In principle, it is not necessary to grease our wool diapers. If you use them a lot, you can use them without greasing them first, as they already contain a natural lanolin content. In a developmental phase in which the child may refuse to be used, or if wet absorbent pads have been in the wool diaper for a long time, you can use a homemade lanolin bath to make it even denser. The lanolin also nourishes the wool fibers and makes them really dirt-repellent.
This is what you need for greasing in the lanolin bath:
◦ 1 large discarded bowl
◦ 1 cup
◦ ½ teaspoon of lanolin per wool diaper
◦ A few drops of washing-up liquid or another fat-soluble soap solution
◦ Water
◦ 1 small plate
◦ 2 towels for later wringing or a washing machine with spin program
And off we go!
First of all, you need a large bowl. It is best to always use the same container for this, as a layer of lanolin will remain. Pour enough lukewarm or warm water into the bowl so that the wool diaper can float in it afterwards. If you use cold water, there is a risk of flocculation. So it is better to use at least lukewarm water. Then heat up additional water in the kettle and pour it into a cup. Now add half a teaspoon of lanolin (available from pharmacies) to each wool diaper and stir it in the cup. To ensure that the lanolin dissolves well and no grease spots remain, add a few drops of washing-up liquid and stir everything together. The fat and water should now have combined and you will have a milky liquid. If you still see grease spots on the surface or it is very yellowish, add more drops of washing-up liquid and stir everything well. Now pour the liquid into the large bowl with the lukewarm or warm water and stir everything well again. Now you can put the wool diaper in. It is best to turn the diaper over so that the inside faces outwards so that it can absorb the lanolin properly. Attention: If the water is warmer than your
If the diaper feels like body temperature, i.e. warmer than about 37°C, the diaper must not be moved in the water, otherwise it will become matted. So don't stir it, don't wring it, just put the wool diaper in and press it slowly and carefully under water for a short time. Now you can weigh it down with the plate. Because only what comes into contact with lanolin will be more watertight afterwards. To ensure that your diaper is optimally watertight afterwards, let it float in the lanolin bath for at least eight hours or overnight. Then take the diaper out and spin it dry using the spin program on your washing machine at a low speed and without the rinse function. If you don't trust your washing machine or want to do it the good old way, put the wool diaper between two towels and gently press or stamp it dry. The child itself or a sibling can even get involved in this. Don't be surprised: the wool diaper will still feel slightly greasy on the first day, but this will quickly disappear. Et voilà, you have greased your wool diaper in a homemade lanolin bath!
A little tip: It's best to collect several wool diapers and then put them all together in the lanolin bath, which will save you time and resources. All you have to do is increase the amount of "ingredients" in each case. You can repeat the lanolin bath as often as you think the wool diaper needs it, i.e. it starts to leak, or at a rate of about four weeks per use.
