Editing Wool (section)

==Uses==
In addition to clothing, wool has been used for [[blankets]], [[Suit|suits]], [[Horse blanket|horse rugs]], saddle cloths, [[carpeting]], insulation and upholstery. Dyed wool can be used to create other forms of art such as wet and needle felting. Wool felt covers piano hammers, and it is used to absorb odors and noise in heavy machinery and stereo speakers. Ancient Greeks lined their helmets with felt, and Roman legionnaires used breastplates made of wool felt.

Wool as well as cotton has also been traditionally used for [[cloth diapers]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Snodgrass|first=Mary Ellen|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/910448387|title=World Clothing and Fashion : an Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Social Influence.|date=2015|publisher=Taylor and Francis|isbn=978-1-317-45167-9|location=Hoboken|pages=49–51|oclc=910448387}}</ref> Wool fiber exteriors are hydrophobic (repel water) and the interior of the wool fiber is [[hygroscopic]] (attracts water); this makes a wool garment suitable cover for a wet diaper by inhibiting wicking, so outer garments remain dry. Wool felted and treated with [[lanolin]] is water resistant, air permeable, and slightly antibacterial, so it resists the buildup of odor. Some modern cloth diapers use felted wool fabric for covers, and there are several modern commercial knitting patterns for wool diaper covers.

Initial studies of woollen underwear have found it prevented heat and sweat rashes because it more readily absorbs the moisture than other fibers.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/rural/qld/content/2007/s2282890.htm ABC Rural Radio: Woodhams, Dr. Libby, ''New research shows woollen underwear helps prevent rashes''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823085822/http://www.abc.net.au/rural/qld/content/2007/s2282890.htm |date=2011-08-23 }} Retrieved 2010-3-24</ref>

As an animal protein, wool can be used as a soil fertilizer, being a slow-release source of nitrogen.

Researchers at the [[Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology]] school of fashion and textiles have discovered a blend of wool and [[Kevlar]], the synthetic fiber widely used in body armor, was lighter, cheaper and worked better in damp conditions than Kevlar alone. Kevlar, when used alone, loses about 20% of its effectiveness when wet, so required an expensive waterproofing process. Wool increased friction in a vest with 28–30 layers of fabric, to provide the same level of bullet resistance as 36 layers of Kevlar alone.<ref>{{cite news|last=Blenkin|first=Max|title=Wool's tough new image|newspaper=Country Leader|date=2011-04-11}}</ref>