Poo AND detergent smell ugh!!!

[HappiMom]

OK. I've switched to Tide original. I've started using bleach. I've tried baking soda/vinegar wash a couple of times. I've done the "if your diapers still stink use more detergent" method. Now they smell like musky poop AND detergent. And the prefolds are STILL crunchy. Where do I go from here??? Strip and start over???

[shen7]

Is your washer broken? Sounds like it might not be draining properly or something. Are your other dirty laundry items getting cleaned properly? Is your water getting hot enough? Are you running very small or very large loads?

You can always do a stomp wash with dish soap in the bath tub to start over. Then at least you can see what's going on.

[traderbren]

Do you have hard water? What temp are you washing on?

[babycat42]

Start from the very beginning post what kind of diapers, what kind of washing machine and your wash routine. Also what kind of water you have.

[HappiMom]

Ok, bare with me. First I was living in a place with hard water with an he front loader. After getting horrible poo smell, I switched to tide and bleach. the smell went away for the most part, but everything was always a little musky and crunchy.

Now I live in an apartment with a coin operated front loader. There is a water softener feeding the machine.

I have only been doing a first cold cycle when I know I have some nasties in there because I have to pay for a whole wash cycle and it takes 40 min.

I normally wash on the hot cycle with liquid tide original and bleach (however my husband is afraid of bleach and doesn't use it when he's got laundry duty LOL). I've been filling the tide to the one line. I wash every 3 days, so it's a pretty full load mixed with cotton prefolds, pockets and PUL covers. I wash on "super cycle" which has extra agitation time and and second rinse cycle at the end.

When I open my cupboard where I store the clean diapers there is a strong perfume smell, but when I smell them up close I can still smell poo AND my prefolds are crunchy as ever.

I did a wash with baking soda and vinegar and it softened the prefolds significantly, but that only lasted one use.

Suggestions?

[babycat42]

Instead of you a prewash you can just can just completely rinse out the diapers at home before going to the laundry mat.
I would wash and dry the prefolds by themselves.
I think you need to use a little more soap. I like using super washing soda because it is such a great detergent booster. If you are still getting stinkies then there isn't enough detergent to dissolve all the soil in the diapers. Since the water is softened you might need to run an extra cycle without soup to completely rinse everything clean.
If you want really soft prefolds I would throw in a dryer sheet prefolds can take it.
For covers rinse the poop all the way off and wash them with your normal laundry.

[HappiMom]

I think that would be doable if I were just using prefolds and covers, but I have a mix of pockets, hemp, microfiber, prefolds and covers. Hmm

[xocen]

I have pockets, aios, prefolds, inserts, fitteds, covers ALL types and I have rinsed by hand before washing. not hard at all. time consuming yes but it's not costly and doesn't take 40 minutes. I've heard not so great things about tide and cd. we use oxyclean baby which says on the box it's cd safe. it's sold at target. as for crunchiness, line dry and fluff in the dryer for a few minutes to bring back softness!

[Xanders]

I would make sure they're rinsed in some way prior to the wash & afterwards. The 1 line isn't a lot of detergent at all.

[AZmommy]

Originally Posted by xocen I have pockets, aios, prefolds, inserts, fitteds, covers ALL types and I have rinsed by hand before washing. not hard at all. time consuming yes but it's not costly and doesn't take 40 minutes. I've heard not so great things about tide and cd. we use oxyclean baby which says on the box it's cd safe. it's sold at target. as for crunchiness, line dry and fluff in the dryer for a few minutes to bring back softness!

I agree with the rinsing... Tide is very well liked in the CD world. Its not for all but its is one of the top detergents. Oxyclean isn't a detergent it is just a booster though. At least all the ones I can get here are I do remember they once did make an actual detergent. Haven't seen it in years though.
OP a few suggestions I dont advocated to little detergent but as you now have a water softner maybe a little less will be more, are you able to see how the water is during the rinse cycles? Crunchy diapers especially in prefolds for me has always meant too much detergent.
As for bleach what is DH issue? if its the wear and tear (whch isn't an issue) consider using the Clorox ultimate care bleach.. It wont have the same disinfecting properties but it does still help the detergent it tackles odor well and helps stuff to rinse out better.

Also consider using a wet pail add 1/2 cup vinager to a 1/2 filled or so pail of cool water.. Usig a mesh type liner really helps if you wet pail. Put any solids into the toilet before putting into pail of course.
You'll still need to dry pail covers/pockets

Deanna