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How do you get rid of that ammonia smell on the MF inserts?

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diapering
3K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  Lazurii 
#1 ·
I keep getting complaints from DS's grandpa that these diapers smell when he wears them... even though he was just changed and didn't pee in them or poop in them yet. I got tired of his complaints so I decided to get him some pull-ups which was the worst decision ever. He got a rash... so back to the cloth diapers it is. Now, I am trying to figure out...how do I get rid of the ammonia smell?

PS these are the Charlie Banana diapers with the microfiber inserts. It works wonderfully but it is the smell that makes my whole family gag (except me...I guess I must be immune to it lol) I have washed it with the included charlie banana cloth diaper soap and rinsed them twice but nothing gets rid of the smell. I have looked through some forums where it says to use bleach...but I am afraid to do that for fear of ruining the diapers and DS's sensitive butt.
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#3 ·
I don't know what it is about mf.
I use both a mf towel and a cotton towel for a bed pad. They get the same type of washing, but mf gets such a stink while the cotton doesn't.

Bleach solved my issues with the mf. Never need to bleach the cotton towels.

Since they are inserts, can you boil them?
 
#4 ·
I haven't tried boiling them yet. I will try both of these suggestions and see what happens... something should do the trick! lol.
 
#6 ·
Flats folded pad style make great inserts and they get CLEAN!! They are cheap!! EAsy and great for just about anything. I even love them as hand towels in my bathroom. Micro fiber hold onto funk. Who has the time for boiling, 5 rinse cycles etc. ugh!! It's not worth the effort when flats exist. Natural fibers are always better. I discovered this when I switched to mama cloth. I have an assortment of cotton flannel pads cotton fleece pads and three fuzzibuns brand. Those are super soft but got funky really fast. It's Gross. I soaked, pre washed, scrubbed, etc to avoid that strange funk that only happened with the micro fibers. Eeeeewwwww. Never happens with the cloth. Never the less I rarely ever reach for them. Natural Fibers. The end.
 
#7 ·
DS is a heavy wetter. They don't leak? That's the only reason why I didn't get flats but I might give it a try. The inserts did get rid of the funk but it is a long process...and it would be great to shorten the amount of time instead of wasting it on babysitting the inserts. lol.
 
#8 ·
The ammonia smell is build up.
Do a soak baking soda. Quick wash.
Soak in hydrogen peroxide. Quick wash.
Soap (I have never used dawn) but not too much...more than normal amount of vinegar wash super hot water. Extra rinse.
Dry on high heat.

Do you have hard water? If so, consider Calgon to avoid continued built up.
 
#10 ·
Ammonia means there is still bacteria in your diapers. They are not getting clean enough or sanitized while washing. Bleach would take care of the current problem, but it will just come back unless you find a wash routine that works better for you. I would start with more or a better detergent once you get rid of the current issue.
 
#11 ·
I've never have used MF for diapers, but we use them for cleaning and dishwashing. They often get a spoiled milk smell. I use 4x the normal amount of detergent +1/2 c borax with a hot wash, two rinses. It gets rid of the smell completely.
 
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