Smelly Soap Nuts Diapers

[christibale]

I made all my own diapers for my 2 month old son.

I started using the size small diapers around 5 weeks ago. Now, when he pees in them they immediately get a gross dirty diaper smell to them. They do not smell at all before they get peed in, so it seems to be an issue of the pee mixing with the diaper.

I switched to using soap nuts for our laundry just before he was born, and I have been loving how clean it gets the laundry. None of my other clothes really have a smell to them other than just clean laundry.

My sister is having the same problem with her diapers that she made. She is having to boil them every couple of weeks to eliminate the gross smell.

Has anyone had experience with this being a problem, using soap nuts and getting a smell to the diapers?

Any idea on how to fix it? It would be ridiculous to be using detergent ONLY on my cloth diapers.

[Lineymom]

No answer for you. I am about ready to order some soap nuts to start prepping my pfs, so I really hope you get some good replies.

I assume you are saying you sister uses soap nuts, too????

[christibale]

Yep. My sister uses soap nuts also. Grrr. How frustrating.

[Juliacat]

Originally Posted by christibale

It would be ridiculous to be using detergent ONLY on my cloth diapers.

But if it works, is that any more ridiculous than not using it and putting up with stink?

[curiouscanadian]

What's your wash routine? I've never had this problem myself, but I wondered if they're being rinsed well enough. Maybe there is still "soap nut soap" on the diaper?

[Lineymom]

Sorry, I have to bump this. I am about to order some soap nuts...

[GreenGranolaMama]

I was having the same issue with my soap nuts and diapers...now I do a cold soak overnight with baking soda (right in the washer) - and then I boil a pot of water with the soap nuts in it (in their little sachet) and do a hot wash (I also add a tiny bit of Calgone water softener, we have super hard water) and then another cold rinse. I find boiling the soap nuts first helps out quite a bit. Hope this helps

[treetop]

I am new at CD and I am in the middle of reading The Green Mountain Diapers How-To Booklet from Green Mt. Diapers. Anyways, it says this-
"If your diapers stink right away when just peed on, or stink when you open the dryer, your diaper are not clean enough and you need to increase you washing routine somehow."
So maybe you need more detergent, extra rinse cycle, water is not hot enough, or an additive-free oxygen cleaner like OxiClean Baby. Just some ideas. Let me know how it works out because I have been thinking about buying soap nuts! Good luck!

[aris99]

Hi,

I've been cd'ing for 8 yrs and I've been using soapnuts for awhile.

You cannot use too much soapnut "detergent" and a rinse to remove soap residue is not necessary at all. I make a liquid detergent by boiling soapnuts on the stove in a stockpot of water. This seems to be quite a bit more effective than throwing the soapnuts themselves into the washer.

I do use bac-out in a pre-rinse and I use baking soda or just straight salt (salt is a great disinfectant) in the wash w/the soapnuts. Occasionally my dd's nighttime hemp will get smelly. RLR laundry treatment (I believe this is simply washing soda (not the same as baking soda!) works well for these instances.

I've also found a difference in soapnut brands....yes I have become a "nut" expert I would pick Naturoli over Maggies anyday! Naturoli liquid is thicker and soapier and just seems better overall.

Hope you can find a solution that works w/the soapnuts!

[rockportmama]

Yeah, I was having the same problem. Then one day I forgot the diapers in a cold soak in the wash machine with a cup of Borax for about 12 hours. Oops! & Voila! bright white, no stink. Fabulous!