Wool Wash / Care (Sheepish Grins)

What Is Lanolin?

Lanolin is a greasy, yellow substance that is produced by sheep to keep their wool dry and soft. Lanolin is soothing to the skin and naturally helps prevent bacteria from growing. It acts as a moisture barrier on skin and keeps wool in good condtion. Pharmaceutical grade lanolin has been purified to remove pesticides and other chemicals.

When purified, lanolin is used as a base for ointments and creams, as a lubricant, and in finishing and preserving leather. It is also a constituent of some varnishes and paints. Lanolin is made of a mixture of cholesterol and the esters of several fatty acids. With water it forms an emulsion. As a waste product in wool processing, it is known also as wool wax, wool fat, or wool grease

Why Do My Wool Soakers Need Lanolin?

Lanolin is what keeps the sheep’s own wool dry and helps to neutralize urine. Lanolin is what keeps the water out. In the case of your wool soakers you want to keep the water in. Lanolin also reacts with your baby's urine and neutralizes it. This is why you can hang a wet soaker up to dry and have it still smell fresh without washing.

How Often Do I Need To Lanolize?

When your wool soaker or wool diaper cover is no longer waterproof or starts to smell it is time to wash and reapply the lanolin. For daily use, a soaker may need to ne lanolized weekly. For only night time use it may need lanolizing only every 2-3 weeks.

How Do I Lanolize My Wool?

First wash your wool in luke warm water using Sheepish Grins Wool Soap or Sheepish Grins Foaming Wool Soap. These soaps are gentle for your wool but still have all the cleaning power that you need.

Drain water.

You can add one of the following to just enough luke warm water to cover your soaker:

1 teaspoon or less of Sheepish Grins Solid Lanolin mixed with boiling water and a teaspoon of baby wash. Mix to smooth out any clumps, then add to warm water.

1 teaspoon or less of Sheepish Grins Liquid Lanolin

Add your wool soaker to water and gently swirl it around. Allow it to soak in the water for a minimum of 15 minutes and as long as 24 hours.

Remove from soak water and roll in a towel to remove excess water. Lay the soaker flat and allow to air dry.

Well What Is The Spray Lanolin For Then?

This is the easiest way to lanolize your wool. After you wash your wool you just spray your soaker inside and out with Sheepish Grins Lanolin Spray. Massage gently into the fibers and allow to dry as usual. No clumps of lanolin anywhere and you can control how much or how little you add to your soaker. You will need to use enough to get the wool quite damp, but not soaked.