool cover still smells after washing or if yellow traces of urine stone occur it must be deeply cleaned. We also recommend to apply this method every 2 weeks to avoid deep contamination of the wool. Therefore, soapy water (such as from green soap flakes) is used to remove the coarsest dirt. This method gently cleans the wool without stressing it too much. An olive soap bar is particularly suitable for targeted stain removal. Rub the soap directly onto the stains. And don’t worry, wool can handle it just fine.
Intensive cleaning with baking soda
Wool covers that are still dirty after deep cleaning or that are over-greased require intensive cleaning. This is done by soaking the wool cover in hot water with baking soda. However, this method stresses the wool and should only be used occasionally. It is therefore important to find the cause of the heavy soiling and how you care for your wool nappies.
How to grease a wool cover to become water-repellent
For many, this is sure to be the scary part but trust me, it’s not a closed book and it’s actually quite simple. As mentioned above, the care of wool nappies is easy.
There are different ways of greasing wool, but they all have one thing in common: lanolin (also known as wool wax or wool grease), which is needed to make the wool cover water-repellent. Lanolin is a natural wool grease that is obtained from sheep is produced during the washing process of natural wool.
- Full bath with pure lanolin
- Re-greasing with lanolin soap
- Local treatment with a lanolin emulsion
A distinction is made between a full bath with pure lanolin and local treatment of stains and leaks.
Full bath with pure lanolin for greasing
A full lanolin bath is applied for new wool covers and after that every 2-3 weeks (depending on the number of wool covers you use). All you need is a bucket or large bowl, warm water, lanolin and an emulsifier (e.g., green soap flakes or olive soap). The first step is to make an emulsion by mixing a small amount (about half a teaspoon) of lanolin with boiling water: this will produce fat droplets and lumps. Adding soap will turn them into a milky liquid. Pour the emulsion into the bucket/bowl with warm water. Place the cover in the greasy water with the wool side down. Leave to soak overnight or for at least a couple of hours.
Re-greasing with lanolin soap; easy wool care
Re-greasing with wool washing soap (lanolin soap) is applied for wool covers with minor soiling or if the cover is leaking in a specific area. To do this, gently rub the soap into warm water by hand until the water becomes milky. The more soap you dissolve, the richer the solution will be. Then wash the cover by hand. You can also treat stains directly without washing the entire cover. In either case, you can dry the cover and use it again without a full lanolin bath.
Use this method as often as possible instead of a full lanolin bath. This will prevent the wool from becoming too greasy.
Read the blog for more information on how (and when) to use lanolin soap.
Local treatment with a lanolin emulsion
Residual amounts of the lanolin emulsion can be kept in a small bottle for future use:
New wool covers must be greased at least twice to get water-repellent. It is an option to pour some of the lanolin emulsion over the entire wool cover instead of a full bath.
Stains can be treated locally with olive soap, however it may not be necessary to wash and grease the entire wool cover. Hence, a lanolin emulsion can be applied to locally re-grease the wool cover.
- For new wool covers
- As a routine every 2-3 weeks
- When large areas are leaking
- Wash & grease in one step
- For minor contamination
- If punctual leakage occurs
- To grease new covers a second time
- After stain treatment
- If punctual leakage occurs
How to dry and care for your wool cover so that it lasts for a long time
The best way to dry wool is to roll or fold it in a towel. Then lay it flat on the floor and trample on it. This will gently push the water out of the wool without causing friction. Never wring the wool as this can damage it or cause it to become felted. But don’t be afraid, the care of wool nappies is really easy and there is not much you can do wrong.
Place the wool cover on a drying rack to dry completely. Don’t hang it by the leg elastic, as this will stretch it permanently. You can also dry it outside in the sun if the sun is not too strong. Don’t leave them out for too long. Drying on a radiator is not recommended. The wool will become dry and fragile. A wool cover takes about a day to dry.