NEW Chinese, Indian pre-folds and hemp products
Before your pre-folds and hemp products will work, you need to remove the oils and waxes from them. You need to wash unbleached pre-folds and hemp products in very hot water 5-8 times using 1-2 TBSP of detergent. Bleached pre-folds you only need to wash 3-5 times, using 1-2 TBSP of detergent in each load. Important: you must dry the products between each load. This will bring your diapers to their correct size and full absorbency. After this step is complete, you may wash the diapers as normal.

NEW fleece, suede cloth, microfiber, and PUL (used on some pocket diapers)
These types of diapers and/or doublers only need to be washed once on warm/hot before using. Hang any pocket diapers and covers to dry, the rest can go in the dryer.

Washing all pre-washed diapers
Once all of your diapers are ready to be used, you can wash them normally. If you have a pre-rinse cycle, you can pre-rinse on cold, wash on warm with small amount of detergent, and then follow with an extra rinse. If you do not have a pre-rinse cycle, you can wash the entire load twice on warm. Hang the pocket diapers and covers to dry; the rest can go in the drier or on a clothesline. See cleaning labels on the diapers for manufacturer's recommended drying methods. Please note that you may need to experiment with wash routines to determine what works the best.

Boiling Hemp, or a small amount of pre-folds
You can prime your hemp or pre-fold products by boiling them separately for 20 mins and while it is boiling you may add a small amount of Dawn Original dish soap. After the 20 min you must rinse, rinse, and rinse again to remove all of the soap. After you do this you can wash them with the rest of your diapers without the hemp or pre folds causing oil issues with the other diapers. If you would like you may repeat this process a second time just to be sure. This saves time and water when you only need to prime a couple of products.

Sanitizing the washing machine
There is NO need, if the diapers are clean so is the washer!

Wet Pail
We don't recommend using a wet pail with your diapers. Simply spray off or rinse any bm off the diaper and put the diaper in a diaper pail to be washed at a later time.

Untreated wool is to be washed as seldom as possible in order to retain its natural lanolin. When your product becomes wet with rain or snow, or even breastmilk or urine, just let air-dry or dry over a mild heat source. You'll notice the cleansing smell of lanolin. The lanolin goes to work on the bacteria, as the moisture evaporates away. The use of dry heat is important, since wool can absorb up to 40% of its weight without feeling wet. In humid climates, the wool may even absorb moisture from the air!
Small spots can be cleaned by rinsing the spot under the faucet in lukewarm water. When necessary, wash gently by hand in lukewarm water with soap specially formulated for wool products or lanolin-replenishing soap: 20% for clothes, nursing pads, and for woolen diaper covers. Mild hair shampoo can even be used for washing (except for diaper covers) as it cleans without stripping the lanolin from the wool. Always use lukewarm water - cold water, as well as hot water, shocks the wool fibers and may result in shrinkage. Gently squeeze out water, then place or roll your LANACare woolen product in a towel, to press out excess water. Give your LANACare product a quick shake, to regain its form and elasticity, and place to dry, preferably over a mild heat source, such as on top of a running dryer. Never tumble dry!

WOOL DIAPERS
When the woolen diaper cover has been used for about one week, you can begin to notice the smell of urine. That is the sign that the lanolin has been used up and it's time to give your wool a new dose of lanolin, for it to once again work optimally. Wash your woolen cover gently by hand in lukewarm water with 1/4 of a cup of lanolin soap. Swoosh gently and let it soak for 15 minutes. Rinse in lukewarm water. Roll it up in a towel and press the excess water out. Give the diaper cover a quick, brisk shake, stretch it to shape and place it to dry, preferably over a mild heat source.
Placing natural wool in direct sunlight to dry may discolor the natural wool.

NURSING PADS
For most women, two pairs of nursing pads are all you'll ever need.
When your pads feel wet, or at least daily, let them dry while wearing a second pair. Place them to dry, preferably, over a mild heat source, such as a mildly warm radiator or on top of a running dryer. The use of dry heat is important, especially if you live in a humid climate, since natural wool can absorb up to 40% of its own weight in moisture without feeling wet. The moisture evaporates away and only the milk solids are left. Eventually, depending on how much leakage you have, the pads will begin to feel "stiff" or you'll notice white powdery milk spots. First then will you need to wash them.

Wash As Follows
owssFor best results, allow the pads to dry before washing. Gently rub the stiffened area between your knuckles, to break up the milk particles.
Wash by hand in lukewarm water with mild hair shampoo (cleans without stripping lanolin from the wool) or 20% Lanolin Soap to replenish the lanolin content of the wool (recommended to use approximately every fifth washing to maintain the wool's antibacterial effect). Use just enough soap to keep the water mildly sudsy. Swish the pads gently in the water. When using Lanolin Soap, let the pads soak in the sudsy water for 5-10 minutes.
Rinse in lukewarm water. Always use lukewarm water when washing and rinsing wool. Both hot and cold water can shock the wool fibers, resulting in shrinkage of the wool.
Place or roll your pads into a towel, pressing out the excess water. Give the pads a quick, brisk shake to help them regain their form and elasticity. For SOFTLINE pads, “whack” them against a hard surface to fluff wool fibers back to their original form. Lay pads to dry, preferably over a mild heat source.

Boiling Your Pads
Boiling of the pads is recommended for women diagnosed with breast yeast infections. Occasional boiling is also recommended for women living in humid climates, where drying the pads thoroughly can be more difficult.
Boil your pads by this special method only! The key is to not expose the wool to extreme temperature changes.
Place the pads in a pot with lukewarm water. Gradually bring the water, with pads, to a gentle boil. Let boil for 10 minutes, using a spoon to periodically push the pads under the surface of the water. They tend to float to the top. Avoid stirring or agitating the pads. Remove the pot from the heat. Do not remove pads from the water. Let the water with the pads cool to lukewarm.
After boiling, the lanolin content of the wool must be replenished. Using 1 TBSP. 20% Lanolin Soap, wash the pads as directed under "Wash As Follows".