Why Wool?

Wool is a natural fiber derived from the fur of sheep, goats (cashmere), rabbits (angora), llamas, and alpacas.  It is most commonly associated with sheep and most commercial wool yarns are made out of sheep fleece.  These natural fibers provide many benefits to cloth diapering, including the health of the child wearing them.  Wool has many unique properties and its use in cloth diapering dates back to the 1940’s.

Wool differs from fur or hair in that it is crimped and the scales on the shaft of the hair are overlapping.  The scaling helps the fibers to attach to one another, making for a stronger fiber when spun into yarn or thread.  Wool is also crimped, which causes small air pockets to form within the fiber.  This serves a dual purpose of both heat retention and expulsion.  This duality helps to regulate body temperature as it is a breathable material allowing the skin to cool itself during warm weather, and retain heat during cool weather.  This circulation of air prevents bacteria from growing, thus making it an antibacterial material.  By circulating the air and preventing bacteria growth, a baby’s bottom stays drier, and many nuisance diaper rashes are prevented. 

Wool is also incredibly absorbent, retaining up to 40% of its weight in liquid before feeling wet.  Lanolin is the natural grease that coats wool.  This lanolin acts as a barrier to wetness, allowing liquid to quickly evaporate.  Evaporation makes the wool virtually odorless, soil resistant, and "self-cleaning". 

Wool is a naturally fire retardant material, as it resists combustion, making for a wonderful and safe night time cloth diapering material.  Natural wool also contains keratin, a natural protein found in human skin, making it the perfect cover for a baby’s sensitive skin.

I'm allergic to wool, can I still use it on my baby?

A true allergy to wool is very rare.  There are a few simple explanations for "wool allergies" that are easily remedied.  First, you may have sensitive skin that reacts negatively with any coarse fiber.  If this is the case, simply place a softer layer of fabric, such as cotton, between your skin and the wool.  Second, many commercial wool sweaters are blended with other materials such as nylon and acrylic.  These synthetic fibers can cause skin irritations.  We suggest finding a sweater or material that is 100% wool or 100% wool blend.  Finally, some individuals have an allergy to the lanolin which is sometimes retained in wool.  While many commercially made garments do not retain lanolin, some commercial yarns do.  In this case, you will need to take extra precautions when handling lanolin, however it does not exclude you from using wool products.  Chances of your child having the same allergy are very slim!

There are so many different yarns - how do I know which one to choose?

Confused by all the different yarns?  We were too.  So we made up a small table to help you with your choice.  The table is arranged with the softest yarns on top.

Yarn Brand	Contents	Durability	Pilling	Heavy Wetters	Nighttime	Age	Special Instructions
100 Pure Wool	Merino	Poor	Yes	No	No	Pre-crawlers	Shaving required
Malabrigo	Merino	Poor	Yes	No	No	Pre-crawlers	Shaving required
Cascade 220	Peruvian Highland	Poor	Yes	No	No	Pre-crawlers	Shaving required; heavy lanolization before first use
Patons	Merino	Poor	Yes	No	No	Pre-crawlers	Shaving required; heavy lanolization before first use
Marr Haven	Merino/Rambouillet	Fair	Yes	Yes	Yes	Any	Shaving required
BFL (UK import)	Bluefaced Leicester	Good	Minimal	Yes (Aran)	Yes (Aran)	Any	No special care
Targhee/Mohair	Targhee/Mohair	Good	Little to none	Yes	Yes	Any	No special care
Targhee	Targhee	excellent	Little to none	Yes	Yes	Any	No special care
Corriedale	Lincoln/Merino	excellent	Little to none	??	??	Any	No special care
Peace Fleece	30% Mohair/70% wool	good	minimal	Yes	??	Any	Softens with use
Blackberry Ridge (BBR)	100% wool & 25% Mohair/75% Wool blend	good	Little to none	??	Yes	Any	??
Manos del Uruguay	Corriedale and Merino blend	??	??	??	??	??	??
LTK 2ply farm (columbia wool)	Rambouillet/Lincoln	good	Little to none	??	??	Any	??
Fisherman's Wool	100% Virgin wool	good	Little to none	Yes	Yes	Any	Softens with use
Noro Kureyon	100% wool	??	??	??	??	Toddlers	Minimal softening with use

 ** The information in this table was compiled from various opinions on the internet.  Each persons perception of the above listed characteristics is different and varied.  This table is meant to serve only as a guide and in no way represents actual fact.  Individual results may vary.  If you would like to add to the information found on this page or have any comments, please feel free to email us and let us know. **

In order to preserve the natural qualities of wool soakers, it is important to follow specific washing instructions. Damp covers may be air-dried, and used for a two week period before washing (you can wash them more often, but this will drastically decrease their absorbency). When washing covers that are soiled, always use a mild detergent specifically designed for washing wool (i.e.: Eucalan). This helps retain the lanolin grease found in the wool which allows the wool to hold in liquid. Gently rub the detergent into the wool cover and wash by squeezing in lukewarm water. If cover is significantly soiled, you may leave the detergent on to ‘pre-treat’ the cover for a short while before washing. Remove the excess water from the cover by rolling it in a towel, and place it on a flat well-ventilated surface for drying. If you notice your wool soaker is loosing absorbency, you can treat the covers with pure, natural lanolin, by following directions on the packaging.

In addition, please NEVER do the following, or you will ruin your wool soaker:

NEVER wash with harsh detergents. These will remove the necessary lanolin from your soaker, making them stiff and unabsorbent.
NEVER machine wash your soakers. Washing machines, even on a delicate cycle, are too rough on knitted fabrics, and will cause your soakers to wear faster.
NEVER dry soakers by placing in the dryer, on the clothesline, or anywhere near a source of heat. As wool is a natural fiber, heat causes wool to shrink, and your soaker will no longer fit properly, if at all.

Sources:

Wikipedia.org

Wool Cloth Diaper Covers

Sheep USA