Diaper Stink/Diaper Stripping Remedies

[bellabella]

Lemon juice is great for taking out stink from almost anything. I use it in the rinse cycle. I use lemon juice on my hands after DD has made a big mess and soap and water just doesn't do the job. Works great. Baking soda is another great "stink" absorber.

[holisticnurse]

Does anyone else have experience with Simple Green? Someone suggested it but I feel a little nervous about trying it. We have a F/L and are using FB with MOE.

Thanks to all the Mammas who posted here. Your suggestions are fantastic!

[mamashel]

does this work with diapers made with pul, such as fuzzi bunz?

[diapermommy]

I am also wondering about using bleach and what not on pul?

[Chriscia]

We had a really bad case of the stinkies, but I was afraid to use bleach. We have a FL. The routine that I found works best is: Wash in cold on delicate with NO detergent, then wash on Whitest whites with Charlies soap, then do another whitest whites with no soap and an extra rinse. So far we have not had the stinkies since (been over a month with 2 in diapers). If they come back, I will do what used to work...oxyclean in the washer before I started the whole cycle.

[LadybugMom757]

Originally Posted by holisticnurse Does anyone else have experience with Simple Green? Someone suggested it but I feel a little nervous about trying it. We have a F/L and are using FB with MOE. Thanks to all the Mammas who posted here. Your suggestions are fantastic!

Simple Green is biodegradable and environmentally friendly. It also does say on the back that it can be used as a laundry booster. Don't be afraid to try it! It works so, so well! Combined with oxiclean and/or a water softener, it cleans my diapers very well. HTH

[truenorth_88]

I used to use vinegar and baking soda when I used only PFs and never got stinkies. However, now that I use MF inserts, every load stinks until I strip. I am hesitant to use bleach or vinegar or baking soda as different mfr labels say not to use additives. My dipes are now a combination of PFs, fitteds and pockets. I am wondering what is truly a safe method to get out the stinky smell, which is almost constant.

[j_m_adams]

Here is a great link if you have questions about diaper washing and or additives (ie vinegar, baking soda, rlr, calgon, etc...) for STINk and STRIPPING

http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.co...gentbasics.htm

[pixieixiq]

I think the key to non-yucky smelling diapers is two-fold. One, you have to wash them in VERY hot water on a regular basis, and two, you have to strip them every once in a while whether they smell terrible or not. Here's what I do:

Regular Washing:
1. Cold rinse with small amount of water (since the point of CD's is to save the world and our money, less water is a good thing here)
2. Hot wash (using adequate water) with 1/2 recommended amount of detergent, 1/2 cup baking soda, and 1/2 recommended amount of Calgon. (We have hard water.) If you have iton your machine, use the "sanitize" wash. If not, either turn up your hot water heater 30 minutes before washing diapers or just boil wateron the stove and use that. (That's what I do, and even just a teapot or two dumped in can really make a difference.)
**Notes on detergent, etc.: I use ALL Free & Clear or Melaleuca Unscented. Both have essential oils in them (which is said to build up on diapers and ruin them) but neither has caused me any trouble in the last 18 months. I also spray Melaleuca's Pre-Spot (seriously the BEST stain remover spray ever - totally worth the cost) on my poopy diapers. Oh, and on newborn breast-fed poopy diapers, I often use a spritz of hydrogen peroxide after rinsing them into the toilet.**
3. Cold rinse (using adequate water). Don't use anything in the last rinse, or it will stick on your diapers.

Strip Washing: (no, this is not a game that will make your husband want to do laundry with you...)
I do this every 6 months OR when the diapers start smelling terrible out of the dryer OR when my final cold rinses in the regular routine start consistently having suds in them. Of course, there's always the time your mom tries to help out by doing laundry and puts fabric softener in the load. UGH!!
1. Cold rinse with plenty of water.
2. VERY hot rinse with plenty of hot water. If you have to spend 1/2 an hour boiling water, do it: hot water is a serious MUST. Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup of Dawn dishwashing detergent (esp. if you suspect fabric softener poisoning) or just use 3/4 - all of the recommended amount of your regular detergent. Add Calgon if you have hard water and a tablespoon of OxyClean if you feel comfortable with it. I also put in 5 - 6 drops of tea tree oil if I'm not using Melaleuca detergent (which already contains tea tree oil.
3. Interrupt the cycle and do a second hot wash (make it very hot if you can, but if not, that's okay.) to get out the rest of the detergent.
4. Cold rinse with lots of water. Repeat this until there are NO suds at all.

This works for me. Hope it helps someone else!

P.S. I've found that vinegar--which is supposed to be an anti-ammonia agent--just makes my diapers stink like vinegar and gives my daughter diaper rash. So be careful when using it...in my opinion.

[friskykitty]

what causes the wet dog smell stink?

and when we say hard water, we speak of well water not city right?