I'm losing the war against stink! HE washer woes.

[Vegan Princess]

Please help! I have a maytag neptune HE washer and I've posted before about having the stinkies. I've tried everything...vinegar in the rinse, tried tide free and clear, adding water to the rinse cycle, prewash, extra rinse. I tried to strip them a couple days ago using dawn. I washed half my dipes at a time and did a wash with the dawn then 2 more wash cycles (with 3 or 4 rinses each). And they still smell when DD pees! I'm going insane here. It seems nothing I do can conquor this odor now that it's here.

Has anyone with an HE washer figured this out? Is there a better way to strip the dipes? I use mostly bum genius aio organic and cotton prefolds with a few fuzzi bunz and sposoeasies thrown in. They all smell.

Cindy

[mustangtbn]

Boil them, at least the prefolds. I, too, have tried it ALL and my HE washer just doesn't cut it (maybe it would if it had a sanitary cycle, but it doesn't). Boiling periodically is the only thing that works for me.

[EdnaMarie]

Two things you haven't tried- they aren't magic bullets, but worth a try and cheaper than buying new diapers, anyway: boil them for a strip, and use oxy-clean with subsequent washes.

We have medium-hard water and a HE machine that does not have a sanitary cycle, and my routine is wash w/oxy clean in hot, rinse warm, rinse warm, and then every week or so rinse warm with vinegar as well. But I did that from the beginning.

[mommaof5]

I use mostly fuzzi bunz but all my diapers have inserts. Once a month I bleach the inserts and once a month I scrub by hand dawn onto each diaper then turn my water heater way up and wash my diapers. My HE has a manual setting so I use the setting with the most water for the diapers. I use oxyclean and free and clear with all the other washes. Once and a while I will get a diaper that still stinks but most of the time they smell great. I have stopped using vinegar I felt like it set the smell. I always do a full cold wash with no soap and then I do a hot wash with the soap. Good luck!

[hipmummy]

Originally Posted by mommaof5

I use mostly fuzzi bunz but all my diapers have inserts. Once a month I bleach the inserts and once a month I scrub by hand dawn onto each diaper then turn my water heater way up and wash my diapers. My HE has a manual setting so I use the setting with the most water for the diapers. I use oxyclean and free and clear with all the other washes. Once and a while I will get a diaper that still stinks but most of the time they smell great. I have stopped using vinegar I felt like it set the smell. I always do a full cold wash with no soap and then I do a hot wash with the soap. Good luck!

:

I just had to de stink after some serious back up. I am now realizing that someofthe micro fiber inserts are not meant to last longer than 2/ 2.5 years. They are becoming rags. I got most of the stink out, but like a friend said the reason they work so well is also the reason why they stink.
Also onethink you could try is washing out your washer once a month and doing a sportwash wash once a month or once every other month.

[kailotus]

Don't boil PUL diapers. Inserts and prefolds can be boiled. If you boil waterproof covers/fabrics they will get ruined!
Sounds bad, but the thing that really works to kill the stinkies is a few tablespoons of bleach.

[maisiedotes]

I don't know if you have tried washing without adding vinegar, but we had hard water and I read that adding vinegar to hard water can cause the stinkies (I think it depends on what exactly the minerals are that make the water hard). We stopped with the vinegar and have had no stinkies since then.

[ssj77]

If you use just a little bit of bleach on the microfiber inserts, that should kill the stink. What are you using for detergent? The ALL free and clear will definately cause some stink issues, so you may want to switch to a different detergent that is a little more "cd friendly." I also have an HE washer that does not have a sanitary cycle. I don't use baking soda or vinegar. I do a short cold wash with detergent, a hot wash with detergent and an extra rinse. When I do the extra rinse I had a full tea kettle full of super hot water to the rinse. I was having problems initially, but once I started adding the really hot water, that solved my stink problems. I use Country Save detergent and LOVE it!!

hth,
Sultana

[inky leeuhhh]

