What would you say:

mrshudson618

Posted on my local page:

"Seriously considering destashing and switching to disposables. I need HELP! I use mostly cotton prefolds, with a few hemp ones for overnight, 2 pockets,and 2 AIOs. My diapers STINK. I have a front loader, and after the wash is complete (warm rinse and spin, hot Heavy Duty wash, one extra cold rinse. All with a wet towel, which I take out and re-wet after each cycle.) my washer smells like fish. After drying, it smells like old pee. I've stripped 4 times (2x with Squeaky Pieces and 2x with RLR) in the past month or so, and I've switched detergents 3 times (Tide F&G - Squeaky Pieces - Rockin' Green Hard Rock).

What do I do??? I am so over it."

welly01

Bleach?

Rrrrrachel

Too much water?

Rrrrrachel

And how much detergent?

SarahA918

Can she spray even the pee diapers before putting them in her diaper pail?

SarahA918

Cold rinse first instead of warm?

SarahA918

Try cleaning/sanitizing the machine without the diapers.

freezorburn

Switch to a clean-rinsing detergent? She could have buildup from any of those.

Also, you could suggest that if she wants to keep trying CD, to try posting here because we are all really helpful and supportive.

Rrrrrachel

Yeah it sounds like her machine smells but maybe she means the diapers. If the machine stinks she should run a cycle with bleach (mine has a clean washer cycle, but I think a regular cycle with just bleach will work fine)

mrshudson618

AFwifelife said:

Water quality? Amount of detergent used? Try regular Tide?

Our water is hard, but not super hard. When I asked, she only answered about the Rocking green which was her most recent, and said 2 tbs, per the directions. 

I totally missed the F&G on her tide. Tide is always the answer!

mrshudson618

her most recent response:

"F&G is a powder. LO and I are very sensitive to original Tide. THE diaper fairy is the one who recommended the Rockin' Green and the RLR after Squeaky Pieces didn't work. She also recommended the towel in the washer because I do full loads (12 or so prefolds, plus covers), washing every other day. My washer smells fine, I clean it 1-2 times a month, as recommended. I've never noticed a smell after washing regular clothes. Plus, the dryer is also stinky after dipes."

CLLDLL

I think she has bacteria in her diapers that's causing the nasty smell.  She needs to get that out first.  1/4 cup bleach and a full wash cycle on already clean diapers.  Then 3-5 hot water rinses.  Then as much as a pain as it is, I'd do one more RLR strip followed by 3-5 hot rinses to get out any detergent build-up. 

After that tide.  All her previous detergent choices were iffy IMO.  

ETA:  Just noticed the tide sensitivity.  Maybe have her try something like Tiny Bubbles or Lulus.  They both work well in hard water, and haven't caused any issues with my son's skin sensitivity. 

mrshudson618

I am about to just give up on her. She got all defensive when I suggested that her washer might need to be cleaned, saying that it doesn't stink, though in her OP she said that her washer smells like fish.

sunshineinmay09

I don't know that much about problem shooting, but I would recommend ditching the towel. I have a TL HE machine, and was adding a wet towel to my routine at first and it didn't help at all. It added way too much water and the diapers couldn't agitate against each other properly.

flummadiddle85

If you're over it, I probably wouldn't say anything else. I hardly post much on my local FB group anyways, but FB also crashes most of the time on my iPad. 

Offer to buy all her diapers and fix them yourself?

emmylou78

I was going to suggest what others have said. What's she cleaning her washer with? I used afresh and it fixed it.

She sounds like one of those people that ask for advice but doesn't follow it.

bumpuser9353653

She could make her own detergent too if she has a sensitivity to Tide.

1c. Borax
1c. Washing Soda
1/2 c. OxiClean

Super cheap to make and it's been great for us!

Rrrrrachel

The towel thing never helps, IMO. Maybe it makes your washer add more water, but it also makes your load significantly larger and sucks up water and detergent. I think most he washing machines are really fine with the amount of water they use and messing with them just complicates things.

zaraceligon

I think she needs to clean the washer first before do anything to the diapers, it could be some old water stock on the washer, and it she keeps the washer close it will cause the smell.

lookame3639

Rrrrrachel said:

Yeah it sounds like her machine smells but maybe she means the diapers f the machine stinks she should run a cycle with bleach (mine has a clean washer cycle, but I think a regular cycle with just bleach will work fine)

The he machines need special cleaned every few months or else they tend to stink and make the clothes stink too. She should try cleaning her machine then hot stripping the diapers a couple of times then run them in a regular wash cycle.