The Many Benefits of Lamb's Wool

The increasing demand for environmentally friendly materials for building, clothing and manufacturing has seen skyrocketing popularity for eco-safe sheep-wool products.

Home Insulation:

Lamb's wool has a whole host of uses and has for some time been an excellent insulator for homes. First and foremost, wool is a natural fire retardant, and it is non toxic to the environment and members of the household. It is capable of extreme absorption of dampness up to almost half of it's own weight and is therefore an appropriate product to use particularly in climates where humidity poses a problem. Wool in wall cavities also provides a sound buffer. Having lived in a home which had wool insulation, I cannot recommend it more highly.

Hospital Care:

While other wools are also used, Australian Merino wool is said to be the best type for situations where heat, humidity and the need for temperature regulation is required. Merino wool is unique in that it has a very fine wave, or crimp, which allows airflow freely in and around the fibers. People who are bed ridden, in particular the elderly will often have no incidence of bed sores. A trial study was conducted in New South Wales, Australia at the Gosford Hospital and Orana Nursing Home, and it was found that Lamb's wool also has an anti bacterial quality, as opposed other synthetics or cottons used for bedding. At the conclusion of the study, no bacteria at all was found to have settled onto the wool fibers.

Lamb's wool is used for babies cribs in hospitals too, especially those who are premature. It is reported that low birthweight babies are more rested, their body temperature is maintained in a more healthy way, and they thrive with resulting weight gains from more quality sleep.

It has also been reported that rather than bundling baby up in synthetic materials which does not allow regulation of body heat correctly, a baby sleeping with with lamb's wool was less likely to succumb to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.(SIDS) A further study which reported that a regular adult heart rate of around 60 beats per minute under Merino lamb's wool then increased by an extra 20 beats when the person slept with cotton or other synthetic fibers. Heat is dispersed more evenly in the micro climate that sheep's wool provides, by reducing humidity and increasing sufficient airflow around one's body

Durability:

Lamb's wool is a very durable substance, too; it will last much longer than even natural cotton products. A test by the Gosford Hospital Laundry showed some cottons deteriorated after as few as 60 washes, where the wool product was washed 700 times before it was damaged.

Sources:

Dickson, P.R. 1984. Effect of a fleecy woollen underlay on sleep. The Medical Journal of Australia, Jan 21, 87-89.

Scott, S. and Richards, M. 1979. Nursing low birth weight babies on lambswool. Lancet, pp 1028

Scott, S., Cole, T., Lucas, P. and Richards, M. 1983. Weight gain and movement patterns of very low birthweight babies nursed on lambswool. Lancet, pp 1014-1016.

Pressley, T.A., Rubbo, S.D., Stratford, B.C. and Dixson, S. 1960. Vehicles of transmission of airborne bacteria in hospital wards, The Lancet, 397-400.

Umbach, K.H. 1986. Comparative thermophysiologocial tests on blankets made from wool and acrylic-fibre-cotton blends", J. Text. Inst., No3. Paper presented at conference entitled "Comfort in Textiles" organised by the Manchester and district section of the Textile institute and held at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology on 4 April, 1984.