How to Care for Your Covers

One of the joys of wool is that it does not have to be washed each time you use it! Simply air out your cover unless it is soiled or smelly. The lanolin in the wool will keep it clean between washings. Many people wait up to two weeks between washings, although we recommend washing once a week.

We recommend that you hand wash your woolens in lukewarm water with your favorite wool wash. Castile soap such as Dr. Bronner’s is a simple and cost effective option. You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the water if you like. If you are using a lanolin rich wash (such as Sudz n Dudz), soak your covers for around 15 minutes. Press as much moisture as you can out of the wool by rolling your woolies up in a towel and applying pressure. Do not wring! Lay flat to dry. Please wash dark colors separately as even recycled wool will run occasionally.

Gently Made covers have been prewashed, but have not yet been lanolized. We recommend that you lanolize your covers prior to use. Simply melt about a tablespoon of lanolin in warm water with a squirt of wool wash or castile soap. Swish the lanolin around until there are no lumps in the water. Submerge your cover and let it soak for around thirty minutes. Press out the moisture and lay flat to dry. If you are having trouble getting the lumps to dissolve, try microwaving your lanolin in a small container with some water and soap and shaking it vigorously before adding it to the wash water. Old baby food jars work well for this. Just be sure to take the lid off before microwaving!

This initial heavy lanolization may leave your covers feeling sticky, but recycled wool tends to be very “thirsty” for lanolin and it will quickly work into the wool making it nice and soft. Don’t worry about excess lanolin getting on your little one’s skin. It is a great moisturizer!

You will need to relanolize periodically, when you feel that your cover is not performing as it should. After the first lanolization you will only need about half as much lanolin to be affective.