Help please - getting urine smell out of cloth

[number572]

Hi, I need help with learning what's best to get the urine smell out of cloth. I don't want this in pets b'c its about getting urine out of cloth so I thought this would be the best place to find answers. But, of course if mods need it elsewhere, I understand.

I have an incontinent older dog which means everday cleanups. I use shop rags & wash in the machine. I've been using regular detergent & use extra detergent for the first run-thru, then wash them again with a smaller amt of detergent. I used 7th gen, Arm&Hammer so far but the faint smell of urine still remains.

Help please? Should I vinegar rinse, or something else? I would prefer to only have to wash them once... and she is going on meds for it soon but for now... ?? ( p.s - I have her in dog pants at night but she hates them, understandably. So, during the day if I'me here we go for frequent walks, etc but she still leaks... just need to know about the washing. The rest I'm dealing with already (with the vet) so that's not really my question.)

tia!

[number572]

bumping b'c i'm laundering now... thx!

[Michigan Mama]

Hmmmmm. My normal routine is cold rinse (mostly for the poopies), hot wash with detergent (I use Charlie's) then one extra hot rinse, and that usually does the trick for us.

One thing that's fairly standard practice with cd'ing is that we (generally) use less detergent because when it doesn't rinse out well, it can cause stink issues.

Some detergents (with color, fragrance, enzymes, etc) can also leave residues behind that then mix with the urine and cause stink issues, or coat the diapers and interfere with absorption.

I also think that using hot water as opposed to cold makes a big difference.

So, I guess my two initial thoughts for you are to use less detergent and wash on hot.

I don't use vinegar really, but a lot of moms here do, so hopefully someone can offer a suggestion for that.

[Mrs.Oz]

If the rags are a synthetic material, that's probably your biggest culprit as it can hang onto odors much more than natural fibers. Try a cold soak with a good squirt of Bac Out followed by a hot wash with your detergent. If you have hard water, try adding a softener to the wash cycle.

[number572]

Thanks, I'll try these tips... would tea tree suffice as a bacteria eliminator? If so, how many drops should I use per load & when do I add it??


Off to google Bac-Out...