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View Full Version : Ammonia smell in diapers and covers



trales
05-04-2007, 08:36 AM
DH and I have noticed a strong ammonia smell in DD's Kissaluv's and covers lately. I took all the diapers and covers, ran them through a pre-wash, a sanitize cycle with powdered Tide detergent, and an extra rinse, I then laid them all in the sun for 4 hours, and then put them for a quick trip to the dryer to get off the bits of maple tree that fell on them. While they were being washed I used sposies for the day, no odor detected. The cloth went back on for the night and we have odor again. Any suggestions? The smell is rather strong, though not detectable in the clean, dry diapers. I would love to get my sweet, milky smelling baby back.

Tracey

Mom to Frances 5 weeks

Momof3Labs
05-04-2007, 02:56 PM
Sounds like they are either not getting clean, or you are using too much soap and have build-up (my suspicion). Do you have hard or soft water? How much detergent do you use? HE machine or not?

trales
05-04-2007, 04:11 PM
It is a brand new HE machine, an LG front loader. I will try less detergent. How much do you use? I followed the manufacturer's instructions, but it seemed too much. Our water is fairly hard, nice well water. Will this affect the washing?

Thanks

Tracey Mom to Frances 5 weeks

Momof3Labs
05-04-2007, 08:03 PM
For hard water, you need to use more detergent (relative to soft water). We have hard water, and I use a small capful of Tide Free HE in our HE front loader. You would also probably find it helpful to add a capful of Calgon water softener every other load.

Jenn98
05-04-2007, 08:46 PM
So Tide Free is an okay detergent to use? I keep hearing conflicting advice on this one. I also have hard water and a front loader, but I'm struggling with which detergent to get. And I much prefer the "free and clear" detergents. Off to add it to my grocery list!

eta - does the effectiveness of a detergent also depend on the type of fabric you use most? prefolds vs hemp vs pockets, for example?

Momof3Labs
05-04-2007, 11:06 PM
I absolutely refuse to use a scented detergent on any of our laundry. I've been CDing for over 4 years and haven't had a problem with using Tide Free.

SeekerMage
05-05-2007, 12:10 AM
Sounds like you have some buildup issues. I would toss them back into the washer and wash them with a little bleach added to the wash and then do several hot/cold rinse cycles to strip them really good. You can also try doing a wash with SportWash (in the hunting-sporting section) Then maybe another trip out to the sun. You can also try adding vinegar to your wash cycle by adding it to the softner section. It helps soften and freshen up the diapers as well. Good luck I really hate stink issues!

SeekerMage
05-05-2007, 12:10 AM
Sounds like you have some buildup issues. I would toss them back into the washer and wash them with a little bleach added to the wash and then do several hot/cold rinse cycles to strip them really good. You can also try doing a wash with SportWash (in the hunting-sporting section) Then maybe another trip out to the sun. You can also try adding vinegar to your wash cycle by adding it to the softner section. It helps soften and freshen up the diapers as well. Good luck I really hate stink issues!

Jenn98
05-05-2007, 12:14 AM
Good to know! Our local store only had it in the maga-super-duper-king size container and I couldn't justify spending that much on a detergent I wasn't sure I'd use!

Alice523
05-08-2007, 10:42 AM
I had a terrible ammonia smell using Tide Free. I switched to Charlie's Soap and the smell was gone after a few washes. I was about to give up CDing after trying everything else - Charlie's finally solved the problem. It might depend on the washer, hard/soft water, etc. but Tide Free didn't work for us.

Momof3Labs
05-08-2007, 11:19 AM
Ironically, Charlie's didn't work for us, and I had to switch back to Tide Free to get rid of the stink! Of course, it also depends on whether you use the right amount of detergent.

trales
05-09-2007, 05:58 PM
I ran all the clean diapers through with no detergent and sunned them to see if there was any buildup. There was no smell after that. I think I have been using too much detergent. I hope this solved the problem. Thanks for all the input.

Tracey

Mom to Frances 5 weeks - and now 10lbs.