Prepping the Panty System
Machine wash and dry your wool panties once with medium heat (no need to add soap), to finalize the felting process. Then lanolize your panties.
Put the inserts in with a few loads of laundry to pre-shrink and fluff up the absorbency layers. Do not use fabric softener, or your inserts may start to repel liquids. If your inserts lose their shape, you can iron on the side without the snap. Thicker inserts may require more than one dry cycle.
How to Wash Wool
Handwashing- Put a few inches of lukewarm water in your sink. Put in your wool wash (Soak is a great option and can be used for handwashing and machine washing) or little baby shampoo. Submerge wool. Soak for about 15 minutes. If there are stains gently rub/pinch Fels Naptha or Blue Dawn into the stain and let it soak.
Machine Wash- First treat stains. Wet wool and gently work Fels Naptha or Blue Dawn into the stain. Let it sit. Wool Interlock can be washed in cold water on gentle or regular cycle with an appropriate wool wash. Commercial detergent can be used in a pinch but I don't suggest it for regular use. Wool is hair and commercial detergent will dry out and break down the fibers.
How to Dry Wool
You can either roll the wool garment in a towel and press to remove moisture or spin in the washer. Lay flat to dry. You can put it in the dryer on low to help reshape if needed.
There are a few bugs that eat wool so don't lay them outside to dry. I have heard of a few people getting bugs on their wool and I think it is just best to avoid altogether.
These underwear come pre-felted. Felting means the fabric was washed and dried with high heat to shrink the fibers and make the material more waterproof. So if you accidentally machine dry these, it’s okay! They shouldn’t shrink much more. Just don’t make a habit of machine drying, or the material will break down faster.
How to Lanolize Wool
Lanolinizing is an important part of wool care. Wool is hair and needs to be conditioned. It absolutely does not need to be lanoed every time you wash but it does need it on occasion. If you find that your wool is feeling a little prickly or itchy it is for sure time and the lano should take that prickliness away. Always start with clean damp wool.
In a measuring cup or glass mason jar warm some water to approx 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You don't want it boiling but you want it hot. Add a pea sized amount of lano for each woolie item. Give the lanolin a few minutes to melt in the water. Then add a small amount of wool wash, baby wash, or castile soap to the lano and water and gently stir until mixed.
Add your lano mixture to a sink with a couple of inches of room temp or slightly warmer water and stir to incorporate. Add woolies and let them soak for 20 minutes to give them time to absorb the lanolin.
After lanolizing, roll the woolies in a towel and gently press down or put them in a washer on the spin cycle. Once excess moisture is removed lay flat in the open air to dry.
*An alternative to a lano bath could be finding a spray lano and applying while woolies are damp and then letting them air dry as usual.
*Another alternative is a dry lano method (although this is not as effective as a lano bath) where you take a small amount of lano and run it between your hands to get it warm and malleable. Then press the palms of your hands into the damp woolies. Make sure to get all over. Then air dry as usual.
How to Store Soiled Underwear
Take the panties off your body and place them in an open air container. I like to just drop them in my (dry) bathroom sink so that I remember to wash them. A wetbag or laundry basket works as well. You do not want to soak the underwear for longer than an hour or two, so do not store them in a pail of water.
How many pairs of underwear should I buy?
For everyday use, or light spotting/bleeding, you can wear the panties several days if you air out the underwear overnight.
For postpartum or period use, you will likely need a clean pair per day of bleeding. Some fluids will get onto the underwear so it's best to give them a wash after 24 hours of wear. This means 2 - 3 pairs is ideal, so you can wear one while washing the other.
How many inserts do I need?
I have moderate periods and found four inserts sufficient for 24 hours. That was three regular pads and a postpartum for overnight use. For heavy periods or postpartum use, you'll likely need 6 to 8 pads.
Sizing
The period panties are comparable to the sizing of our postpartum panties. These are very stretchy and will accommodate a pregnant belly or bloat. The waistband is designed to end about the belly button height, to not interfere with c-section wounds. Stick to our size chart, and if you’re in between sizes go for the smaller.
XS: 34-37” hip
S: 37-40” hip
M: 40-44” hip
L: 44-48” hip
XL 48-50” hip
2X: 50-54” hip
3X: 54-59” hip
4X: 59-65” hip
5X: 65-71” hip
Panty Lines?
These underwear are thick fabric and will show panty lines when wearing with thin clothing.
But Isn't Wool Itchy?
We searched high and low for the perfect material. It feels like a cloud, promise!
Written by Alexandria Phillips and Danielle Lindstrom.