The TOG (Thermal Overall Grade) is a unit of measurement that shows the thermal resistance of textiles. The higher the value, the warmer the article, for example a sleeping bag.

The "correct" TOG value largely depends on the temperature of the room in which the baby sleeps. The recommended temperature for a child's room is 16-18 ° C.

Which TOG value can be used at which temperature is usually indicated as follows:

• 0.5 TOG: Summer sleeping bag for hot temperatures from 22 ° C
• 1.0 TOG: Light sleeping bag at temperatures of 19-24 ° C
• 1.5 TOG: Medium-weight sleeping bag at temperatures of 18-21 ° C
• 2.0 TOG: Lined sleeping bag at temperatures of 17-20 ° C
• 2.5 - 3 TOG: Heavily lined sleeping bag at temperatures below 16 ° C
   

The disana Sleeveless Sleeping Bag and the Long-Sleeve Sleeping Bag were measured with a TOG of 1.7. The disana Boiled Wool Sleeping Bag with a TOG of 1.8.

That shows the problem with this TOG system, which is currently so popular with many manufacturers.
Only the thermal resistance of the material is measured. Since both disana sleeping bags are made from the same organic wool, the resistance of the material is of course almost the same.
 

The TOG value does not consider or does not sufficiently consider if the material was not only knitted but also boiled and felted afterwards. In addition to that, the TOG value does not take into account whether a sleeping bag has or doesn’t have sleeves.
Furthermore, it doesn't take into account what your child wears under the sleeping bag. However, this is very important for the well-being of your child.
 

• disana RECOMMENDATION | disana Knitted Sleeping Bag
  We recommend our disana Sleeveless Sleeping Bag and Long-Sleeve Sleeping Bag for the warm season when the room temperature hardly drops below 18 ° - 20 ° C, even at night.
  A short-sleeved body made of fine wool or wool/silk can be worn directly on your baby's skin and over the diaper package. Wool balances out temperatures perfectly and your child will never get too hot or too cold under a wool body.
  Over the wool body, you can put on light terry pyjamas, also made of wool. You can skip the pyjamas in tropical nights with over 25 ° C.
  
  ⇒ chart | disana Sleevless and Longsleeve Sleeping Bag
   

• disana RECOMMENDATION | disana Boiled Wool Sleeping Bag
  Our disana Boiled Wool Sleeping Bag is heavier and comes with a light cotton lining. It is therefore intended for the cold season and room temperatures of
  16 ° - 20 ° C.
  Same as with the other sleeping bags, you put your child in a wool or wool/silk body. In Winter time with long sleeves. The pyjamas should also be made of wool terry, in a slightly heavier quality and with sleeves.

  ⇒ chart | disana Boiled Wool Sleeping Bag

The TOG value does not consider or does not sufficiently consider if the material was not only knitted but also boiled and felted afterwards. In addition to that, the TOG value does not take into account whether a sleeping bag has or doesn’t have sleeves. We recommend to rely more on common sense than on theoretical values when choosing the sleeping bag and the right clothing.

 

The wool for our disana items comes from Patagonia, the southern part of Argentina all the way down to Tierra del Fuego, South America.

The region around the small towns Esquel and Trevelin, in the province of Chubut, is one of the hotspots for wool processing. We receive our wool from there.

 

But that’s at the other end of the world. Why from afar?

Yes, Patagonia is at the other end of the world. It’s a 16-hours flight from Frankfurt to get there.

The climate in Patagonia is rough, dry but never too cold or too warm. It’s characterized from falling winds of the Andes. The huge space creates an ideal living space for Merino sheep, that produce an especially soft wool. And exactly this soft, scratch-free wool is the one we want for our disana items.

The European climate, which is rather wet and cold, doesn’t agree with the Merino sheep. They would get sick very quickly with our climate here in Germany.

 

What does the name „Merino“ mean?

„Merino“ is a breed of sheep that is bred especially for wool production. The diameter of their hair is extra thin, which makes the wool very soft and scratch-free. Merino sheep produce about 3-5 kg raw wool per year. After washing and combing, there are still 1,5 - 2,5 kg washed wool fibers left for the yarn production. 

The Merino sheep is a very old breed, that where brought in the previous Millennium turn from north African Moors to Spain / province of Cordoba. Later on, Spanish kings paid attention that the secrets of their soft wool have been kept. It was forbidden to take the sheep out of the country. Special border guards controlled the export ban. That’s why still today the Spanish call their border police officers “Merinos”.

