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Potty training

Is your child ready for potty training at nursery? Here's the place for all your toilet training questions.

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Original poster

Reusable nappies, smells like Glastonbury festival :(

32 replies

catsofa · 29/08/2015 13:13

Day 2 of us trying out reusable nappies, dear god it smells like Glastonbury festival! Does my son just have exceptionally smelly wee, or am I doing something wrong? Also how do I know which of the million poppers I'm supposed to use to get the right fit?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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WiIdfire · 29/08/2015 13:16

Absolutely essential to have a bucket with a clip on lid and not to leave them more than 48 hours before washing. We dont have any smell problems then. However, i can never smell his wee anyway, only poo, so thats different.

WiIdfire · 29/08/2015 13:17

Poppers is trial and error! We started on the smallest and worked up as he grew until it looked right and didnt leak.

Original poster

catsofa · 29/08/2015 13:18

P.S. sorry can't find a closer topic to post in, hope this is near enough.

OP posts:

tomatodizzymum · 29/08/2015 13:19

tea tree oil in the bucket. It has two properties, one it's anticeptic and two, it smells great.

Kryten2X4B523P · 29/08/2015 13:27

YY to trial and error with fit.

Smell wise, first thing in a morning is the worst for us. Especially when baby decides to come and sit on your head to wake you. I find that my DS has stronger smelling wee when he's cutting teeth, so that could explain a worse than usual smell. Or he's been eating asparagus

I've never used tea tree oil in the bucket, do you just drop it neat into the bottom?

LibrariesGaveUsP0wer · 29/08/2015 13:29

Does the bucket smell, or the actual nappies when being worn? If the nappies,are they new or second hand?

Original poster

catsofa · 29/08/2015 20:43

Thanks for replies!

I just seem to be able to smell wee all the time. I've been surprised how much it smells even when I take off a fresh one, but I guess maybe I'm just not used to it. Makes me heave when changing the nappies and then I can't shake the sense that I can still smell it, maybe it's still on the baby? His skin is certainly a lot more damp all the time than with disposables.

I think the bucket I got is ok, it can be undone with one hand and is good and airtight, one of those that does up with clips. It absolutely reeks in there with the lid off for long enough to stick a nappy in it after the first one goes in there - I've not left them for longer than a day yet. I've rinsed the bucket and lid with a little bleach spray when I emptied it and I'll try the tea tree and see if that helps when I have to open it with used nappies in there.

The nappies are a mix of new and used ones, all of them washed before first use.

This afternoon I suddenly saw how to do up the poppers - one row stuck down in the front to make them a bit smaller, then do up the leg ones first, then the waist ones are obvious (and go tighter than I thought at first, so hopefully no more leaks now).

OP posts:

LibrariesGaveUsP0wer · 29/08/2015 21:25

Something doesn't sound right.

On the used nappies, did you just wash them or do anything else? Do they smell worse than the others?

What brand and type are the new ones?

I find reusable shouldn't smell on (though the bucket can!) and the chemical smell of disposable ones makes me heave.

MrsReiver · 29/08/2015 21:29

How are you washing them? Lots of nappy users will tell you to use a tiny amount of powder and pray the smells out, but that is BS. I used to follow that advice and had some seriously whiffy nappies. Once I started using a full dose of (bio, shh don't tell them) powder I stopped having any smells.

ScandiManny · 29/08/2015 21:36

I agree with MrsReiver

Right down to the evil bio powder.

LibrariesGaveUsP0wer · 29/08/2015 21:40

Cold rinse first. Bio powder. Extra rinses if needed (probably will).

If whiff, every once in a while Napisan and s hot wash.

Tea tree oil in every wash.

MrsReiver · 29/08/2015 21:49

If you're only on your second day, it sounds like whoever had your nappies first was washing them with a tiny bit of powder. Do the smell fine until the first wee? If so that would suggest urine build up due to underwashing.

Give them a really good suddsy wash and remember, bubbles are NOT the enemy.

(I have possibly outed myself to any nappy fb page users as that is my mantra )

LibrariesGaveUsP0wer · 29/08/2015 21:55

Bubbles are good surely? Unless they are still round the seal after the rinse and spin.

MrsReiver · 29/08/2015 21:59

I know, but there are regular pics posted in nappy groups of washing machines with bubbles captioned "omg look at the bubbles - what do I do? " As if the suds are going to dissolve the elastic.

