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ugh Ammonia - need words of wisdom.

usernewnameusernewname member
in Cloth Diapering
Goddesses of cding I come to you with a problem.

So I changed ds last night after a long stretch and his diaper reeked! So I changed him into a sposie nursed and back to sleep thinking that will tell me if its him or the diaper. The smell did not return so I knew diaper. I Googled bad smelling urine at 4 am for an hour. Then I realized I was being silly and it was probably the diaper and I'd figure it out in the day.

I put him back in cloth. Smell returns. Ammonia. Smells like burnt rubber to me but dh said ammonia right away.

Wash routine is cold quick wash. Hot super wash and cold rinse. Full scoop of sunlight. This is our first problem since figuring out we needed to wash in hot.

However. Don't stone me. We've been lazy and wash like every 5 days. I have lots of flats so it's easy for us to make 5 days no problem. And it's a huge load.

I have a feeling I'm waiting too long to wash. And the load is too big to wash properly.

What do I do to fix the current smell and to ensure it doesn't return? I'm guessing wash more often yes?

Thank you :)
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Re: ugh Ammonia - need words of wisdom.

  • usernewnameusernewname member
    I think we are asking for trouble. We go through about 2 to 3 at night so I'll put a bucket down on the floor to toss into to rinse.

    After rinsing do you just throw it in the wet bag until laundry day?
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  • countrycottoncountrycotton member
    Hot water and/or RLR strip to get rid of your existing ammonia issue. You need to wash more often three days is about the max you want to go between loads, every other day would be better to prevent the ammonia from coming back. I've never heard of your detergent so I'm don't know if it is cd safe, so you may want yo check on that. Add an extra rinse cycle to make sure all the detergent Is rinsed from your diapers. Detergent build up can make ammonia build up more rapidly. Lastly soak your ON diapers in the sink in hot water for a while each morning. I rinse them out, fill the sink and let them soak for a while, ring out, then soak again, before adding to your diaper pail.
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  • mrshudson618mrshudson618 member
    countrycotton said:
    Hot water and/or RLR strip to get rid of your existing ammonia issue. You need to wash more often three days is about the max you want to go between loads, every other day would be better to prevent the ammonia from coming back. I've never heard of your detergent so I'm don't know if it is cd safe, so you may want yo check on that. Add an extra rinse cycle to make sure all the detergent Is rinsed from your diapers. Detergent build up can make ammonia build up more rapidly. Lastly soak your ON diapers in the sink in hot water for a while each morning. I rinse them out, fill the sink and let them soak for a while, ring out, then soak again, before adding to your diaper pail.
    This exactly. 

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  • usernewnameusernewname member
    Do I buy rlr from the grocery store? I'm in Canada if that makes a difference.
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  • MandmeeshMandmeesh member
    How old is your baby? I would suggest finding an ON solution that doesn't require numerous changes. And wash more often. If baby is older a bucket is a drowning hazard
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  • usernewnameusernewname member
    DS is only almost 11 weeks. I BF so I just change him when he wakes up at night. I don't wake him to change. I don't mind changing him in the middle of the night. He's not a super wetter at night so far.

    I was thinking of adding some bamboo flats to my stash for ON ... would that be a good option?
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  • countrycottoncountrycotton member
    I order rlr from amazon. You can get a five pack for about ten bucks. I don't know about Canadian amazon. The stuff is amazing, I washed our clothes in it just to see what would happen everything looked so much better.
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  • usernewnameusernewname member
    I'll check out the grocery store tomorrow in hopes its there, otherwise I'll order online. 

    This is it right?

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  • countrycottoncountrycotton member
    Yep.
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  • MandmeeshMandmeesh member
    florassecret said:

    DS is only almost 11 weeks. I BF so I just change him when he wakes up at night. I don't wake him to change. I don't mind changing him in the middle of the night. He's not a super wetter at night so far.


    I was thinking of adding some bamboo flats to my stash for ON ... would that be a good option?
    Oh yeah. 11 weeks is way early for not changing ON. Lol. Sorry I couldn't see how old. I would just wash more often, much smaller loads to get a better wash
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  • usernewnameusernewname member
    Perfect! I'll check out the grocery store tomorrow.

    How do you keep your LO in cloth while getting ammonia out ... all my dipes have it I'm sure now. He's in a sposie at the moment. Not ideal, but I was concerned about ammonia burn.
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  • countrycottoncountrycotton member
    Use sposie for a day. It shouldn't take more than an hour or two.
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  • usernewnameusernewname member
    Mapleme said:

    I just also want to add that if after getting the ammonia out and washing more often, you're still getting ammonia smell, switching to a warm prewash can help as well. Warm is better than cold at getting the pee out.

    I'll do that too. Not that I really mind but would warm set stain in? I only really care about my covers and pail liners for resale down the road not my flats.
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  • usernewnameusernewname member
    I can see that @Mapleme‌. They dry super fast. But they are just old sheets so I'm hot hugely attached to them.

    I am looking at some bamboo flats for ON. Thoughts?
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  • PipSqueak0313PipSqueak0313 member
    Yep, the speed that they dry is one reason I'd hang them up dripping wet when I was handwashing instead of wringing them out....bought me a few more minutes of sunning.....and sometimes I just left them on the line after they were dry to sun anyway.

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