Cleaning and Caring for your Woolbabe

4th Jun 2021

Cleaning and Caring for your Woolbabe

Our unique natural fibre blend is what makes Woolbabe so soft, comfortable & breathable. The strength and durability of organic cotton, blended with the amazing moisture absorption & temperature regulating properties of fine & soft Merino is what makes Woolbabe so loved by parents and babies.

Caring for your Woolbabe is easy, as it can be machine washed on a gentle wool cycle with a liquid wool wash. What’s great about a Woolbabe is that it can go a long time between washes. By simply airing the bag over the cot daily and only washing when soiled, you can help your Woolbabe last longer. Merino is a bit of a wonder fibre. It repels dirt and can remain odour-free much longer than other fibres due to the way the fibres absorb and release moisture.

How to wash your Woolbabe


Woolbabe sleeping bags & sleepwear are easy to care for.

  • Gentle machine or hand wash in cold or 30 degrees with liquid wool wash
  • Please always use a quality liquid wool wash, never use laundry powder as it degrades the special fabric
  • Dry immediately - do not leave wet in your machine
  • Carefully line dry or hang on a clothes horse. 
  • Low tumble dry for a short time -  ensure it is on the LOW TEMP
  • Please do not rub, soak or bleach your woolbabe, this can damage the fabric and cause holes!

What is a 'gentle wash'?

If you wash your woolbabe in the washing machine, please pay special attention to both the temperature and the spin cycle. A gentle wash cycle will have a delicate slow spin cycle. We recommend choosing a spin of 500-600rpm. Choose the absolute maximum of 800rpm.

PLEASE NOTE - Your duvet woolbabe sleeping bag cannot be washed on a medium or fast spin cycle as it will destroy the merino wool filling. This means do not use spin cycle of 1000-1400rpm under any circumstances.

How to protect your Woolbabe merino from moths

There’s nothing worse than getting your warm winter woollies out of storage and finding moth holes throughout your fabric! Taking care of your merino items is easy and there are a few simple steps you can do to keep moths and other insects, such as silverfish away.

  • Wrap your merino items in a cotton bag. Although moths and other insects can eat through cotton, this is much less likely to occur, as they prefer to go straight to merino and other wool, so wrapping in cotton provides an extra layer of protection. Woolbabe items come in a cotton bag, so keep this and use it to store your merino once you’ve finished using it.
  • Use lavender or cedar wood in your storage area. Lavender and Cedar Wood is noxious to moths and silverfish, so it will keep insects at bay. These are also natural which makes it ideal for use in a home with young children. We don’t recommend moth balls (some of which are now banned in NZ) or other chemical based products which can be harmful to little ones. You can easily find lavender or cedar wood online or you can make your own at home - this could be a great little craft project with little ones!
  • Regularly vacuum wardrobes and behind furniture. This will prevent a build of dust and dirt which moths and insects love to hide in and suck up any larvae they have laid.
  • Keep wardrobe doors and drawers closed. It sounds simple, but by keeping wardrobes doors and drawers shut, you can make it harder for moths to fly in and lay their eggs to begin with.

How to store your Woolbabe

If you’ve purchased or were lucky enough to be given a Duvet Weight Woolbabe, chances are you’ll need to store it for part of the year as it will likely be too warm for the summer months. And you may also be storing other merino items at different times of the year.

  • Always wash your Woolbabe before storing. This will remove any surface dirt and stains and help to prevent odours building up, whilst in storage.
  • Fold your Woolbabe, to protect its shape and place your Woolbabe in it’s original cotton bag. Covering your wool items in cotton, when storing, can help to prevent moths. Although they can eat through cotton, the extra layer can be enough to prevent moths from getting into wool in the first place. Cotton bags are also breathable, so won’t build up moisture like vacuum packing in a plastic storage bag can.
  • Storing your woollen items with lavender or cedar wood adds another layer of protection as these natural items are toxic to moths and silverfish, which are most often responsible for the small holes we can find in wool items.