Lanolizing your woolies

To "lanolize" simply means adding lanoline back into the woolies. Lanolin is the grease that is naturally occurring in wool and makes it both soft and water resistant. SO, to make the woolies (wool soakers, longies, bloomers, whatever) "water proof" we add extra lanolin.

Supplies:
PURE lanolin
Dishsoap or baby shampoo
wool wash (optional)
measuring cup
wisk
Sink, bucket or bowl depending on how many pieces you need to do


TO begin... clean your sink, gather your supplies and start filling your sink with tepid/ lukewarm water

Next, turn your woolies inside out, and heat up about a cup of water to boiling.

Add lanolin to the hot water, this is the first lanolizing of these garments so I like a good sized blob, about the size of my finger tip per piece, but in subsequent lanolizings a pea size amount per soaker will generally do the trick, but you'll learn what works best for you.  

Add a squirt of soap to emulsify the lanolin, whisk until whitish and add to the sink. The water in the sink will become cloudy.

Add woolies

Smoosh around, rubbing the lanolin water into the fibers. Let soak, flip over and continue to soak.













Remove from the bath and roll in a towel to remove excess water. Lay flat to dry.

Voila! Lanolized woolies! If it's they're first lanolizing they may not be totally leak proof yet. Sometimes it take two sessions to get the lanolin in the wool well enough, but after that you should need less lanolin and only every three weeks or so.