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Is this ammonia? Something smells funky ...

RachelCA29RachelCA29 member
in Cloth Diapering
So I did my CD wash this morning, but we had a brunch to go to and my in-laws were baby sitting so I through everything (except covers) into the dryer instead of line drying them. When I got home everything but the fitteds were dry (not surprising) but I noticed they have a bit of a funky smell. It's almost like a bleach smell, but I don't use bleach on any laundry, especially diapers. It's only the fitted diapers, which are 8 layers of diaper flannel, we use them overnight mostly.

My wash routine is cold prewash (so it spins out and drains), hot wash with 1/2 scoop of Country Save (the tiny scoop they provide) and an extra rinse (cold). I have a top loader.

Any suggestions? I haven't noticed this smell before, and my little guy is just 7 weeks tomorrow. His overnight diapers are usually pretty soaked when we change him, but he never sleeps more than 4.5 hours, usually closer to 3 hours, so the longest he is in an overnight diaper is 4 hours. Should I be soaking them in hot water in the morning?
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Re: Is this ammonia? Something smells funky ...

  • TJ1979TJ1979 member
    Could the fitteds have mildewed if they weren't dry and sat there?
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  • RachelCA29RachelCA29 member
    TJ1979 said:
    Could the fitteds have mildewed if they weren't dry and sat there?
    Hmm, I put the dryer on before we left around 10 this morning and we got back around 2. But I normally line dry them, so I wonder if last time I line dried them they weren't 100% dry in the middle layers and got a bit funky over the last 2 days between washes.

    Should another wash help that? More detergent maybe?
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  • RachelCA29RachelCA29 member
    okay, so my husband went to get the fitted from the dryer and he smelled them and thought I was insane because he says they smell like "nothing". And now that they are totally dry (it took two dryer cycles) I don't really think they smell, I think I'm just being paranoid.

    Maybe it was just because they were still damp. I think I might do a warm prewash and an additional rinse the next CD laundry day, just to make sure there is definitely not anything building up.
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  • JEPES1348JEPES1348 member
    Chickypoo2468 said:

    Don't smell them. I think I have permanent lightheadedness from all the diaper sniffing I used to do. If it smells funny when he pees, then I worry. But not before.

    So this is me now. Her inserts and fitteds now "smell" after she pees. They smell like nothing once washed. The smell started a couple months ago when we switched to well water. We have a water softener, and I feel it's actually made our well water softer than the city water we used to be on. We also switched to Tide at the same time, though I alternate between Nellies (which we've always used) and original Tide. It's not an ammonia smell, more funky, though don't think I'd call it barnyard - maybe it is. I'm perplexed.
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  • JEPES1348JEPES1348 member
    I was thinking along these lines too, Maple. I'll try this very soon- it's hard fitting in a hot water strip when I get home after 6:30 every night.
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  • ktpaladinoktpaladino member
    JEPES1348 said:
    Don't smell them. I think I have permanent lightheadedness from all the diaper sniffing I used to do. If it smells funny when he pees, then I worry. But not before.
    So this is me now. Her inserts and fitteds now "smell" after she pees. They smell like nothing once washed. The smell started a couple months ago when we switched to well water. We have a water softener, and I feel it's actually made our well water softer than the city water we used to be on. We also switched to Tide at the same time, though I alternate between Nellies (which we've always used) and original Tide. It's not an ammonia smell, more funky, though don't think I'd call it barnyard - maybe it is. I'm perplexed.

    I've always been quite perplexed as to what exactly "barnyard" smell is too.

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  • RachelCA29RachelCA29 member
    Update: so it was definitely mildew, I guess line drying my fitteds does not get them all the way dry ...
    The first time Colin peed in a freshly washed one I could smell the musty grossness.
    I ran them through a hot wash with 1/4 cup of bleach and like 5 rinses. They smelled like NOTHING when they came out of the washer damp. And now I just have to dry them in dryer from now on ... Hopefully it won't take too long!
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  • JEPES1348JEPES1348 member
    Chickypoo2468 said:

    ktpaladino said:


    JEPES1348 said:

    Chickypoo2468 said:

    Don't smell them. I think I have permanent lightheadedness from all the diaper sniffing I used to do. If it smells funny when he pees, then I worry. But not before.

    So this is me now. Her inserts and fitteds now "smell" after she pees. They smell like nothing once washed. The smell started a couple months ago when we switched to well water. We have a water softener, and I feel it's actually made our well water softer than the city water we used to be on. We also switched to Tide at the same time, though I alternate between Nellies (which we've always used) and original Tide. It's not an ammonia smell, more funky, though don't think I'd call it barnyard - maybe it is. I'm perplexed.




    I've always been quite perplexed as to what exactly "barnyard" smell is too.
    For is, it's like farts. It smells nothing like our barn. At all.


    My problem is I can't tell if the smell is actually barnyard, or just toddler pee. I did a hot water strip last night so we'll see if that does anything. There are just too many variables that all changed at once: switching to well water, switching Tide, LO getting older and peeling less frequently.... I've since switched back to Nellies and am using less detergent per load. I wash one small load everyday, so I don't need much.

    I'm not too discouraged yet. The diapers smell clean out of the wash, but reek as soon as she pees in them.
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  • PipSqueak0313PipSqueak0313 member
    JEPES1348 said:
    JEPES1348 said:
    Don't smell them. I think I have permanent lightheadedness from all the diaper sniffing I used to do. If it smells funny when he pees, then I worry. But not before.
    So this is me now. Her inserts and fitteds now "smell" after she pees. They smell like nothing once washed. The smell started a couple months ago when we switched to well water. We have a water softener, and I feel it's actually made our well water softer than the city water we used to be on. We also switched to Tide at the same time, though I alternate between Nellies (which we've always used) and original Tide. It's not an ammonia smell, more funky, though don't think I'd call it barnyard - maybe it is. I'm perplexed.

    I've always been quite perplexed as to what exactly "barnyard" smell is too.
    For is, it's like farts. It smells nothing like our barn. At all.
    My problem is I can't tell if the smell is actually barnyard, or just toddler pee. I did a hot water strip last night so we'll see if that does anything. There are just too many variables that all changed at once: switching to well water, switching Tide, LO getting older and peeling less frequently.... I've since switched back to Nellies and am using less detergent per load. I wash one small load everyday, so I don't need much. I'm not too discouraged yet. The diapers smell clean out of the wash, but reek as soon as she pees in them.

    Sounds likr a good reason to buy a new diaper or two.....to experiment to see if the new diapers would reek as soon as LO pees; if they did you'd know it's just toddler pee.

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  • JEPES1348JEPES1348 member
    Pip, I like you.
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