HOW Do You Nighttime CD???

[chely7425]

We use prefolds and covers during the day (with a few random pockets sometimes) and generally have no stink issues. Our night time diapers? Holy crap, a whole different beast!! We have FB pockets for night time since my kids both sleep 12+ hours thru the night and they REAK!! Not just hey this diaper has been on for 12 hours kind of smell but like... really horrible ammonia-y smell. Is it because of the synthetics? I need an easy to put on diaper for night time because DH puts our older son to bed and he is hopeless with prefolds. Is there a cotton stuffable fitted that could work? We are using sposies are night because it is too gross for me to deal with till we fix it...

[JessieBird]

I'd say that if you are otherwise happy with the FB at night (they don't leak, etc...) then you "just" need to get rid of the stink and keep on using them. I put just in quotes because getting rid of stink can require some serious science experimenting. People have different opinions on this, but I believe that stink issues can happen with both synthetic and natural fibers. You could spend money on new cotton diapers only to have the stink come back in a few weeks/months because of your water hardness or washing routine, or any number of other factors.

I'd definitely put some time into stripping your diapers and inserts and see if that gets rid of the smell. You will only know for sure when they get peed on again (often they smell fine when dry). There are dozens of different stripping methods and everyone swears by one or another - search this forum or google.

FWIW, I have typical PUL/fleece/microfibre pockets same as FB. I have battled amonia stink and won. For us, it is hard water that causes it. Once the stink is in, I can get rid of it by boiling my dipes for 5 minutes in water with lots of Calgon in it. If I use a small amount of Calgon in my diaper wash and wash in hot water and rinse really really well, then the stink never comes back.

Good luck! I feel your pain.

[fruitfulmomma]

You can stuff FBs with prefolds, you don't have to use the inserts that come with them. That may help.

The issue with the ammonia is because the core of the diaper is not getting clean and when they become soaked they will smell. I would wash them on the hottest setting possible and/or boil them and make sure you are using enough detergent with them.

[chely7425]

I have gotten rid of the stink before but it never lasts more then a week... We are using super do inserts right now but maybe I will try stuffing then with something else?? They are really hard to get clean so maybe a prefold and a hemp insert would be easier to wash?? Diapers make my head hurt sometimes

[akayerich]

I had major stink issues even just with my Motherease fitted diapers. Which I've learned do have a tiny bit of polyester in them- maybe that's why I had problems. Everytime I would strip them, they'd be fine for about a week and then the stink would come back. Until I stopped using store-bought detergent and started using my own mix of 1 part oxy-clean, 1 part washing soda, and 1 part borax. I've not had any problems since. But I have no idea if a homemade laundry soap would be ok for you FB or not.... Maybe someone else here would know....

Anyway, if you decide not to battle the stink, you could always do a cotton fitted diaper with a heavy-duty doubler. It's very DH friendly- lol. I use that with an Aristocrat wool cover and have no leaking issues and no stink.

[cristeen]

Happy Hempys is a Hemp pocket diaper, available with or without a fleece inner.

Personally I've taken to using 2 prefolds inside a Disana tie nappy with a Bummi's fleece liner for the stay-dry part. Each individual part cleans really easily, but together they hold my super soaker through 10 hours.

[Galatea]

I use bleach to kill bad stinkies. Wash all the diapers as normal, and then take out all the shells/covers and dry them however you dry them. Leave the inserts in the washer, fill the washer with hot water, and add 1 or 2 tablespoons chlorine bleach. Let soak for 15 minutes and then finish the wash cycle.

To prevent long-term ammonia, use 1/2 cup white vinegar in every cold prewash and rinse every morning diaper insert in fresh water before putting it in the pail.

If this doesn't fix it, I have had great success using hemp or cotton flats as pocket diaper inserts at night. Because they are only one layer, they get thoroughly clean. Use one for a normal wetter and two for a heavy wetter.

[DevaMajka]

I use flats "trifolded" into stay dry pouches (like the cottonbabies insert sock), and laid in a cover. Flats are easier to get totally clean because it's just one thin layer in the washer.

I have the insert all ready to go in the pouch, and it's easy for dp to get a cover, lay an insert in it, and put it on. As long as I keep everything in the same place so he knows what to reach for, he always gets it right.

[lifeguard]

We use doubled up prefolds at night & still get the ammonia stink - it's just a long time for the pee to be in the diaper. I use the same prefolds during the day (not doubled) & they never stink so I'm pretty confident they don't need to be stripped.

[chely7425]

Yeah my other diapers don't smell so I'm not sure I want to mess with my wash routine too much... Where do you guys keep your night time dipes that are dirtyy between washes? I only wash every other day and the one that sits in the pail for a day stinks up my whole upstairs...

[Katie T]

You could have build up, it is so easy to have happen with the mirco fiber. I would try stripping them and see if that helps. I have strong smelling am diapers but we use pf and even when my 1st was in sposies they stunk so I don't think it is the diapers in my situation. I might try 2 pf and see if you still get the stink problems.

Or you could try one of the FB during the day and see if you still have the stink issues.

[chely7425]

We have no problems with stink issues in any of our diapers during the day...

[Katie T]

I would think it is just really strong smelling urine at night then.

[Altair]

I only use pockets and don't have any stink with my wash routine-- 1 hot wash with regular amount of Tide (up to the 1 line) then 1 hot wash without. Once a month a splash of bleach.

That said, I spent hundreds of dollars for months in the beginning trying to find a leak proof cloth system at night, but every single night I had soaking wet PJs and soaking bed. (pockets, AIOs, prefolds, many types of wool, fleece, wool over pockets, etc) and I finally made peace with using 1 Huggies Overnight diaper every night... and oh wow, did my life get better! Haven't regretted my cloth diapering concession in the slightest. And it also gives me the chance to slather on the California Baby Diaper Balm that works so well on him.

[DevaMajka]

oh, yeah. I would totally have used sposies at night if they had worked. I get leaks with sposies, much more than my current combo. But it took a while to find a combo that worked! Actually, my current combo hasn't leaked for weeks.

[Bokonon]

I've been having to use hemp with my regular fitteds and covers overnight because DD has been leaking a lot. But it does stink!

Keep in mind that the longer a person goes without drinking, the more concentrated their pee, so a baby going 12+ hours without a drink is going to have SUPER stinky pee.

[Altair]

Regular disposibles didn't work for me at night-- but Huggies Overnights are amazing!