How to Get Rid of Ammonia in Cloth Diapers

Chances are, if you use cloth diapers, they will eventually build up a strong ammonia odor. Not only is this odor unpleasant, but the buildup of ammonia and other chemicals are likely to cause a diaper rash if left unchecked. These five tips and products can help to rid your diapers of buildup and keep them stink-free and rash-free.

Enzymatic Cleaners

Natural cleaning products containing enzymes, such as Out! and Febreze, literally digest ammonia and other malodorous chemicals. They also may be capable of eliminating pathogenic bacteria and yeast (which often cause or contribute to rashes). For the greatest effect, spray the diapers with the enzyme cleaner before washing, and add a quarter-cup of the cleaner to the final rinse. Avoid enzyme cleaners with added fragrance, as these may cause rashes and allergic reactions..

Vinegar

Distilled white vinegar is potently acidic and, similarly to enzymatic cleaners, can work by digesting odor-causing bacteria and ammonia. It can also prevent the buildup of candida yeast, which is one of the most common stinky-diaper culprits. Many cloth diaper services routinely add vinegar to final washes to eliminate odors and prevent the buildup of yeast and other pathogens. A half-cup to full-cup of vinegar can be added to the final rinse cycle of the washing machine.

Baking Soda

Baking soda has an equal-but-opposite effect on dirty diapers. Instead of using acid to "eat" the ammonia and odors, it is very alkaline, and can help to eliminate ammonia when traditional laundry detergents just aren't doing the job. For best results, baking soda mixed with boiling water can be poured over dirty diapers before washing them, or a full load of diapers can be left to soak in baking soda and warm water. While all other methods discussed in this article can be mixed and matched, do not combine the vinegar and baking soda--it will be ineffective and will result in a foamy mess.

Boiling Water

Pouring scalding-hot, rapidly boiling water over a load of diapers before running them through the wash will often completely eliminate ammonia buildup (but have your windows open, because all that ammonia turns to vapor!) The easiest and safest way to accomplish this is by loading your washing machine with diapers and heating a kettle full of water. When it whistles, pour the water evenly over the diapers and repeat as needed.

Detergent-Free Wash

Although it may be wasteful of energy, a single load of diapers can be run through the wash repeatedly with no detergent.This is best done using double-rinse, heavy-duty wash cycles and very hot water. After four to five loads, even the stinkiest of diapers will ultimately be rid of their ammonia and detergent buildup, but this is an expensive, ecologically unfriendly option and should probably only be used if other methods have failed.