What's so Special about Wool?

That is a loaded question!  I read early on in my researching cloth diapers that wool was the best night time solution but was somewhat incredulous. It was some time before I  earnestly investigated the matter. Even then, I didn't totally believe it until I tried it!  It just sounded too good to be true! As it turns out, it is fascinatingly and completely true! Why should I be surprised?


Here are some perhaps overly-simplified, but hopefully still accurate descriptions of what I've learned about wool:

-It can absorb up to a third of its weight in moisture without feeling wet because the outside of wool fibers are water resistant, but the inside of the fibers attract water. Unlike most absorbent materials, the moisture is distributed evenly throughout the whole soaker or cover and not concentrated in one place.

I could barely believe it the first time I left my very heavy wetting baby in a wool soaker all night, only to find in the morning that it barely felt damp, nothing around her was wet, and what more, when I took off the soaker, the diaper underneath was not saturated like usual but merely damp as well. I was simply amazed. 

-It keeps baby cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The texture and coil-like shape of the wool fibers makes them stick to each other or mat together, creating a mesh with many pockets of air which allow the fabric to hold heat in, and keep it out. It works similar to the way that insulation in a house works.


When it comes to avoiding/fighting diaper rash, I find it just as effective to put a wool cover over a fitted as putting on just a fitted because it is not only is it breathable, but it actually absorbs moisture from the diaper, pulling it away from baby's skin. It never ceases to amaze me that I'm putting the same thing on my baby when I want her to be the warmest (now that the cold weather is setting in) that I put on her when I want her to be the coolest during the hot summer!

-It resists bacteria AND  does not retain odor. The scaly surface of wool fiber does not draw bacteria like other fibers, and impedes microbes and dirt from entering, so it cleans easily because they are not embedded inside of the fibers. I don't understand how all of this works, but I've deducted that the structure of the  fiber also allows it to trap chemicals that cause odor.

Not only that, but lanolin, the natural oil found on sheep's wool (that is mostly removed during processing but widely available to consumers and easy to re-apply)  has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties intended to protect the sheep from infection, as well as also being water resistant which serves to enhance those same properties of the wool fibers themselves.

For this reason you only have to wash your wool every couple of weeks, and lanolize it every month or two, depending on how often you use it! I have been amazed that though my baby's wool soaker does smell slightly of urine after wearing it all night, after hanging on a peg for a little while, I take a sniff to find it has no odor at all.

Wool is also known for being durable, flame resistant, and resistant to static electrically (which also makes it less attractive to bacteria).

Sources and recommended sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wool

http://niftynappy.com/customer-support/wool/

http://www.knitting-naturally.com/properties-of-wool.html

http://www.i-merino.com/easycare/odor+resistant

http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/Wool%20Properties.htm

"Guest" Post by Tom.Com: Military Showers

Just so you know, Tom is my dear husband, affectionately dubbed "Tom.Com"for his uncanny amount of knowledge about random things (I go to him before google!),  who has graciously agreed to contribute to The Cheap and Choosy with some great tips for Frugal Fridays! Without further ado...

Earlier this year, I went to Haiti with a group from our church to do some construction. The compound in which we stayed had showers that were fed from a cistern on top of another building. The cistern was expensive to fill, so we had to ration water. Thankfully, I had heard about the so-called "military" shower, but I had not done one until the week in Haiti. As the week went on, my anticipation for a long hot shower grew. And when I got home, I went to take a shower almost immediately. I turned on the water and started lathering up, but there was a check in my spirit. The water that was going down the drain was doing nothing except providing a small measure of comfort. I couldn't, in good conscience, continue wasting it, and I turned it off and finished the shower. I have continued the military shower since then, though, I must quickly admit that I have not always been quick to shut off the water after I finish rinsing.

If you have not already heard of the "military" shower, here it is:
1) Run the water long enough to get wet then shut it off.
2) Lather up with shampoo and soap.
3) Run the water long enough to rinse off.

It's a pretty simple process. It will help save on the water bill. It will help save on the gas/electric bill (depending on your hot water heater type). It has helped to continually remind me of the blessings afforded to us in this country that others don't readily have.

Announcing the Wool Gathering Event (slight change in dates) and Early Extra Entries!

Wow, October came fast didn't it? I've decided to adjust the dates of the Wool Gathering Event a tad, just give this mama a breather and allow a little time to get it all together. I've still be focused on the fitted event up until now, so I hope you don't mind waiting just a few days....

The NEW DATES OF "THE WOOL GATHERING" ARE: Oct. 15-31!

I'm excited about this event because I did not get the wool thing before, and finally giving it a try and learning more about it has been really enlightening! I hope this event will be helpful to others like me!
Here are our wonderful sponsors! I am so thankful for each of them and their willingness to be a part of this event!!!! New sponsors are welcome anytime! Just email me at cheapnchoosy at gmail!

 

Emmaya Naturals

Want early entries? Leave a comment here for doing each of the following with a link:

1. Grab "The Wool Gathering" button on the left side bar and post it somewhere on the main page of your blog and leave me a comment here with the link. (If you already grabbed it, just leave a comment here saying so! :)

2. Email a friend or friends and cc me at cheapnchoosy [at] gmail [you know what goes here:)]

3. Post about this event!

Then, during the event, just add a comment to each of the wool related giveaways you enter saying "Event Promotion Early Entry" for each of your entries! I can check here to verify! Easy peasy!