Later on, English emigrants brought the Merino sheep to Australia and New Zealand, South Africa and subsequently to South America.

 

What’s „organic“ with the sheep bred?

„Organic“ already starts with pasture farming. Artificial fertilizers are taboo. Overgrazing and destruction of flora must be avoided. If the sheep have too much living space, they only eat the best and freshest sprouts. Over and over again. Dry shrubs are left over in a landscape like a steppe. That’s why the sheep must be brought to new grazing areas.

Sheep are often infected by parasites. Therefore, they are mostly hustled through big tubs of pesticide baths. Many pesticides stay in the wool. We only have a careful selection of medicine which we use for our sheep. Contagions can be avoided due to huge spaces and animal-friendly husbandry

There are only two examples for organic animal husbandry.

 

What about the so called “Mulesing”?

At the beginning of the last millennium, a fly from south Africa was introduced to Australia. It puts their egg into the sheep’s anus fold. The hatched larvae drill themselves into the sheep’s meat and eat them from the inside with alive body.

The Scottish veterinarian John Mules discovered, that the fly can’t put eggs on the sheep if you scratch their skin at a certain position. They get scarfs there and this little operation protected the sheep from flies.

It became a bloody and cruel spectacle in times of perverted factory farming. Even the smallest lambs have been cut out a piece of their skin – without anesthesia. Between 15% and 20% of lambs annually bleed to death on the meadows. That’s why people worldwide criticize and condemn Mulesing. 

The above-mentioned pesticide baths are the only alternative.

In Patagonia, the origin of our sheep, there is no such a fly. The wind blows day and night with storm strength there. A fly can not resist such a permanent storm. Without flies you don’t need Mulesing.

Our wool is mulesing- free – in a very natural way.

 

And you guys can prove this?

Yes of course. Firstly, we checked the conditions on the farms in Patagonia by ourselves. Secondly all of our items are certified according GOTS and IVN BEST guidelines. These certifications include yearly inspections on the farms where an independent expert controls very accurate all requirements with the pasture farming and animal breeding. We can count on that. The GOTS and BEST quality labels on our items are the proof.

 

But you print only „wool“ on your labels and not “organic wool” or “Merino-wool”.

The European textile regulation specifies exactly how fibers should be named on labels – also for fibers from our disana items. Wool can be named as wool only. Every addition as „from organic animal husbandry“ or „Merino-wool” is, according to the textile regulation, a competitive distortion and may be prosecuted. An easy target  for warning lawyers and easy money for them.

Does the boiled wool overall keep you baby warm enough in Winter?

A clear "yes and no"!

If the overall keeps warm enough in Winter depends on many factors. Especially on what your baby/child wears underneath and if the wind is blowing or not.

Our boiled wool overall only has a partial lining and has no padding. Only the boiled wool fabric is not enough to make the overall 100% windproof.

We played with our children outside in the snow on a sunny cold day, there where 15 degrees below zero and nobody was freezing.  There was no wind blowing. We were also outside on rainy Autumn days, there were 8 degrees, wind was blowing heavy and the kids were freezing.

That’s why we can only reply to this question with the counter question “is it windy or not?”.

 

What should my children wear underneath the overall?

Your child should wear more layers, which is useful for when there are changes in temperature.

The garment which is worn directly on the skin is the most important one for a comfortable warm sensation. We recommend a long sleeve body out of wool or wool/silk, like our colleagues Engel Nature or Cosilana offer them. Above should be a long sleeve shirt and a jumper out of Merino wool, like our disana Melange jumper. On really cold days, you can additionally us a knitted cardigan out of wool.

For the legs we recommend tights out of cotton or cotton/wool mixture. Brands like Hirsch Natur and Grödo are out of good quality. Above you could use disana leggings and woolen socks for the feet.

That should be warm enough to being well equipped for colder days.

Sounds complicated and exhausting? A while ago I watched my wife while preparing herself for a winter walk….

 

Why we don’t make the overall windproof and warmer?

That’s complicated and tricky and especially very expensive. Our overall would cost at least twice as much with a complete lining and padding. Would you still buy it then?

Properties like wind- and waterproof can’t be achieved with natural fibers… but we’re working on it! 

 

But the overall is offered as a snowsuit?

A snowsuit is a water- and windproof overall, which remain sealed also with storm and in mud. Properties than can’t be achieved with natural fibers.