The myth of detergent build up makes me so mad

Original poster

catsofa · 29/08/2015 22:01

The used nappies I just washed, no fabric conditioner we don't use it anyway. I don't think they were smelly before we started, they are from several different sources including some lent to me by a friend which definitely smelled ok when I got them!

I've only done one wash so far as this is only day 2, I heard our usual Ecover washing liquid isn't that good at washing nappies so I used some Tesco washing liquid that's sold specifically for baby stuff. 60 degrees.

The massive smell is from the freshly used ones and the ones which have been in the bucket for two hours or more though, so I don't think it's a washing problem just yet (although I'll check how well the smell has actually come out of the ones I washed today when they are fully dry).

I think it might actually be my son's wee that smells particularly bad, although I've nothing to compare it with really. I'm not sure mine would smell that bad though. He is teething, does that make a difference? He's not 4 months old yet, I'm surprised to find him so offensive when he has such a cute face !

Lots of nappy users will tell you to use a tiny amount of powder and pray the smells out

LOL ok I'll do a small test just to see if baby reacts at all to bio liquid and switch to that if he doesn't - sensitive skin is the only reason to avoid it isn't it?

Some people seem to use a "wet pail" what does that involve?

OP posts:

MrsReiver · 29/08/2015 22:03

Wet pail just gives you poo soup and can potentially degrade the elastic. Not good.

pookamoo · 29/08/2015 22:06

Wet pail is soaking the nappies when they are in the bucket, like granny used to. Personally I wouldn't go there - then you WILL have a heavy bucket full of stinky wee.

I second the advice given above, including the bio powder!

pookamoo · 29/08/2015 22:06

x post Mrs Reiver poo soup

LibrariesGaveUsP0wer · 29/08/2015 22:06

Wet pail = literally a bucket of any type of Napisan or disinfectant to keep nappies in until washing. Can't do with elastic or PUL and generally quite grim to empty.

um, any chance he could have a UTI? Nappy buckets can hum, but fresh off the baby wet nappies shouldn't.

AlfAlf · 29/08/2015 22:07

A muslin with a few drops of tea tree resting at the top of the bucket helps. Also, I used to put the bucket out the back door when it bothered me.

Original poster

catsofa · 30/08/2015 01:45

Nice clean bleached bucket is now ready for another day of nappies, with a bit of cloth with some tea tree and some lavender (for luck) essential oil on it sitting in the bottom.

OP posts:

Original poster

catsofa · 30/08/2015 01:45

Yeah can't use Napisan with the pocket nappies I have, so no wet pail then. I did buy some for maybe occasionally doing the inserts if they need it, since it sounded so lovely and disinfecty, but I think my problem is more the wee itself than the washing - the load I did earlier smells fine now it's dry, and the ones I just took out of the machine are obviously still wet but they smell fine too.

So I need to figure out if my son's wee smells worse than the average 4 month old, or if I'm just being over sensitive.

Do other people just use baby wipes for actually cleaning the baby at nappy changes? Like I said, he does seem more damp himself in cloth nappies than in disposables, and I've wondered if the persistent vague wee smell following me around is actually him.

Did a little bit of googling on UTIs and don't want to scare myself... but thanks I will bear in mind the possibility. I have a friend coming over tomorrow who has much more experience than me and who will have changed babies using cloth nappies many times before, so I'll ask if mine seems smellier than average or if I'm maybe just a bit sensitive to it.

Thank god for friends who you trust enough to know they would tell you honestly if you asked them if your house smelled of wee !

OP posts:

WiIdfire · 30/08/2015 06:00

I use cheeky wipes for cleaning him - washable wipes.

With regards to his skin being damp - recommend fleece liners, they really wick away the fluid and keep his bottom nice and dry. You can cut up a fleece blanket if you dont want to pay for proper ones.

VeryPunny · 30/08/2015 07:09

Just another vote here for lots of bio powder - I also chuck in some soda crystals. I am also not above washing with Napisan or 60c washes, even on my pocket nappies. They have survived 3 years and 2 babies...

My Bamboozles always smelled bad but that was most likely because they were night nappies so had 10-12hrs of wee. Talc gets bums nice and dry before putting nappies on but hardly anyone uses it these days

MrsReiver · 30/08/2015 07:15

Bamboozles seem to be prone to stinks - I was having a chat at toddle group with someone who has smelly bamboozles while none of her other night nappies smell. I wonder if it's something to do with how the bamboo is sort of "matted" and not fluffy like little lambs.

And yes to 60 deg washes - 2.5 years of hot washes and all my nappies are in fab nick!

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