Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Adventures in Cloth Diapering, part 5, the smell

I have been cloth diapering exclusively for about four days now (and have been almost exclusive for about a week and a half, not a long time, but remember, I was on vacation right after I started this adventure). This includes Jackson at night (I should really just work on PM potty training, but don't have it in me right now) and Ethan every time I change his diaper. Bart is still not on board, though I think tonight I will show him and encourage him on its ease of usage.

Even with the wetbag, I am still finding something unpleasant. Something deathly. Something haunting.

The smell.

Maybe I am waiting too long between washings, but I am doing the diaper load about every day and a half to two days. I am using special diaper laundry soap and only the recommended amount. They do not start out smelling bad, just when they are full of urine. When you enter Ethan's room, you want to vomit. Bart asked me what died in his room last night.

I need to figure out a better solution to this problem then just the wetbag. Do I need a better wetbag? A pail? What?

Bart told me I needed to think of something fast or the neighbors are going to call the cops about suspicious odors coming from the white trash house.

I don't want to stop CDing b/c of smell. Really. It has been pretty painless thus far and with the help and support of my MOM friends, I have actually started enjoying it. Soon I will be reviewing Bummis flushable inserts and let me tell you...the times I've "tested" them, they really do help with my #2 issue.

So, if any of you have any suggestions, please let me know. My family and neighbors thank you for it.

8 Words to brighten my day:

Dawne said...

Do you notice a stink after they diapers get wet(peed in), or is it only once they've been in the bag for a bit? regardless as to whether you use a bag or a pail (in my experience), there will be a smell if you don't wash everyday. It doesn't have to be bad, though! You can buy, or make your own pail powder! Just use baking soda mixed with an essential oil, like lavender or tea tree oil, and sprinkle it in the bag or pail every one or two diapers you put in.
If your diapers smell pretty stinky almost immediately after being wet, then you might need to strip them, but you want to check the washing instructions on anything that's an AIO or pocket diaper. I know with some of them, you can't wash them in really hot water. For the ones you can, use the least amount of water you can, so they really agitate in the wash. Add a kettle or pot of boiling water if you can, and a squirt of the original blue Dawn. wash them again on hot with no soap at all, and rinse, and that should help with the build-up stinkies if that's where the problem is.

Crissy said...

Well first of all...very cute picture! I heart our babies! Secondly..I second the pail/wet bag powder. You can get odor killer discs too that just go in the bottom. We don't have too big of an issue with smell. I do laundry at least every other day, and sometimes every day if we're having some teething diarrhea (like we have lately).

Dawne said...

I forgot to add, I have a sample baggy of diaper pail powder you can have :) It's chammomile scented, so very light, not heavy.

Beth said...

oh, I have no idea but I hope you figure it out soon!
love the pic by the way too :)

Diana said...

I had used the wet-diaper pail method. I had added vinegared to the soak. It's been a while and I don't remember if there was any thing else..
Fill your pail half to three-quarters full with cold water
Add baking soda, vinegar, or essential oil if desired
Shake, dunk and swish, or use the mini shower as needed
Separate and unroll diapers before placing in the pail
On laundry day dump the entire pail, water and all, into the washer
Run a spin cycle to remove the excess water
Launder as usual...

this site looked about right.
http://www.zany-zebra.com/cloth-diaper-pail.shtml

Unknown said...

Here's my two cents: read the FAQs on the cloth diaper websites. After reading those, I decided CDing wasn't my bag (no pun intended) because while saving a landfill, I'd be wasting a massive amount of water cleaning those suckers. So my one full day of serious consideration ended with that thought. Good luck!

Stacy Hutchinson said...

That was NOT my husband:)

Megan R. said...

What kind of wetbag are you using? I have a planetwise bag. I had it hanging on the PNP during the jewelry show, and the only one who noticed any smell was my Mom, who was sitting RIGHT next to it.

I agree with Dawne that the stench does get pretty stinky if you aren't washing every day. You can try putting a wash cloth that has some tea tree oil on it inside the bag. Maybe keep the bag in a bigger area/bigger room?

Oh and for the person who said they'd waste water cleaning diapers.... the water used to clean a load of diapers a day is the same amount as the amount of water an average adult uses flushing the toilet every day. AND.... it's MUCH less water than is wasted by creating a batch of disposables.