We checked it. We never referred to our overall as a snowsuit. Although it works well in snow – as long as it’s dry. But it will never replace a snowsuit.

 

Is the overall suitable for Spring / Autumn?

A clear „Yes “!

The overall works well for Spring and Autumn, also with a layer look underneath.

 

But I’m still unsure if my child is freezing…

A mother or father has to decide by themselves if their child is wrapped up warm enough or not. The heat sensation is so different like it is with us adults too. There are people who get cold quickly (my wife) and those who always feel too warm. And it’s the same with children.

We can only recommend to try. For example, with the next trip into the nature, on the way to the bakery shop or with a walk with Grandma and Grandpa. A cardigan or a small blanket should be with you. These are the simple things you can do when your child gets cold despite of a boiled wool overall from disana.

Best regards

Elmar Sautter

CEO

Washing wool isn’t more complicated than washing your hair. Because wool is hair too - sheep hair.

Everything our hair doesn’t like during a wash, neither does wool e.g. using too hot water or too cold water for rinsing, an aggressive shampoo or long rubbing and grating. If you treat natural wool just the way your treat your own hair, nothing can go wrong.

 

Do I have to wash a recently bought disana woolen article before using it for the first time?

No, you don’t need to wash your disana woolen article before using it for the first time. Since disana articles are almost free of chemicals and don’t contain any questionable substances that could harm your child, there’s no need to wash them first. Wear them and feel comfortable.

 

How often do I need to wash my woolen article?

The least possible. Wool and water just don’t get along with each other and therefore a wash should take place infrequently. Wool is self-cleaning. Wool fibres have an extraordinary surface that rejects dirt particles, as well as bad odors and sweat and stops them from entering the fibres. Airing is enough to remove the dirt particles from the surface and to make the woolen article hygienically clean. You might saw the same effect when wearing a woolen jumper or ski underwear. Those articles only need to be aired overnight and are just as new the next day. Does this sound to you like magic? Yes, it might be. It works for sure!

 

Can I wash my woolen article in my washing machine?

Yes, but at your own risk. If your woolen article shrinked by 2 sizes and became “bullet proof” we will refuse to offer any compensation. Meanwhile almost all modern washing machines have a wool programme. However washing machines are differently designed. Some washing machines are programmed to automatically spin up to 1200 rotations during the wool setting. That’s way too much for wool. Also the temperature often varies between +/- 10c. A 30c wash can quickly turn into a 40c wash. Wool won’t hold out against such temperatures. Therefore we advise to handle a machine wash with care.

 

But I’m able to wash other woolen articles in my washing machine without any damages!

Yes, that’s possible. Nowadays many woolen articles are equipped with a “washing machine protection”. A lot of aggressive chemicals are used. The wool fibres are surrounded with an artificial resin cover. The characteristics of wool get lost. The naturalness is taken.

 

How can I hand wash my woolen article in the best way?

Infrequently and with care!

It’s best to do the hand wash in your bathroom’s sink. It has the right volume and an ergonomic working height.

You also need a mild wool shampoo, a terry cloth and a small tub for the wet wool articles. Add lukewarm water into the sink. Lukewarm means about 25c.Use a baby thermometer in case you can’t estimate the right temperature.

Add wool shampoo according to the dispense instruction on the package. Now you can put the dirty woolen article into the water.

Heavy stains can be carefully treated with ox-gall soap before, which is well known as the natural stain remover. Slightly push the article carefully and repeat the process a few times.

Don’t wring or rub it, simply push it a few times, max. 1-2 minutes, that’s all.

Take the woolen article out of the washing water and rinse it carefully with fresh water at the same temperature (also 25c, in no case colder).

To remove the rinse water off the article, squeeze it with utmost care.

Place the woolen article in the prepared tub and go to the drying area. Woolen articles mustn’t dry in a hanging position.

In that case the shape is modified. Therefore drying in a laying position is much more suitable. A drying rack will be perfect.

Pull the wet article carefully in shape and place it on the terry cloth. Leave it there ready to dry.

Don’t dry your woolen article placed on a heating or in strong sunlight. This will harm the fibres. A shady, well ventilated place is perfect.

That’s all! Not much more work compared with a washing machine wash.

 

Which wool detergent am I allowed to use for my disana articles?

