# (Fuzzi Bunz/EBF baby) Diapers smell like poop



## Blu Razzberri (Sep 27, 2006)

I have been using my Fuzzi Bunz for three months now; baby is exclusively breastfed.

I don't have much option in the way of washing them, because I unfortunately have to use a public pay-machine; so I can't cold pre-wash them; so I just hot wash/cold rinse them, and I pay for the extended wash cycle (which just adds extra agitation time). I wash the diapers by themselves; and the tub fills right up, so it's about half full of diapers; and the top half is water - so there's plenty of agitation room.

My diapers absorb well (only had a couple leaks (at the back) when I haven't been able to change him quick enough); they are also not seeping through the shell; so neither of these are a problem. The problem is that the diapers smell like poop, even when baby just pee's. They're definitely retaining the smells; and it's slowly becoming overpowering - ok, it's pretty gross. I'm using unscented chemical free detergent, and I don't have the means to change detergents right now; I need another option. I know I could oxy-clean them (if I did this, it would be inserts only); but I really don't want to use a chemical on the diapers, if I don't have to.

I've tried running them through a couple washes one after the other (starting out with more detergent than usual; and then letting it wash in plain water a couple times to get it out well). I've tried washing them with chemical free dishsoap. None of it worked. Does anyone have any ideas? Baking soda? Vinegar? Both? HELP!


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## kris4chloe (Jun 18, 2005)

baking soda in the wash, vinegar in the rinse, possibly bac-out before they go into the diaper pail? do you have the means to maybe pre-rinse them before you go to the laundry? invest in some big yellow long sleeved gloves. put dipes in a bucket with cold washer, swish around and rinse out. maybe even soak them in a bit of baking soda.

good for you even cloth diapering without your own washer/dryer. i dont think i would if i didn't have a washer and dryer at my disposla.


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## janasmama (Feb 8, 2005)

It sounds like they aren't getting clean enough. Are you rinsing the poop off before you put them in the wash?

Even though it's just breast milk poop you would want to do that if you don't have the extra rinse cycle prior to washing otherwise you're just washing them in poopy water.

I wouldn't soak them in anything since that wears the life of the diapers faster. I also don't think that bac-out is necessary. Baking soda might help neutralize the odor but I still think maybe they just need to be rinsed before the wash if that is something you aren't doing.

Adding vinegar will help soften the water which helps reduce build up but if they smell like poop, build up doesn't sound like the problem.


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## ~patty (May 8, 2006)

Can you hang them out in the sun anywhere too? That has always helped get the smell out of my diapers.


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## bayla (Sep 11, 2008)

Definitely hang them in the sun - that disinfects and bleaches them. And it's free! If it's not sunny or cold, you can still hang them outside, or put them on the windshield of your car.


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## Blu Razzberri (Sep 27, 2006)

This was supposed to post yesterday, but it somehow strangely got suspended in time within Firefox, and I had to re-load it to post. Weird.

Ok, in case anyone else is following this thread for idea's; here's what I've done so far.

First, I washed the diapers (hot wash with detergent, cold rinse). When it was done, I took them out, fed the machine more money, and started another hot wash cycle. When it was done filling the tub, I dropped in two heaping tablespoons of baking soda and let it agitate empty for a few seconds to 'stir' the baking soda into the water. In go the diapers. I set a timer and ran back down with the vinegar for the rinse cycle (I'm going to have to look into getting a downy ball - if they still make them - for this; if it works to clean out the smell). Anyways, I let the rinse cycle fill up, and I put three quick splashes (maybe about an 8th of a cup) of vinegar in; and let it complete the wash.

They're in the dryer now. I smelled them when they came out of the washer, and they don't seem to stink anymore; but it still has to pass two more 'tests': one when it comes out of the dryer; and another when the baby wets in them. I'll update this post when I have info from both of these.

Dryer test: did not pass. I imagine it had much to do with the dryer heat, but it smelled pretty strongly when I went to take them out of the dryer.

Baby wet test: The smell was about 50% gone. So, faded, and not as overpowering, but still smelled a bit.

I figure if I do a couple more baking soda/vinegar runs one after another; it'll eventually go back to relatively normal. And from there, I can just do that every week or two.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *kris4chloe* 
...possibly bac-out before they go into the diaper pail?...

What is this? Is it chemical? I've never heard of it. I'm in Canada, so I may not be able to find that here.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kris4chloe* 
...do you have the means to maybe pre-rinse them before you go to the laundry?...

Well, technically I do. I have a hand held shower that I can spray them with, but that would be time consuming, and waste a lot of water. I could also put the diaper pail in the bath tub and put cold water in it, let it sit for a bit, then drain it and bring it downstairs to the laundry room. But both of these things seem very time consuming. However, if this baking soda/vinegar thing works; then maybe I won't need to. I could just run a 'deoderizer wash' every two or three weeks. It took two months before we started noticing the smell, so maybe doing this every so often is good enough. We shall see!









Quote:


Originally Posted by *kris4chloe* 
...good for you even cloth diapering without your own washer/dryer...

If I had to go offsite to do laundry, I probably wouldn't have gone with cloth. But since the machines are in the building, it's really no different than going down to your basement to do it. Most people here leave my things alone now, since I've torn a strip off people (more than once) for moving my clothes from the machines. That makes me livid. It's not like it sits there for an eternity, I set a timer and if I don't make it down there before the cycle is done, I'm down within a minute or two. But people hover here.







Don't touch my clothes, my kids clothes, our _underwear_, my _diapers_...you know? Grrr.

Disclaimer: Umm, not MY diapers. The baby's diapers. I just wanted to clear that up.







:


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## brietta (Jun 23, 2008)

I had the same problem with my fuzzi bunz. This was the solution I found to be simplest and work the best:

1. boil all the inserts to make sure any residual bacteria was out.

2. wash all the pockets and inserts in hot water w/ 2 scoops of Charlie's Soap (which is washing soda based).

3. wash again in hot water w/ 1 scoop of Charlie's.

4. line-dry for SEVERAL hours to help kill of bacteria.

This totally took care of our stink issues and, believe me, I'd tried MANY things before this. Now when they're wet they just smell wet instead of smelling... disgusting! And when I do my normal wash routine, if they smell a little funky when I open the washer, I just stick them back in for another hot wash with plenty of detergent. So far, so good.


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## brietta (Jun 23, 2008)

P.S. with EBF poop, you shouldn't need to do more than just a cold rinse in the washer before your normal wash routine. The only diapers I rinse before washing are the nasty ones my toddler produces.


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## baileyandmikey (Jan 4, 2005)

I used fbs and never really had a problem, we just used vinegar with every wash and sportswash at a minimum.


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## Bexo (Feb 8, 2008)

I just found this in the archives. I'm having a similar problem. How much vinegar do you recommend putting in the wash with the diapers? And do you wash both the covers and the inserts with the vinegar? Thanks!


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