# Troubleshooting Stinky Diapers: Ammonia smell...HELP!



## cwaddick (Oct 16, 2002)

I just read the thread on Troubleshooting Stinky Diapers in the Diapering Archives.
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...play.php?f=222

DD2's diaper really stink after she makes peepee, and I don't know where to put them.

I am diapering DD2 and DS, ages 19 months and 5 weeks. I dunk the poopy diaper parts in the toilet and then throw the diapers into one of two garbage cans in the bathroom: "Diapers: Covers Only" without poopy residues or "Diapers: Innards Only."

DD2 wears AIOs with PUL. DS wears half AIOs with PUL and half fitteds with a variety of fleece, PUL, and wool covers.

How I wash:
(1) The covers are easy. I throw them in with regular loads when I launder our clothes. The covers have pee-pee residues, although some of the fitteds covers have a lot of pee-pee in them.
(2) The innards (along with the covers that got poopy on them) go through a cold wash cycle (to get out the poopy), and then I wash them again on hot (to disinfect). I use detergent both times, occassionally adding tea tree oil to the second wash. I almost always add Bi-O-Kleen Bac-Out (natural enzyme eater) to the first load. If the innards have sat for more than 24 hours, I add extra Bac-Out, and I may apply Bac-Out directly to the oldest poopy diapers from the bottom of the garbage can. Sometimes, I increase the length of the cold cycle (with a pre-wash or an extra rinse) or decrease the length of the hot cycle (using a short cycle setting).

My diapers come out smelling fresh and clean. I've experimented with detergents: Granny's Power Plus (recently went out of business), Allen's Naturally (tried both liquid and powder), and Bi-O-Kleen's regular liquid stuff. All are for any temperature. BTW, I have a top loading machine.

DD2's diapers are AIOs... the innards are made of cotton/hemp, and I have a lot of lay-in, fleece-topped soakers, also made of cotton/hemp.
But, when DD2 makes pee-pee in a diaper... it makes the whole bathroom stink, even though the diaper innards are in the garbage can.

The garbage can smells fine. It can be perfectly clean and empty and smelling great until I add DD2's diaper.

* Is the problem with build-up of something in DD2's diapers? ... or,

* Should I be thinking of a new way to store the diaperrs? ...

I'd appreciate your help!

-- Caitlin


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## lisas (Oct 7, 2004)

Sounds like build up. I'd strip them.


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## cwaddick (Oct 16, 2002)

So, it's build-up of what? What builds-up on the diapers? And, how do I strip them of whatever it is?

-- Caitlin


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## cwaddick (Oct 16, 2002)

Here's the link to the other thread about this:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=324245

The urea in pee-pee turns into ammonia while it is sitting, but it doesn't do it for newborn dipes ... don't know why.

It is the ammonia that builds-up as a residue in the dipes, is that right?

The solution to getting rid of the ammonia is to use vinegar in a rinse cycle, but... how much? Say, a cup for a full-load? Do you use vinegar at the beginning or at the end?

Vinegar is also a fabric softener, using 1/2 cup for a full load at the end of the cycle.

-- Caitlin


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## DreamingMama (Apr 18, 2003)

I use to have this problem all the time and started rinsing the diapers right after they came off his bottom. Then rang them out and stuck them in the pail. I use tide with febreeze too now. I know that stuff is powerful but it sure the heck smells better then poop and pee residue. :LOL


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## cwaddick (Oct 16, 2002)

Hi Kathleen!


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## DreamingMama (Apr 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cwaddick*







Hi Kathleen!

:LOL Howdy Rowdy!!


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## iowaorganic (May 19, 2007)

I am bumping this up-I have the same problem but I already wash my diapers in vinegar- every freaking single time. So what gives here? Maybe not enough detergent? THis is like knock you over ammonia when you walk into my bathroom- plus stinky babies when they pee.


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## *Karen* (Jul 28, 2006)

They just aren't getting clean. Possibly detergent build up, not enough detergent, or hard water affecting your ability to get things clean.


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## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

You could also be washing too many at once. Try reducing the number of dipes, adding a cold soak before the hot wash (rather than a cold short wash or rinse only), with Bac-Out. It doesn't work well in hot water as that kills the enzymes, as I understand. So definitely use it in the cold soak. Vinegar helps but it won't strip the diapers on its own. Neither will the Biokleen. So get some Dawn dish detergent (blue concentrated) add about a tsp to a hot wash then add the diapers. No detergent or anything but the Dawn.

Rinse repeatedly until no bubbles.

And stop adding tea tree oil.








It may help disinfect, but it can leave a residue and bacteria love that buildup residue -- perfect breeding ground, which is why you're getting the stink.

Are your towels also smelling musty after only a few uses? You may have detergent buildup in your washing machine itself. The Dawn (or Simple Green) should help remove it. If you use SG, do NOT wash your dipes in it -- it's caustic and will wear on them a lot. So use the SG on en empty load or with some old towels. That will clean your washer instantly.


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## katie9143 (Oct 3, 2006)

does your pail have a cover? i always found that and open pail was way better than a closed one. i didnt read all the responses, so sorry if someone already suggested it. but other than using a natural soap, super hot water (i have my heater cranked up as hot as possible, rinsing with vinegar and then drying on warm - oh and making sure you have enough space in the washer, plenty of water and not too many dipes (2-3 doz pfs is usually ok for a normal size washer on the highest water setting) - i cant think of anything else. sometimes dh skimps and puts the washer on small wash and even though they look clean, they dont smell clean and i always call him on it. he thought i was being picky until he realized i could tell everytime. oh and i strip with a good squirt of trader joes tea tree oil and lavendar dish soap. maybe once every couple of weeks. it cant hurt, you cant strip them too much~


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## Galatea (Jun 28, 2004)

Buildup of detergent and bacteria. I'd use some chlorine bleach and then rinse rinse rinse.


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## dflanag2 (Oct 4, 2005)

:

I'm so glad I found this thread. My DH skimps on the water, too!

Off to strip every dipe in the house...

-dflanag2


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## Mihelinka (Nov 2, 2004)

I started using Bac-out in the diaper rinse, then in the wash & I have no stink problems anymore.


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## RunningMama (Feb 28, 2005)

i used vinegar and baking soda and bac-out- and almost NO detergent. I always washed very small loads on the largest water setting. I also always washed the diapers with the above, then did another wash with nothing in it. i think i used about 1/2c vinegar, 1/2c baking soda and for the bac out- i sprayed my diapers with it as soon as i took them off of ds. i had a problem with the ammonia smell until i started to do this routine.

Hope that helps a little-


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## tjsmama (Jun 15, 2007)

I was having some stink issues and wasn't having any luck with vinegar helping. Somebody recommended adding some Calgon in with the detergent, and my problem has completely cleared up. I have an HE washer and usually put about a 1/4 capful straight in with my plain old HE Tide. I do also put some vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser, but that's more for static buildup than anything else.


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