Destination: Wool Diaper Covers

Wool diaper covers, although they can be put in the categories of hybrids or 2-part system, are really a category to themselves. Because wool has the reputation of being hot, itchy and tricky to clean, even parents who are cloth-diapering enthusiasts are often intimidated by them. However, the more one learns about wool diapering, the more awesome a system it appears to be. I personally do not have a lot of experience with wool, but have already bought a wool cover for my next baby, and use a wool cover for my 2-year-old in case she pees in bed.

Now to bust some myths...

Myth #1: Wool is Hot

Wool makes an excellent fiber in winter garments, from hats to socks. Wool diaper covers, made from quality-processed wool, is very breathable, and actually helps prevent diaper rash. They actually don't overheat your baby, but are cooler than plastic covers.

Myth #2: Wool is Itchy

I have owned some itchy woolen garments that soon retired to the thrift stores because I didn't like wearing them. However, wool-- although it always comes from a sheep-- can be processed in many ways, and often the chemicals and knit attribute more to the itchiness than the wool itself. The wool covers I use are soft to the touch, and not harsh on baby's skin.

Myth #3: Wool is Tricky to Clean

How many of you have done this: Seen a garment in the store that you really like, looked at the label, discovered it has wool in it, and decided, "It's going to shrink unless I hand wash it. I think I'll pass." Even lusciously soft, well-made wool diapers are going to shrink if you throw them into the normal laundry, but cleaning them in the sink is not difficult.

Actually, you rarely have to clean your wool covers. If you have enough in circulation, say a dozen, you only have to wash your covers once per month.

What?! Ewww.

Behold Nature's Magic: Lanolin. Sheep are able to keep themselves clean by the lanolin in their wool. This natural oil has many qualities, and you will even find it in the ingredients of several healing balms, including nipple cream. Lanolin is waterproof and anti-bacterial. It turns pee into salt-- this stuff has biblical powers! Poop doesn't quite turn into salt, so you will need to put the cover into the laundry if poo leaks out of the diaper underneath (most wool-diapering parents use prefolds).

After a diaper change, a wool cover should hang to dry; once it is dry, it should no longer smell like pee. If it does still smell like pee, then it's time for a washing. Actually, you're not quite washing, but relanolizing; the pee smell means that the diaper needs to be lanolized again to continue its work. Each wool diaper maker will have differing washing directions, but generally the covers should be washed in cold water in the sink with a small amount of lanolin or wool wash.

Some wool washes on the market:

Imse Vimse Wool Shampoo

Imse Vimse Wool Cure (with lanolin)

Gro Via "Kiwi Pie" Organic Wool Wash Bar

Rebourne Lanolin, available on Etsy

Without wringing the covers, they should be rolled inside a dry towel, then hung or set on a dry towel to dry. Viola!

Washing in the sink might seem demanding to the modern day parent, but the fact that you would only have to do this once per month makes it sound easy peasy!

Store your wool diapers in cedar boxes to prevent moths from laying their larvae in them. You can also store them in plastic tubs, but this can cause the diapers to smell mildewy due to trapped moisture.

Here are some other facts...

Wool covers are stinkin' cute. OK, that is an opinion, not a fact, but check these out:

BioBottoms:
These are covers that fit over the diaper like most other covers, with velcro tabs.

Aristocrats Wool Cover:
It looks a bit like a tube sock, but on a baby it is just plain adorable. The tubing on the legs is great to prevent leaking.

Rebourne Wool Cover:
These are available on Etsy, as are a plethora of other beautiful homemade wool covers. Lots of these covers are made from recycled sweaters, thus the variety of patterns.

Sadness is what might happen when you look at the price tag of some of these covers. They cost between $25-$50 each! If you only want to do diaper laundry once per month, you're looking at an investment of $300-$600, which would be about the same as a full stash of AiOs or Pocket Diapers. Remember that you'll only need about a dozen covers if you want to do wash once per month, so down-sizing to 3-4 covers and doing wash once per week isn't so tragic-- nor costly. Another thing to keep in mind is that most wool covers are not adjustable in size, so you will have to buy 2-3 different sizes if you use wool through potty-training.

Speaking of potty-training, wool covers are great for it! Because most wool covers simply pull on like underwear, they are easy for the potty-training toddler to pull up and down. They are also good to put over other diapers, including disposables, if you have leak issues at night.

Wool wins points from the eco-parent. Polyester diaper covers, pocket systems and AiOs take up less space in the landfill than disposables when they finally retire, but take as long as disposables to biodegrade-- that is, a millennium. While wool can last you a lifetime and several babies, it will take significantly less time to biodegrade once it is thrown away. That's something else to keep in mind.