Originally Posted by ssj77

If you use just a little bit of bleach on the microfiber inserts, that should kill the stink. What are you using for detergent? The ALL free and clear will definately cause some stink issues, so you may want to switch to a different detergent that is a little more "cd friendly." I also have an HE washer that does not have a sanitary cycle. I don't use baking soda or vinegar. I do a short cold wash with detergent, a hot wash with detergent and an extra rinse. When I do the extra rinse I had a full tea kettle full of super hot water to the rinse. I was having problems initially, but once I started adding the really hot water, that solved my stink problems. I use Country Save detergent and LOVE it!!

hth,
Sultana

the regular ol country save is ok for he washers??

[Nicole730]

I finally tried bleach and it totally worked. I only added a tiny bit. I don't do it every cycle, but probably once or twice a month now. I bleached everything - I mostly have flannel pockets, but I also bleached my bum genius - no problem so far.

[ctdoula]

I washed cloth diapers for about 5.5 years straight in my maytag neptune and i promise you the ONLY way you'll not have stink is BLEACH. Every time you wash them. Period.

You can try all the other things, including standing on your head and doing a dance, but it's not going to work. Anything other than bleach & you'll have stink.

[ssj77]

Originally Posted by inky leeuhhh

the regular ol country save is ok for he washers??

Yup I use the powder and it is totally HE safe.

Sultana

[Vegan Princess]

Thanks guys! So it sounds like bleach it is. It's ok to use on colored bum genius? And how much for a wash? A tablespoon? Do I put it in the wash cycle or can I throw it in the prewash? I've never really used bleach...it sort of freaks me out. Should I skip using any other detergent if I'm using bleach?

Cindy

[Katie063008]

I tried just about everything with pockets/stink HE washers too. I add water, make sure it's a hot wash, extra rinces, CD friendly detergent, you name it. I find that boiling does work, but it takes a long time and we have to boil once a month to keep the diapers stink free. I broke down and added about 1/8 cup bleach to the wash....stink free. I'm not sure for how long though. But wow, the stink was something horrible for a while there.

I have heard that bleaching makes the diapers wear out faster though.

[Vegan Princess]

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah! The bleach did the trick! I used 1/6 of a cup and the stink is *finally* gone! Thanks mommas!! Hopefully I'll be able to go a few washed between using the bleach but we'll see. I made it a month before we got the stinkies when they were new. Just so glad to have a solution.

Does anyone know if this wears out the dipes? Bum genius does say to use 1/2 cup of bleach when stripping them - but that is only occasionally.

Cindy

[~savah~]

Yay for the bleach!!! I'm glad it worked for you. If you are worried about using it every time I suggest trying Bio-Kleen oxygen bleach plus. I use it with every wash and it seems to do a great job keeping the stinkies away. I think it is because it has grapefruit seed extract in it, but I'm not sure. HTH, Alicia

[poppan]

Vegan Princess! I looked up your thread because I recalled that you were battling with the Neptune, and I'm having to use one (a "commercial/industrial" version, no less) at the laundromat on vacation. OMG this washer sucks! I guess I'll have to go out and buy some bleach or just live with dirty dipes until we get home. Anyway just wanted to let you know that it's not you, it's the washer.

[Vegan Princess]

Yeah I hate this washer. But we're stuck with it until we ever move. Glad you at least learned the bleach trick from this thread and be thankful you're only having to use it while on vacation!

Cindy

[poppan]

Oh yes. Can't wait to go back to my own washer!

[StrongFeather]

I just posted the other day
it's here if you want to see it: http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1107177
about my own woes with my "new" washer that came with the house we just bought. I had read this thread when it first came up and was taking mental note should I ever find myself in the same shoes. Wouldn't you know it, I now have the very same washer! darnit! Happily, when I mentioned the smell (musty, mildew) to DH the other day he agreed it's bad and said we should try and get another washer.

I whole heartedly agree with him, since I have already invested $$ in my cloth diaper stash, and have everyone telling me how I will fail at it, I will not let a washer stand in my way. Haha!