Rainbow Frog

Care Instructions

Caring for your handwoven wrap



General Washing/Drying Tips:

  • Liquid detergent free of optical brighteners is the general recommendation for most fibers.
     
  • Do not use fabric softener.
     
  • Many people dry flat or line dry to avoid shrinkage. If you are working with a fiber that is dryer-friendly, it is generally recommended to dry on low. Do not use dryer sheets. Dryer balls are a great way to help break in your wrap.
     
  • If you are drying a RS in the dryer, wrap a pair of socks over the rings to help reduce the noise. Steam ironing is a great way to break in most fibers. Make sure you use the correct settings on your iron.
     


Cotton:

Wash cold or warm normal or gentle cycle. Liquid detergent no optical brighteners. Line dry or tumble dry low. Warm steam iron on cotton setting.

Cotton is a great fiber and a great first wrap. In general it is quite easy to care for and usually does not require handwashing. Many people find cotton snuggly for small babies and super cushy for larger toddlers. Thinner cotton wraps, especially if they have an open weave, may not be the most supportive for larger kids. Cotton has a tendency to be a little on the warm side.

Linen/Cottolin:

Wash cold or warm normal or gentle cycle. Low spin. Line or hang dry. Liquid detergent with no optical brighteners. Steam iron benefits linen and helps it break in

Linen is usually fairly easy to care for and usually doesn’t require any special care. Linen is a favorite for support. Many linen wraps can be tough to break in, but they are worth it. They break in to be buttery soft and usually have a silky soft quality to them. Many linen wraps, especially 100% linen, are excellent for warm weather. It does have a tendency to be wrinkly and it is prone to permanent creases, steam ironing will help with this.

Hemp

Machine wash warm or hot. Normal or gentle. Tumble dry. Liquid detergent with no optical brighteners. Steam iron benefits linen and helps it break in

Hemp can be scary brand new and feel, well, a bit like a screen door. Once broken in, hemp is super supportive, snuggly, and buttery soft. Many hemp wraps are on the warmer side, but a handful of thinner ones aren’t too bad in the summer. Hemp is fairly easy to care for and loves heat. A warm or hot wash is a great way to break in hemp.

Wool

(Merino, Merino/Tencel and other varieties) Hand wash ONLY. Luke warm water. Air dry flat. Wool wash recommended or a gentle baby soap. Never wring or spin in dryer. Gently press water out and roll excess in a towel.

Many people are intimidated by wool, but taking the plunge is well worth it. It is surprisingly breathable and one of the cushiest fibers. Some wool can be on the scratchy side, but there are many wool wraps out there that are kitten belly soft and not “wool-like” at all. Caring for wool isn’t as hard as it seems. Most people opt to hand wash wool. Make sure to avoid felting your wrap by using only lukewarm water, avoiding extreme temperature changes, always laying flat when wet, and never roughly agitating it. Simply fill a tub with lukewarm water, add a dime sized amount of wool wash or baby shampoo, gently swish, and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then very carefully lay the wrap flat on a towel, being careful to support its weight in all places. Fill the tub up again with water the same temperature as the water you just drained. Add the wrap and swish gently to rinse it. Let it sit for a few minutes. Then carefully sandwich the wrap in between two towels, roll up the towel, and squeeze to remove excess water. Lay it flat to dry.

Bamboo:

Machine wash cold delicate or handwash cycle. Opt for handwashing bamboo vicose fiber. Air dry flat as bamboo can shrink more than other fibers. Liquid detergent with no optical brighteners.

Bamboo is super soft and makes a perfect squish wrap. It is often airy and has a light silky feel and can be slippery. Bamboo/linen blends are a better choice for bigger kids or chosing a twill design gives it more grip. Use caution when drying bamboo as it can shrink more than wovens of other fibers. Most mamas opt to line dry.

Silk:

Hand wash ONLY in lukewarm water. Cold water will reduce the luster of silk fibers. Hang dry out of direct sunlight as this can cause discoloration of silk. Use liquid detergent for delicates, can be gently ironed while still damp on silk setting.

Tencel:

Machine wash warm on delicate, cold water to rinse and tumble dry on medium heat or permanent press setting. If you choose to tumble dry your Tencel item, be aware it might shrink up to 3 percent the first time it's dried. Tencel fabrics can become stiff if they are allowed to air dry. You can soften them by putting the item in the dryer with a soft towel on low temperature.

Tencel fabric dries relatively wrinkle-free, but if you want to spruce it up with an iron, use a warm or "synthetic" heat setting and turn off the steam. High heat can damage Tencel, especially microfiber fabrics, and steam can leave spots that won't come off until the next washing . A safe option is to hang the item in a warm, moist area, such as a shower.

Breathable, comfortable, earth-friendly and easy to care for, Tencel is the trade name for lyocell, a fabric manufactured by Lenzing from wood pulp. Tencel fibers are used for clothing, sheets, towels, drapes and in our baby wraps.


** Please Note:
Most of the info on this page came from http://babywearing102.tumblr.com/post/53280622414/washing-and-care-by-fiber, with some adjustments made for care specific to our products.