In this blog post you will learn how to deal with problems with wool diapers and how easy some issues can be to deal with!

6 frequently asked questions about problems with wool diapers summarized in one blog post

Problem 1: My wool diapers are completely over-oiled!

Problem 2: My wool diapers suddenly stink!

Problem 3: My wool diaper doesn't leak despite using the right grease!

Problem 4: My wool diaper got stool on it and is discolored!

Problem 5: My snap/velcro has ripped off the wool diaper!

Problem 6: My child had a fungal infection!

Problem 1

My wool diapers are completely over-fattened!

You have greased your wool diapers too much or they simply got too much grease on them or maybe you bought some that simply got too much grease on them, then it's not so bad.

Any excess lanolin that ends up in your diaper is also an additional treatment for your child's skin.

Basically, it is not a problem if there is a little too much fat in the wool diaper, because the urine, which is also absorbed by the wool, forms a good, tight diaper. But what if there is actually too much fat in the diaper? This can lead to compaction/sealing - your diaper can no longer absorb urine and this causes the diaper to leak, because the urine goes straight through the diaper to the outside. Whatever is also the case, your diaper becomes "stubborn" and no longer soft to wear.

You can also prevent your wool diaper from getting greasy by using degreasing detergents, for example, or by making your own, such as curd soap emulsion (it's best to wash your wool diaper by hand). If you always use homemade lanolin emulsion to grease it, too much lanolin can cause it to get greasy. (It's best to take another look at our blog post on greasing wool diapers if you want to be sure how much lanolin you should use.

But what if it is too late and the diaper is dirty? Here's what you can do:

Deep cleansing - the gentle method for light fat deposits

• Place the wool diaper in a large bucket or tub and fill it with lukewarm water until the diapers are covered.
• Add approx. 20ml of soap flake emulsion per wool diaper

• Make soap flake mixture (instructions from Stoffwindelguru)

  • Mix the flakes in a container with boiling water
  • Fill the container ¼ full with soap flakes and ¾ full with boiling water.
  • After about 10 minutes and regular stirring, an emulsion is created like with a normal wool detergent: done!
  • Do not boil!
• Then stir everything carefully so that nothing rubs against each other
• After about 2-3 hours, pour out the water and wash the diapers well with lukewarm water and squeeze them out (be careful not to wring, just squeeze)

Intensive treatment with curd soap - the harder method for severe fat deposits

• The intensive treatment with a whole bar of soap:
• Soak the diapers in warm water beforehand.
• If your diaper has a cotton outer fabric, then you can soap it beforehand with a small brush, which can also create foam. This side should be treated very intensively with the soap.
• If you do this on the wool side, do it carefully so that nothing gets matted due to friction - it is better to rub the wool directly with the bar of soap and massage it in. Let it work for a while
• Then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and squeeze
• If necessary, you can repeat the procedure again or do the variant with the emulsion and then leave it in there for a maximum of 3-4 hours

Please remember, however, that these two tips should only be used in extreme emergencies, as this cleaning method puts a lot of strain on your wool diapers and can even lead to matting, and unfortunately there is no way to help after that.

That's why you should really only do this in a situation where you're already ready to throw the diaper away.

Problem 2

My wool diapers suddenly stink!

You have been using your wool diapers for a while, you are taking care of them properly and yet they suddenly start to stink and you cannot explain it?! Then there are several reasons for this:

• Too much fat that went rancid
• but not washed often enough or perhaps not washed properly or the wrong detergent used
• Dried for too long
• your child is teething or ill, which causes the urine to smell more of ammonia

What is the best thing you can do to remove the smell:

Deep cleansing - the gentle method

• With curd soap emulsion: Place the wool diaper in a large bucket or tub and fill with lukewarm water until the diapers are covered.
• Add approx. 20ml of soap flake emulsion per wool diaper

• Make soap flake mixture (instructions from Stoffwindelguru)

  • Mix the flakes in a container with boiling water
  • Fill the container ¼ full with soap flakes and ¾ full with boiling water.
  • After about 10 minutes and regular stirring, an emulsion is created like with a normal wool detergent: done!
  • Do not boil!
• Then stir everything carefully so that nothing rubs against each other
• After about 2-3 hours, pour out the water and wash the diapers well with lukewarm water and squeeze them out (be careful not to wring, just squeeze)

• With citric acid/baking soda: Place the wool diaper in a large bucket or tub and fill with lukewarm water until the diapers are covered.
• Now add about 5-9 tablespoons of citric acid or baking soda
• Then stir everything carefully so that nothing rubs against each other and everything has dissolved
• After about 20-30 minutes, pour out the water and wash the diapers well with lukewarm water and squeeze them out (be careful not to wring, just squeeze)

