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Stripping Real Nappies: Problems with Smells!
Added 19th of November 2008
Stripping Real Nappies: Problems with Smells!
Reasons why your Real Nappies might be whiffy!!!!
Nappies will get wee and poo on them, so a slight smell is normal, but it shouldn't be strong at nappy change. It is also normal for a nappy bucket that has been around for 2-3 days to have a slight "rabbit hutch" smell, especially if dry pailing, but again, it shouldn't be strong. If nappies get really whiffy, there is a reason why. See if any of these trouble shooting ideas might help you! If you can think of any others, please contact us and share your wisdom! I will continue to add to these as I learn more.
Firstly, think about when your nappies smell- when just out of the wash, or when they have been weed on.
Smelly when I have just washed them
This may well mean that there are still nasties in the fibres and they haven't been cleaned thoroughly. Maybe try the following:
A cold prewash can help smells being set into the fabric.
Doing as hot a wash as your nappies will allow. This should kill off any bacteria.
Add a little nappy sanitizer to your wash. This has anti-bacterial properties.
Add a little lavender oil to the softener drawer. This makes my nappies smell lovely!
Hang outside, maybe they need a good airing.
Use a little more detergent. Too much causes problems, but not enough won't clean them thoroughly.
Do a maintance wash. Sometimes the problem is your machine. After all it does work very hard!! Do an empty 90 degree wash with detergent. This should be done about every 6-12 months.
Smelly when weed on
When changing a wet nappy, as I have said, there may be a slight smell, but if there is a strong smell of ammonia that almost makes your eyes water, there's something wrong. This is often caused by detergent still in the fibres (detergent build up). A build up can happen if too much washing powder has been used, the nappies haven't been rinsed thoroughly or the washing machine has been overloaded. A full nappy load may be a little less than a full clothes wash say, as nappies are more absorbent. If you think that your nappies have a detergent build up, they may need stripping- making sure there is nothing left in the nappy fibres (sometimes traces of stale wee or poo can lurk too). Sometimes ammonia can cause a skin irritation that looks a little like a mild burn (see note in the using wool bullet point of the "smells with night time nappies" section). Try some or all of the following:
You could try soaking in something like Napisan (remember not to soak PUL fabrics).
Try doing a hotter wash, especially if you normally do nappy loads at 40 degrees. Look at the care instructions on your nappies. After this, wash on a cooler cycle, but with no detergent. Do repeated rinse cycles until the water has no bubbles. When doing this, I take everything out of the machine apart from the nappies- wraps, liners, wash bags, nappy mesh, washable wipes. The smaller the load, the easier it is for the machine to do it's job.
When your washing is on the final rinse, see if there are any bubbles. If there are, this is a sure sign that they haven't been rinsed thoroughly.
Some people recommend doing a wash with a small squirt of washing up liquid instead of detergent, as this strips any oils that may be in the fabric. Don't use too much! I have tried this and there were bubbles everywhere! You will need to do a normal wash after this. I wasn't convinced about this method, but maybe worth a try!
I find the easiest way to strip nappies is to soak ones washed on a hotter cycle in a bucket of at least 1/4 white vinegar to 3/4 water. Leave this over night, and then rinse in the machine. Using a little white vinegar in the softener draw at every wash helps build up happening. Don't soak PUL in this way.
Smells with night time nappies
Try using a wool wrap. You can't use wool over a nappy made from made-made fibres. I used to use PUL, and Sam's room was really smelly. I had to wash all of his clothes and bedding as they smelt too. Someone suggested wool and things were much much better, probably because they still allow air to get to the nappy. If, however, baby has a bad nappy rash or red skin that looks like a burn, it may because there is ammonia in the fibres, in which case, be careful about using wool. It is usually a good thing that wool allows the nappy underneath to breath and allows moisture to evaporate, but if this happens then the ammonia is left behind and can become more concentrated, making the rash/ redness worse. If this is you, use PUL until the problem clears up.
Smells can be worse during teething or if baby is a little dehydrated. Try giving extra drinks of water, especially just before bed, to dilute the wee.
I really hope that if your nappies smell, something here helps. I have had smelly nappies before, and it can be frustrating trying to get to the bottom of the problem - and embarrassing- (for me, Sam doesn't seem to mind!).
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