Smell Out of Diapers

E.,
I am the mother of 5 sons, only used cloth diapers and never had a dryer. I washed them in regular detergent and bleach. They never smelled bad, and I always tried to hang them out when possible. When the weather was bad, they air dried all over the house.
That being said, I am 50 and the boys are all big now. Things have certainly changed and maybe people don't use bleach anymore, but it does the job if you are inclined. There was never an issue of it irritating the boys either. If not, perhaps a cup of vinegar in your wash would help. BTW, what is Funzi Bunz? Good luck.

Hi E.,
If using baking soda in the wash you need to use vinegar in the rinse cycle to restore ph balance and remove odors. Just put vinegar in the fabric softener cup of your washer or in a downy ball. Sun drying also helps remove urine smell. I've also heard about trying tea tree oil but once I began using baking soda & vinegar and sun drying I haven't had any more problems with urine smell staying in the diapers. Check out www.diaperpin.com for other tips. Hope this helps. Happy cloth diapering. - K.

My kids are 12 and 9 now, but we used cloth diapers with both of them. Here's what I did: Pre-wash soak in the washer in a borax solution (Safeway carries 40 Mule Team brand in the laundry section), hot water wash with detergent and borax, double rinse, and hanging dry in the sun. Every 6 -8 weeks or so I'd wash the ones with really nasty stains with bleach, too. We tried to use bleach infrequently, since it breaks down the fabric and we didn't want to put too many caustic chemicals in the system. Both kids were in diapers for at least 2 years, and they smelled good. Good luck and congratulations!

I had/have a similar problem with my older son (he's almost two and still in diapers, but we've had to switch him to disposables for other reasons). I tried baking soda in the wash, vinegar in the rinse, borax, bleach on my prefolds, air and dryer drying, anything I could think of. Nothing really worked for me, but I think air-drying outside in the sun was the best. I use a dry-bucket method of washing, and that could also contribute to smells being trapped in the diapers, though I don't have the problem with my infant's diapers smelling unless my toddler is wearing one and poops in it- then the entire wash load smells bad. Maybe it has something to do with their poop after they start solid foods? You didn't mention how old your son was or if he's started solids yet. You might try washing poopy diapers separately, and see if that helps, also.

Something I recently learned about the Fuzzi Bunz diapers (I have a few, but not a lot) is that the PUL fabric the outside is made of was first designed to be used in hospitals as a waterproof barrier, and meant to be autoclaved (sterilized at a high heat). It can withstand anything a normal washer and dryer can do to it, and keeps its seal better if it has the higher heat. I think the manufacturers of Fuzzi Bunz recommend natural detergent, etc. more for the baby's skin and/or environmental reasons than because it's necessary for the diapers.

I hope this helps. Sorry if it's confusing or more than you wanted to know.

Hi E.,
I have found success with non chlorine bleach. It is good at removing the odors and better for health and environment then chlorine bleach is. I still do an extra rinse, but then I do anyway as I am very sensitive to detergents.

Other countries (such as Australia, England, etc) have products specifically for treating or washing cloth diapers and the non chlorine bleach is a major component of them.

Air drying in the sun can also be really great. Though if you have a strong history of allergies in the family then caution may be needed as you expose the cloth to a lot of pollens etc.

good luck
K.

Hi E.,
I don't use cloth diapers but have had some problems with my towels and wash clothes smelling stinky even after washing. I solved this problem by putting them in a baking soda and hot water solution before washing them. It works great and I also use it on my hubby's work clothes. Another mom here recommended a product by biokleen called bac-out for stain removal. I haven't had as much success with stain removal but it does work great as an odor remover and I found it at Raleys. Baking soda is much cheaper though!
Sincerely,
L.