We highly recommend the disana wool shampoo. It is perfectly adjusted to the care of natural wool articles. It is free of skin-irritating fragrances and preservatives and has its pH level adapted to the slightly acid pH level of natural wool. Also a pH-neutral baby hair shampoo can be used as a wool detergent very well. Never use a conventional wool detergent from your local drugstore. Most of them are alkaline and don’t mix well with the slightly acid natural wool. Furthermore a lot of fragrances and preservatives irritate your child’s skin. Also many organic detergents are not suitable for a wool wash. A use most likely leads to matting. Better pick the baby hair shampoo.

 

What about this ox-gall soap?

Ox-gall soap is a natural stain remover. It is indeed produced from a cow’s gall. Only apply the ox-gall soap on the stains. Its power can also remove the article’s colour. Therefore we recommend to test the soap on a not noticeable spot before the stain removal. You can apply the ox-gall soap on the stain with your finger. The article has to be dry yet. Slightly rub the soap into the fibres and allow to take affect briefly. After that wash the article as described above. Ox-gall soap can burn the eyes and mucous membranes. They must be kept out of children’s reach.

 

Help! My husband/ my grandma washed the woolen article in the washing machine at 60c by mistake….

Now the woolen article shrinked by two sizes and is totally matted. What can I do? Unfortunately matting and shrinking is a chemical and physical process that can’t be undone. The woolen article is broken and can’t be rescued anymore. Your only option will be to buy a new one. Let the person pay who did the washing? Woolen articles with a minor shrinking can be pulled carefully into shape again, in a water bath at 25c. Take care not to damage the stitches. Afterwards dry the article on a hanger. This method also often helps to rescue a slightly shrinked woolen article.

What’s pilling?

You speak of pilling when small beads form on the surface of woolen articles. Pilling is a normal effect that natural wool articles show, sometimes more and sometimes less. Pilling is perfectly normal and can be recognized as a “proof” for a true natural woolen article.

 

How does pilling form?

If you have a close look at your woolen article you’ll see small fibre s standing out of the stitches. Those are the ends of the wool hair. Since we process our wool absolutely natural, we don’t use synthetic resins to cover the wool hair in plastic. We also don’t use formaldehyde to cut surplus ends. We leave everything the way Mother Nature intended it to be.

Those wool hair ends have something such as small barbs. If the woolen article is rubbing in one place e.g. against another garment, the fibre ends interlock and are pulled out of the yarn a little. This process repeats and repeats. Eventually the complete wool fabric is pulled out of the stitch and formed into a small bead with the fabric from the other garment. Yet you can see pilling.

 

How to prevent pilling?

As mentioned before pilling is a perfectly normal effect of natural wool. Pilling can’t be avoided completely. But there’s a way to reduce it:

A dry woolen article is more likely to pill than an article that is sufficiently supplied with moisture. Wool can dry out very quickly. Therefore we recommend to treat your wool articles with a moisturising “shower”. For example use a hanger and hang the wool article outside on a fogy day. Or hang it in the bathroom after a hot shower, when there’s still a lot of steam in the room. 1-2 hours should be enough. You can also use a flower spray filled with clean, lukewarm water and moisten the article carefully several times.

Pilling is forming after friction, either on the woolen garment itself or on other garments. If the other article has a structured surface, it’ll have the same effect as sandpaper and leads to pilling. Structured blankets or terry cloth sheets in your child’s bed are proper wool killers. Also really bad are rain and mud clothing with a slightly structured inner surface.

 

Can I remove pilling again?

Yes, with a little skill and a dry, simple wet-razor pilling can be removed very well.

Put the affected article on a table in front of you. Try to tension it a little e.g. clamp it against the table with your upper legs and on the other side lengthen it by pulling with your hand. Or ask your partner for help – this is less acrobatic. Use a dry, simple wet -razor and scrape carefully over the woolen article’s surface. Please mind the stitches, otherwise the article is broken. Process the surface bit by bit. Thereby the razor cuts the woolen beads. You’ll get the same effect with a pilling razor from the shop. However the wet-razors are much cheaper and easier to handle. After 10 minutes a woolen leggings or a jumper, etc. is free of pilling and looks brand new.

There’s another advantage about this procedure. Since you cut all surplus wool hair with the razor, pilling won’t appear in a long time. Often it is gone for years.

Please don’t use a so called sweater stone or pick them by hand. You remove the visible pilling beads however at the same time you pull new fibre ends out of the knitted material. After a short time the pilling continues.

