Need answers ASAP about soaking to get rid of ammonia smell

nursecramer

We used CD's with DS1. We had ammonia smell issues with the inserts (mixture of hemp and microfiber) toward the end. But I know we had hard water and a front load washer that made soaking difficult. Instead, we'd soak them on the stove, which is obviously not ideal because we couldn't really get enough water, and plus the whole house would smell like ammonia, so we only did that when it got really bad.

Now getting the stash ready for DS2. I don't smell anything on them now, but I know two years ago when I packed them up they were pretty ammonia-y. I figure they need soaking. New house, top loader, soft water. I've got them in a machine-full of hot water. How long should I let them soak? An hour or two? Leave them overnight?

I also plan to sun bleach them tomorrow.

unaveragejane

I'm not sure soaking beyond more than a few hours would help a whole lot b/c the water will get cold, but I don't think it would hurt anything if you decide to leave them overnight, either. Do you have any washing soda or RLR that you could add to the water to help break down the hard water mineral deposits?

nursecramer

unaveragejane said:

I'm not sure soaking beyond more than a few hours would help a whole lot b/c the water will get cold, but I don't think it would hurt anything if you decide to leave them overnight, either. Do you have any washing soda or RLR that you could add to the water to help break down the hard water mineral deposits?

Yeah, I do have some Arm & Hammer washing soda, but I worried that making the water more alkaline would make it harder to get out the ammonia?

unaveragejane

Hmm...I'm not sure. It helped when we were having some ammonia problems due to hard water, but maybe soaking them in hot water alone first would be the best bet.

nursecramer

An update, of sorts. I let them soak overnight and sunned them for a day. I can't detect an ammonia smell anymore, but I guess the true test will be next month when they get some use. Thanks for the feedback!