Wool is Nothing to Fear
I have to admit I was one of those people who is afraid of wool. Even though I read about it and how everyone loves it, I wasn’t sure if I could handle the gentle care it requires. Being a working mom with two babes under 15 months calls for full days and a lot of laundry. Plus, I also noticed the price… it can get expensive! Sure I love the look of a hand knit “monster butt” longie set. But $65 and up is a little steep for something my little one is going to fit in for a couple months, maybe. So I decided wool needed to be bypassed so I could keep things simple and within my budget.
Then one day while browsing one of my favorite sites, Etsy.com, I came across some WAHM items that included upcycled wool diaper covers. There were soakers, shorties, longies, and wraps. As I read about the covers I found that “upcycled” means items that have been repurposed. For example, a long forgotten wool sweater that has been shoved in the farthest corner of your closet is cut and sewn into a completely different item, wool diaper covers. Depending on the size of the sweater and the size of the soaker, multiple covers can be made. The average price for each cover was around $10 and came with care instructions. I thought to myself, “Well, for $10 I think I can give wool a shot!”. So I made my first wool purchase of three upcycled soakers for my little man. All three were a little different in style because I didn’t know which would work best for us. When they arrived in the mail I followed the included instructions for initial lanolizing, which is very important. I still had my sampler tube of Lansinoh from the hospital so I didn’t have to purchase any; which was a definite plus! I mixed it with a little baby wash, and wahlah! I was always under the impression that I needed to have “special” wool cleaner, and that lanolizing was a technique that required some getting used to. After my covers were dry I tried them out on little man. And, as soon as I saw him running around in this soft, breathable, unrestricting “underwear” I was converted. I immediately went on a hunt to find more upcycled wool for my new addition that was on the way. I went back to Etsy and found more in newborn size for $10 each again. The price can’t be beat and the moms who make the covers could not be sweeter. One shop I bought from, Snuggle Pants, even included a handwritten thank you card in my package. Now THAT is dedication to customer service!
I’ve been using wool pretty regularly now for the past 4 months, and I am so pleased with it that I can’t believe I was actually intimidated by it. Never any leak issues, because of the lanolin, and I love that my little men’s special parts can breath. I have my washing routine down now, and it’s nice that I only have to wash my woolies every two weeks, unless they get poo on them which doesn’t happen very often. It only takes about 10 min of actually doing anything. The rest is all soaking and waiting. It really is very simple. I recommend wool to everyone now. Whether it’s upcycled or hand knit, wool is natural, biodegradable, breathable, and better for baby. So, here’s to not being afraid of wool!
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