 

Can I simply demand compensation from disana for an article with pilling?

No, because Mother Nature made pilling. There’s nothing we can do about it. But we’re happy to give you advice how to get rid of pilling. See above.

 

I have an article that is pilling heavily. Other articles of the same material don’t. How’s that possible?

Yes, we know this phenomenon too well from our everyday professional practice. To be honest, we don’t know why. It could be because of the moisture content of wool? Your woolen article is one of a few dozen or a few hundreds made of the same yarn. They’re all the same. But still some are pilling more and some less. If we’d only find out why…..

 

Does Lanoline help against pilling?

An article sufficiently supplied with lanoline is pilling less. However please don’t paste up the article with lanoline. Add a few drops of disana lanoline into 1 Liter lukewarm-water and use a flower spray to moisten it. This is enough.

Does disana only use natural colours for colouring their products?

Colours out of plants, minerals or other natural raw materials are colloquially called “natural dyes”. No, disana’s articles are coloured with synthetic reactive dyes. The colours we use come out of a chemistry box.

 

Synthetic WHAT?

Synthetic reactive dyes. These are artificially made dyes which are good for colouring woolen articles. But they are also used for cotton and other fibers. Reactive dyeing is based on a 1950’s discovery. Somebody found out, that certain dyes bind to the fiber through covalent bond under alkaline dyeing conditions. That’s why they provide a washable colouring.

 

Okay but why not natural dyes?

Colouring natural fibers isn’t that easy. Natural dyes often have to be fixed additionally on the fiber. Wool has a very dirt-repellent surface and it doesn’t differentiate between dirt, sweat or dyes. Wool repels them all.

How good a dye lasts on a fiber or a piece of fabric is described with the so called “Authenticities”. A 1 as authenticity means that the dye lasts very badly on the fiber but a 5 means that the dye lasts very well on the fiber. Therefore one proofs different parameters for example if an article fades by sunlight or if the dye runs through washing. With kids clothes it is also very important to know if the articles are saliva resistant. We require a minimum 4.5 authenticity for all our products to make sure that nothing stains.

That is a big problem with using natural dyes. Especially the saliva authenticity is a critical factor. It doesn’t matter for a mother of the articles has been coloured with blackberry juice or not but if her baby gets a blue tongue after having had a sleeve in its mouth she will become very angry.

 

What’s the ecological fact about it?

At least it is sustainable when an article can be use for more than 2-3 years because its colours are still intensive as on the first day.

Reactive dyes are environmentally friendly in their use because 90% of the dye is absorbed by the fiber. Not many rests of the dye can be found in the sewage and the ones that are in can be filtered easily.

Reactive dyes are classified harmless according tot the eco-social GOTS and IVN BEST standards. Other dye groups cause a main part of environmental pollution and health hazards with their production.

 

Where and when are disana textiles coloured?

The dye houses of our yarn supplier are located in Central Europe. One part of our wool is coloured in Stadtallendorf in Nordhessen. The other part is coloured in Hardt, near Bregenz at the beautiful Lake Constance.

We fully count on European Standards and the knowledge of longtime partners with this chemical process.

The wool is coloured long before it becomes yarn with top dyeing. The advantage of top dyeing is that the colour can get deeply into the loose tops.

We at disana knit, cut and sew our articles out of the coloured yarn.

 

Some people colour wool with natural dyes!

Yes, that’s possible but not in industrial scale and not with all the beautiful colours that we offer. We use 100 tons of yarn every year and we can not imagine that there are so many dyeing plants to get dyes for this huge quantity.

Do I have to treat my woolen overpants with lanoline before the first use?

No, you don’t! The natural wool we use for our disana woolen overpants still contain enough natural lanoline. Each additional drop would be too much. If the woolen overpants are soaked up with lanoline the wool fibers will be completely coffered and won’t be able to absorb any moisture. Exactly the opposite of what the woolen overpants suppose to do.

 

Do I have to mat the woolen overpants before the first use?

No, you don’t. Indeed matted woolen overpants have a larger surface which is able to absorb more moisture but the daily use is automatically doing the job for you and makes them become more absorbent each time. Felting only shortens the durability of woolen overpants unnecessarily.

 

How do I wash the woolen overpants?

With the utmost care and infrequently – that’s the rule for all articles made of natural wool. You can read more about this topic by clicking on “Washing wool”.

 

What about the brown stains?