Boiling - the middle method to remove bacteria (which can cause the smell)

• Put your diapers in a pot of cold water so that they are nicely covered (wool side down) and weigh them down with a plate
• place the pot on the stove and let the water slowly boil
• As soon as the water boils, remove the pot from the stove
• Now leave everything standing without doing anything until the water is lukewarm/cold (the diaper must not be moved)
• then you can take the diaper out, rinse it briefly and squeeze it out (do not wring it) and wash it in the machine and then grease it again

Intensive treatment with curd soap - the hard method

• The intensive treatment with a whole bar of soap:
• Soak the diapers in warm water beforehand.
• If your diaper has a cotton outer fabric, then you can soap it beforehand with a small brush, which can also create foam. This side should be treated very intensively with the soap.
• If you do this on the wool side, do it carefully so that nothing gets matted due to friction - it is better to rub the wool directly with the bar of soap and massage it in. Let it work for a while
• Then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and squeeze
• If necessary, you can repeat the procedure again or do the variant with the emulsion and then leave it in there for a maximum of 3-4 hours

Please remember, however, that these two tips should only be used in extreme emergencies, as this cleaning puts a lot of strain on your wool diapers and can also lead to matting and fading of your cotton fabric on the outside.

However, it is better to try this if there is a smell than to give up on the diaper.

Problem 3

My wool diaper doesn't leak despite using the right grease!

If you buy a new wool diaper, it is recommended that you grease it with lanolin straight away.

If you don't know how to do this yet, take a look here .

If you have a wool treatment/wool impregnation , then this is not recommended for greasing your wool diapers, because it contains significantly less lanolin and also has some unnecessary additives, but it is perfect for wool clothing such as boiled wool suits to make them water-repellent.

However, if your diaper is not yet at its "peak" to be washed and it is already leaking, you can easily re-grease it without further ado, you do not have to wash it again straight away (note that if the inserts in your diaper are completely wet, even a well-greased wool diaper will no longer hold water, so you do not need to re-grease). To do this, apply the lanolin directly to the heavily used areas, you do not need to do a whole lanolin bath. (direct greasing)

If the diapers are new, you can also create a slight compaction (as happens during normal diaper life and thus ensures greater tightness) by roughening the diaper with a hard brush and hot water. Be very careful here, though, because too much will damage the wool.

Problem 4

My wool diaper got stool on it and is discolored!

Now it has happened and some stool has spilled and soiled your wool diaper, but the diaper has just been washed and greased or is still not ready to be washed and greased.

What can you do?

It's not that bad, it can always happen regardless of whether the diaper is made of wool or PUL. Of course it is a bit easier and quicker with PUL but it is not rocket science with wool either.

First, remove any stool residue from your diaper. If it's breast milk stool, just rinse it in the sink with water, as it's water-soluble. If it's solid food or bottle stool, then first dispose of the solid parts in the toilet by scraping them off with a spatula or something similar.

Once you have done that, proceed as follows:

• Clean the area briefly with lukewarm water, making sure that the entire diaper does not get wet
• Then take a lanolin soap and wash the area thoroughly with it (don't rub too hard, but massage it in until it lathers nicely)
• then let it work for about 5-15 minutes
• then wash it off gently with lukewarm water until the foam is gone (do not wash too hard, otherwise the lanolin will be gone again)
• Let it dry and it is ready for use again

This is the most gentle method and you can enjoy your wool diaper for longer until the next wash.

Problem 5

My snap/velcro has ripped off the wool diaper!

This can happen and it's not a bad thing because it can be easily repaired.

The website Stoffwindelguru has put together the perfect instructions, so take a look here .

Problem 6

My child had a fungal infection!

Your child has had a bacterial infection or diaper rash and you obviously want to make sure that your child doesn't get it again so quickly. A wool diaper is generally antibacterial, so you don't need to do anything. However, if you have a cotton layer on the outside, it is of course possible that the bacteria are having a party here and are not killed by just washing the wool at 30 degrees.

So what to do?

The best thing to do is boil your diapers. How does that work?

Boiling - the perfect method to remove bacteria

• Put your diapers in a pot of cold water so that they are nicely covered (wool side down) and weigh them down with a plate
• place the pot on the stove and let the water slowly boil
• As soon as the water boils, remove the pot from the stove
• Now leave everything standing without doing anything until the water is lukewarm/cold (the diaper must not be moved)
• then you can take the diaper out, rinse it briefly and squeeze it out (do not wring it) and wash it in the machine and then grease it again

Of course, don't do this too often, because it will not only strain your wool but also the cotton and the elastic cuffs.