How do you know if your cover needs lanolizing?
When you wash it, press it into the water. Look for the following signs:
- If wool sits on top of the water and has little pools of water gathering on top – it does not need lanolizing.
- If wool sits on top of the water and has some pools and some areas that absorbed water without assistance – it could use a good lanolizing soon.
- If wool sinks and saturates completely – it is time to lanolize.
Now here’s how to lanolize without those pesky lanolin spots. I’ve been very thorough, so there are quite a few pictures. Have fun!
Related Articles: Wool
Step 1: Locate wool and wash. I’ll be using Aveeno baby wash because Kellie has sensitive skin and I know this doesn’t bother her. We avoid any excess scents if possible. Wool-specific wash is available. But when this works, why pay extra?
Step 2: Fill the sink with tepid water. Test with wrist.
Step 3: Add baby wash.
Step 4: Add wool. Notice my wool soaked up water over it’s entire body. This cover has never been lanolized.
Step 5: Swish wool around a bit. Make some bubbles.
Step 6: Check the clock. Let wool sit for five minutes.
In that five minutes you could:
Unload the dishwasher.
Make a pot of coffee.
Feed the dog.
Ding! Five minutes are up. Go back to your wool.
Step 8: Swish it around a bit more.
Step 9: Massage gently. Using both hands. Hey, someone has to hold the camera!
Step 10: Turn wool inside out.
Step 11: Rinse thoroughly in tepid water.
Step 12: Squeeze out excess water. Set aside.
Step 13: Locate your wool wash, your lanolin, and your mixing container with lid. I’m using regular solid lanolin purchased from a local retailer. Liquid lanolin will work, also. But this stuff is cheaper and it lasts longer. Remember, we’re cloth diapering to save money.
Step 14: Add a pea-sized drop of lanolin to your mixing container.
Enjoy the cup of coffee you brewed earlier.
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Where did the rest of this page go to?
Carolyn – We added the missing content. Not sure what happened but it is fixed now. Thanks!
Thank you! I refer all my new customers who buy wool covers to this. It’s all so confusing to them at first and this makes it easy to understand. Not to mention I need to see it every time I prepare one for them. Thank you for providing this!
I thoroughly enjoyed this!
Thank you so much for your instructions on how to do this. I have never knitted or crocheted longies or soakers before; but I have been looking into how to for a charity I am in. Once you lanolize them do you have to re-do it every time you wash them?
Great tutorial. I’ll add this to the information I provide to families who participate in my Cloth Diaper 101 Workshop.
Yay! This makes it seem easy! I knit my own cover, it has been done for a few weeks now, I’ve just been trying to figure out how to wash it! Going to wash now. Thanks!
Terrific! This is a great how to that was posted by one of our forum members!
Great post! We don’t yet carry any wool diaper covers in our store but we would like to so I’ve been researching them and I really enjoyed your post!
Thank you so much for this wonderful step by step instructional. This will be helpful for an up and coming new mommy and teach this old dog new tricks
Not only is this this extremely helpful, (we just ordered our first piece of wool this week!) but the pics are great too. And it is funny! Thanks so much for posting.
Thanks – this was done by one of our forum members. It is a great tutorial!
Would it work to use any baby wash to wash the wool?
Thanks so much for this great tutorial! I am getting ready to make my first wool cover this week!
Pretty much any baby wash or mild shampoo will work just fine. You wouldn’t want to use something like Cetaphil as it is too mild of a cleanser. So glad you enjoyed the tutorial!
So…. when you say to add the “wool wash” when adding the lanolin to the container, does that have to be specific wool wash, or can it be something like aveeno baby wash again?
Thanks!
Anna
Love this tutorial – looks like home — right down to the same dog in the chair. I make my own lye based soap. would you consider this an appropriate soap to use. All my soakers are hand knitted wool.
I love this tutorial! Just curious how much wool can I do at once? I am trying this on 4 newborn covers and am going to them each separately just to engrave the process in my mind but am wondering in next time when I do them together if I need to increase te amount of lanolin I use?
I was wondering the same thing
[...] wet in a sink, then add in warm water with melted lanolin to the sink water. Swirl and soak. This tutorial was helpful. You will of course need lanolin. I used Lansinoh Lanolin which is also good for [...]
Thanks for showing us how you wash your wool. Do you think castile soap is an acceptable replacement for baby wash? Also, how do you prevent felting?
I use liquid castile soap for ours. To prevent felting — don’t let your children change the baby’s diaper, because they will throw the soaker in the diaper pail and it will go through to washer!! Really, don’t wash in too hot water or handle too roughly.
How often would you lanolize covers? I have 3 and I’m going to lanolize 2 of them today. I use them at night religiously so they get used frequently. Can I do two at once? I’m going to do one at a time this time, but just curious! Also I have been thinking of attempting to sew some wool covers but I’m a beginner at sewing. Would this be a good beginner project? Thanks for the input!!! Love the tutorial was super helpful! I’m a visual person so it was great!!
I love your tutorial. Always a need for some friendly humor and great info. Thanks!
That was great and HILARIOUS!!!! Thank you!
THANK YOU! This is the best most comprehensive tutorial I found, and I’ve been searching for a couple of days! LOVE THIS!
hi
thanks for the advise do you know where i can buy lanoline
[...] This is a great site on how to lanolize! [...]
That is SO helpful!!! Thanks to you!