A diaper system can be applied perfectly fine and still something can leak through and dirtying the overpants. Then the article has to be washed. Persistent stains can be pretreated with ox-gall soap. It is the perfect natural stain remover for all woolen articles. Attention! Always store ox-gall soap out of children’s reach. We recommend to test it at a not noticeable spot before the first use to see if the article’s colour strips away.

 

The woolen overpant doesn’t keep dry. Why?

Mostly the nappy system is the reason for it. Nappy and inlays should absorb much moisture and pass it slowly to the woolen overpant. If the nappies and inlays are not absorbent, for example they haven’t been washed with 90°C for 2-3 times before the first use, the woolen overpant will not catch up the moisture.

Nappy and inlay must be “measured” correctly. A knitted nappy absorbs about 80ml moisture, a brushed cotton inlay about 40-60ml. That is 120-140ml in total. The absorption capacity is exhausted quickly with less nappy changing at night. Redundant moisture leaks and can’t be stopped by the woolen overpant. Better use a muslin nappy instead of a brushed cotton inlay, because it is more absorbent.

Too much lanoline avoids the moisture absorption. The wool fibre is totally wrapped by lanoline and so to speak “waterproofed”. It can not absorb moisture anymore. This can happen with a new woolen overpant that contains too much lanoline by nature. It can also happen after having used too much lanoline with the last washing. In this case, please wash the woolen overpant once again with disana’s wool shampoo and do not use any lanoline. Just let it dry. The shampoo removes the lanoline from the fibre and makes it absorbent again. There is still enough lanoline on the fibre to neutralize urine. Eventually the woolen overpant has to be washed several times to remove the lanoline from the fibre.

Woolen overpants that have been stored for a longer period absorb moisture badly. It sounds paradoxical but only a woolen overpant which is provided with enough moisture can absorb really much moisture. So in this case please wash the woolen overpant like recommended. The wool fibre absorbs enough moisture again with the washing.

 

What is the lanoline for?

Actually lanoline is a wax. It protects the wool from the sheep against environmental influences like dirt or moisture. Lanoline has nothing to do with the tightness of the woolen overpants, but it neutralizes dirt like urine. The main part of the wool’s self-cleaning comes from the lanoline. With drying in the air, the lanoline combines with the urine in the wool fibre. A chemical process of saponification occurs which neutralizes the urine and cleans up the woolen overpant hygienically after drying. Is it magic? Yes, a little bit. But completely natural.

 

How often should I use lanoline?

With normal using of the woolen overpant (3 pieces of one size in alternating use) every 8 to 14 days. Some of the lanoline is used every time due to the neutralization of urine with drying. Sometime nothing’s there anymore. Then you notice that the woolen overpant smells of urine and doesn’t absorb moisture anymore. It is about time to wash the woolen overpant like recommended and to “grease” it with a lanoline bath.

 

When do I need the next size of the woolen overpant?

The woolen overpant shouldn’t be too large to absorb enough moisture. A too small woolen overpant is not only inconvenient for your child but it can also deform your child’s hip which is still developing. Due to that, change the size of the woolen overpant in time. Always when it becomes heavy to pull the overpant over the nappy package, then it is about time for a new one.

Let your children walk barefoot as much as possible. Nothing is better for a healthy child foot.

As soon as the temperatures drop, the “barefoot fun” is over, at least outdoors.

A Children's shoe should provide protection and support. The disana felt children's shoe is particularly light and flexible and without a footbed. It has a soft sole so that the foot can develop well and without being constricted.

The disana felt children's shoe gives the foot sufficient support at the heel and plenty of room for the ball of the foot and in the toe area.

Shoes have to fit! Not too big and not too small. Not too wide and not too tight.

Get advice from a specialist retailer. Every child is unique, there isn’t the one perfect shoe for all children. But there is the right shoe - if it fits.

What definitely fits with the disana felt children's shoe is the ecological footprint. Made from pure natural materials. We know the paths that our shoe has travelled to your child's foot.

 

The disana woolen overpant is dressed as a waterproof cover over the diaper package. Please make sure that the woolen overpant rounds/fits well at the body and at the legs and that nowhere a piece of diaper looks out. On that overpant you dress a body and a jump suit or other clothing.

If the woolen overpant has only become wet, it has not to be washed. A simple drying in the open air is sufficient to get the overpants hygienically clean again, thanks to the natural "self-cleaning" of the wool.

