How to get the *stink* out of cloth diapers?

[horsepoor21]

Recently my washer and dryer both decided to die within a few days time . I had a bucket full of dirty cloth diapers that , to make a long story short , ended up sitting for days (yuck!:1pig: ) along with the covers .

I've tried using Borax ..... Bleaching ....everything . Nothing will get the nasty smell out of them . The diapers aren't so bad ,but the covers really stink ! Especially when they get wet , then they're super stinky .

I sure don't want to spend money on new ones so if anyone has any ideas , please share ! Thankyou so much in advance !

[Topaz Farm]

When I had my first one, some 40 years ago, I didn't have a washer or dryer.

I boiled my diapers. Rinsed and boiled again, rinsed again. You might try that.

[luv2farm]

leave them on the clothes line for 3-4 days when the sun is the hottest! Works everytime!

[MaineFarmMom]

Soaking them in baking soda and vinegar might help.

[rangercat]

I have used a couple of drops of tea tree oil in soaking water for my dd diapers and my gladrags before washing. Works every time!

[ErinP]

Basic science lesson here:
The stink of urine is caused by ammonia. A base.
Bleach is a base also, which is why it won't do much to neutralize the smell. (Bleach will also wear your dipes out faster!)

Vinegar, on the other hand, is an acid. Use about half a cup to a full cup in your wash, depending upon how full you washer is, and line dry in the sunshine.
They'll be fresh as new.

I cloth diapered both of my kids and never soaked.

[Oggie]

My grandfather used to say I was full of something and vinegar.

Something and vinegar?

I wish I could remember what it was.

[missourimelodie]

The vinegar should work. I just soaked mine in Tide and that always did the trick. I know....some people think it's evil. Baking soda works great too and it's cheap.

[horsepoor21]

Thankyou so much for the tips ! I'll try it tonight and let you know how it goes

[Spinner]

A great way to get them back to bright white is to lay them out on the grass at night, let the dew fall on them. Early next morning, as soon as the sun has dried them from the dew, pick them up. The grass will bleach them bright white.

[MaineFarmMom]

The dew on grass does wonders for the build up on oven racks too.

[unregistered29228]

Originally Posted by Oggie

My grandfather used to say I was full of something and vinegar.

Something and vinegar?

I wish I could remember what it was.

Oh Oggie! I had a terrible day with my teenage daughter and really needed a good laugh tonight. And here it was, waiting for me in a diaper thread. Thanks!


Back to diapers:
I always boiled the really stinky ones, washed in strong detergent and bleached and dried in the sunshine. But the vinegar makes sense, as does the baking soda. Good luck! They'll only be doing that nasty smelly stuff for a couple of years.

[SageLady]

Originally Posted by Oggie

My grandfather used to say I was full of something and vinegar.

Something and vinegar?

I wish I could remember what it was.

Was it vim and vinegar? That's what the old folks used to say to me when I was a kid.

Speaking of vinegar, I always put a 1/2 cup of vinegar in with Dreft detergent when I washed diapers. Always left them smelling fresh and clean.

[Sabrina67]

There is a product for getting the smell of pet urine out of things, maybe it would work. Also my db was handicapped and my mom used to get something at the pharmacy for getting the urine smell out. I will ask , I can't remember the name of it.Worked for teh really bad smells.
I would try just one diaper and see how it works , I remember using vinegar too, years ago ,lol

[michiganfarmer]

sun light breaks down odors very well

[reese]

Originally Posted by horsepoor21

Recently my washer and dryer both decided to die within a few days time . I had a bucket full of dirty cloth diapers that , to make a long story short , ended up sitting for days (yuck!:1pig: ) along with the covers .

I've tried using Borax ..... Bleaching ....everything . Nothing will get the nasty smell out of them . The diapers aren't so bad ,but the covers really stink ! Especially when they get wet , then they're super stinky .

I sure don't want to spend money on new ones so if anyone has any ideas , please share ! Thankyou so much in advance !

Toss out the PUL and other synthetic covers and get wool

OK, if that's not an option, here are some other options. Strip wash using original dawn hand dish soap, a little goes a long way, hang dry in the sun, or wash with the no-scent sportsman (hunters) laundry soap, oh and toss the the synthetics and go with wool. Oh, and generally using vinegar on synthetics makes it worse, but you can use it on your non-synthetic diapers.

ITA with the hanging in the sun, sunshine does more good than anything else with the care of your diapers and covers.