Cloth nappies always smell

[Chell]

I can put a clean cloth nappy on DD and very soon she stinks of wee.

Does this always happen with cloth as there aren't any chemicals hiding the smell or am I doing something wrong?

[shazgh]

What temp you washing at, maybe do a boil wash, or soak in nappisan, I always added a few drops t-tree oil to every wash:happy72:

[Chell]

40 degree mostly although today I put them on at 60 degree with nothing in the water as someone mentioned that detergent trapped in them can cause problems with absorbancy.

I normally use a capful of non bio liquid, a capful of vinegar and sometimes a few drops of tea tree oil. They smell ok when they come out the wash but they can be on her for a short time and stink. Could it jus be that she is a heavy wetter? To be honest it is really putting me off of using cloth.

[josfab]

Mine don't smell, and we've been using for 15 months. I dry pail them. Sometimes wash at 60, sometimes 40. Sometimes when they come out of washer they still have an odd not entirely pleasant smell, but it goes when they're dry.

[shazgh]

40 degree mostly although today I put them on at 60 degree with nothing in the water as someone mentioned that detergent trapped in them can cause problems with absorbancy.

I normally use a capful of non bio liquid, a capful of vinegar and sometimes a few drops of tea tree oil. They smell ok when they come out the wash but they can be on her for a short time and stink. Could it jus be that she is a heavy wetter? To be honest it is really putting me off of using cloth.

No it shouldnt matter how wet she is, I did have that on occassion mostly when I lowered the temp, I used to do every 2nd wash at 60degrees, I used ecoballs so there was no detergent and I always added about 10 drops t-tree oil, there was no smell unless I didn't wash them high enough temp, hope they are better with the wash today.
I never used vinegar could it be that?
the ecoballs kept them soft and I used to line or radiator dry and tumble for 15mis to fluff them up, I used babmoozles which are softer too.

[Chell]

I dry pail them too. Someone has suggested on another forum putting them on a cold rinse before washing them. I really don't know if it is the nappies or just DD weeing a lot. I am going to keep an eye on it and see if it is one particular type of nappy doing it, I know the Diddy Diapers smell but am not sur eif the other types do.

[friendlybaby]

Most cloth nappy users comment that they don't like the smell from a disposable nappy, and when I was pregnant with Friddy and therefore had an ultra-sensitive sense of smell I would wretch every time a disposable nappy with wee in it came anywhere near me, but cloth didn't affect me at all. So something is amiss here.

I was going to suggest try washing it without detergent as that is the usual culprit, but if you've already tried that then perhaps this is unlikely. Did you see the water in the washing machine as it was nearing the end of the cycle with no detergent? If it still looked like there were suds then it would be worth doing it again until there are no suds in the water.

I'll have another think and get back with more suggestions later.

[josfab]

I dry pail them too. Someone has suggested on another forum putting them on a cold rinse before washing them. I really don't know if it is the nappies or just DD weeing a lot. I am going to keep an eye on it and see if it is one particular type of nappy doing it, I know the Diddy Diapers smell but am not sur eif the other types do.

oops, sorry forgot to say that. Sometimes I do give them a prewash, which is about a 5 min wash in my washer, just depends on when I put them in and if I'm around to turn on again after the pre-wash.

[Chell]

Most cloth nappy users comment that they don't like the smell from a disposable nappy, and when I was pregnant with Friddy and therefore had an ultra-sensitive sense of smell I would wretch every time a disposable nappy with wee in it came anywhere near me, but cloth didn't affect me at all. So something is amiss here.

I was going to suggest try washing it without detergent as that is the usual culprit, but if you've already tried that then perhaps this is unlikely. Did you see the water in the washing machine as it was nearing the end of the cycle with no detergent? If it still looked like there were suds then it would be worth doing it again until there are no suds in the water.

I'll have another think and get back with more suggestions later.

I've just bought a new washing machine as my old one was naff, perhaps this will improve once all the nappies have been washed. They all get muddled up so I don't know which nappies have been washed since the machine arrived on Tuesday. Perhaps it was just my machine at fault.

I didn't see the nappies throughout the cycle today.

[friendlybaby]

Definitely worth another try then Chell. I tend to press every button going when I'm washing nappies on the rare occasion they've got a bit smelly (especially when I had two in nappies full time, but not so bad now that Edmund only wears one at night) - Pre-wash, extra water, sensitive (gives them a longer rinse). Try to have a look when it is nearing the end of the cycle to see if the water still looks soapy and then it will give you more of a clue if this is the problem. Pre-wash is good at helping to prevent stains and may help with removing old detergent. Let us know how you get on. I will have a think about other reasons for the smell though.

[antonia]

if mine get smelly vinehar normally sorts it out: it neutralises the ammonia I think...so maybe an extra large dose in the next load?

[Emsickle]

I've no idea I'm afraid, which isn't much help, but I definitely can agree with the horrible smell that I can smell from disposables now - I find them really smelly, but with the reusables, I've not been able to smell anything.

[Chell]

Update:



They haven't smelled since I posted so it could have been the old machine being useless. I've been rinsing them before I wash them, I'm not sure if it is a cold or not though. Then washing at 40 with a squirt of ecover and a splash of vinegar.



Hopefully this has done the trick as they seem 100% better.

[Seren]

Most cloth nappy users comment that they don't like the smell from a disposable nappy, and when I was pregnant with Friddy and therefore had an ultra-sensitive sense of smell I would wretch every time a disposable nappy with wee in it came anywhere near me, but cloth didn't affect me at all. So something is amiss here.

I was going to suggest try washing it without detergent as that is the usual culprit, but if you've already tried that then perhaps this is unlikely. Did you see the water in the washing machine as it was nearing the end of the cycle with no detergent? If it still looked like there were suds then it would be worth doing it again until there are no suds in the water.

I'll have another think and get back with more suggestions later.



I always found that they smelt more with detergent

A rinse and wash with eco balls and a napisan hot wash every now and then did the trick with mine

I also used white vinegar and tea tree too

[nichepburn]

Glad problem is solved...I use Bio-D Nappy Soak in with my detergent and it works a treat