A large part of this self-cleaning effect consists of the lanolin still contained in natural wool. It wraps the woolen fiber like a protective cover and prevents that dirt and germs can fix onto the woolen fiber. At the same time, this lanolin cover is permeable for water in form of water vapor.

For the woolen overpant the lanolin has a further positive quality. While drying the humid pant, the lanolin connects to the urine of the baby and neutralizes it. After drying, the woolen pant is fresh again and hygienically clean.

While neutralizing the urine, one part of the lanoline always gets lost, so after some time it is used up. It depends on many factors, how long the "lanolin stock" stays in the pant. If all lanolin of the woolen fiber is used, the pant does no longer hold tight and smells like urine. Usually lanolin must be carried back to wool diaper every 2-3 weeks. How to do this, please see our information concerning the washing of wool and the instructions on the packing of our wool care products.

A new woolen overpant still contains a lot of natural lanolin and has not to be treated with lanolin before wearing for the first time.
In case a brand new woolen overpant is not leak, there is too much natural lanolin on the fiber. It wraps the woolen fiber like a waterproof film and impregnates it. So the wool cannot absorb any more the overrun humidity from the diaper package.

Then the pant has to be washed by a mild wool detergent and must not be treated with lanolin afterwards. By this washing process, the overrun lanolin is washed out of the fiber and then it can absorb humidity again.

 

However there will be enough lanolin on the woolen overpant to neutralize urine for about
2-3 weeks. 

We regret hearing about the widened button holes on your child’s boiled-wool article. This is an issue occurring rarely but sometimes it does, unfortunately. We’re very sorry you received a faulty product.

 

Two reasons could be responsible for this:

1) The button holes are too large

Imagen the merino wool fibre like an elastic spring. It even looks similar to one. It’s the reason why our boiled wool cloth is so soft and elastic. But here comes the problem: The area we cut-in the button holes is of the same soft and elastic material. We don’t work with synthetic fleece or other artificial fibres to strengthen the material. This makes the work with button holes not easy at our production. It’s possible that in the course of the use the button holes widen and wear out a little. Thanks to the “elastic spring fibres” boiled-wool is a very lively material. And so, it happens that a button is opening up, as if by magic. Unfortunately, we can’t completely rule that out without using synthetic “tools”. But there’s no way we’re going to use anything else but natural material.  

 

2)  The buttons are too small

Our disana buttons are made of tagua nut. It’s a natural material that’s indeed obtained from the thick shell of a nut. Like all natural materials, the tagua nut “lives”. If the button is exposed to dry air for a long time (e.g. at our storage facilities, at the shop or at your home) it’ll shrink. Believe it or not…1,5 – 2 mm. That’s a lot considering the small size of the button and that makes it pop out of the button hole again and again.

 

What can I do in this situation?

Hand wash the wool article carefully and according to the instructions. The tagua nut button has the possibility to absorb and save moisture. The button is expanding and back in its correct size.

A widened button hole can easily get fixed with a sewing needle. Simply sew up the lower edge of the button hole by 1-2 millimetre, making 3-4 stitches. Problem sorted in under 3 minutes. Much faster than you thought.

 

I have to fix it myself? I didn’t expect this with such an expensive and high-quality brand product.

 

We know you did not expect this. Please accept our apologies. It’s not our fault that those two natural materials (wool and tagua nut) are so “lively”. When we made the button and the button hole they fit perfectly.

Please excuse this little disadvantage and think of the many advantages that disana boiled-wool articles have. Your child is cosily wrapped in soft wool fibre and feels comfortable and well protected in a natural product. You give Mother Nature a helping hand with a little needlework and everything will be fine.

Who knows, perhaps you would like to use a thread in a contrast colour to give your child’s boiled-wool overall or boiled-wool jacket a unique touch. Very convenient not to mix up clothing at nursery school or to make a small design statement. There are no limits set to your imaginations.

 

Can I simply return the article and you change the buttons?

No, that’s not possible. We just gave you tips to get the button and button holes back to their correct sizes. Each dispatch route is harming our environment. The small jackets and overalls are not made for this purpose. Don’t worry, you can do it.

 

I don’t have the necessary thread ready on hand.

We can help! In our online-shop www.disana-shop.com there’s a service for replacement parts and repairs. You can order threads in the correct colour. Even replacement parts such as cuffs, edging wraps, or boiled-wool pieces. Everything to make a disana article look dapper again.

Thank you for your understanding!

Yours,

disana