When cloth diapers have an odor even after being washed, it could be caused by a number of things, such as detergent buildup, hard water, urine residue, improper washing, and left-over particles of poop.

The most common types of odor on cloth diapers are ammonia and barnyard smell. Ammonia smell is caused by, you guess it, ammonia or leftover pee on the diapers. By contrast, barnyard smell is caused by poop, and diapers that are not getting clean enough, and it is usually more obvious when diapers are warm.

To avoid these smells, it is important to have a good wash routine, use the right amount of detergent, avoid fabric softeners and dryer sheets, and ensure that the diapers are getting cleaned enough.

Ammonia Smell:

Ammonia smell on cloth diapers occurs when cloth diapers are not cleaning properly. This can be due to several factors such as detergent buildup, hard water, urine residue, and more generally improper washing.
To remedy ammonia odor on cloth diapers, you will need to perform a reset or “strip” your diaper laundry first. A cloth diaper reset should always be performed on “clean” diapers. You’ll want to ensure that the diapers have been laundered before resetting.

Our favorite product for resetting cloth diapers is GroVia Mighty Bubbles. Mighty Bubbles is a pod style system that you can use in your home washing machine. With Mighty Bubbles there’s no complicated measuring or soaking involved. You can purchase Mighty Bubbles at KinderDiapers.com.

To prevent future ammonia build up on your modern cloth diapers, it is important to determine the cause of the initial ammonia build up. Resetting your cloth diapers with a Mighty Bubbles Strip is a temporary solution. If you do not make changes to your wash routine, you will find yourself experiencing ammonia build up again soon. 

Causes of Ammonia Build Up on Cloth Diapers:

• Detergent Build Up: Detergent build up can coat the fibers of your diapers and prevent the new detergent from properly agitating and cleaning your diapers. Decrease the amount of detergent in each wash cycle. For many families 1-2 tablespoons is a great place to start. You may also consider adding a second rinse to your wash routine to prevent future build up.
• Hard Water: An excess of calcium or magnesium mineral deposits in your water supply can make it “hard” — these minerals can also make it harder for your detergent to do its job effectively. Consider adding a water softener to your laundry routine. Calgon is a popular laundry additive that can soften water so that your laundry detergent can clean more effectively.
• Urine Residue: It is also possible that the ammonia build up is coming from a wash routine that simply isn’t cleaning your diapers enough.

Some things that can help better remove urine residue:

Rinse all pee diapers after wear and allow them to air dry before adding to your dirty laundry storage. Add a pre-wash cycle to your wash routine. At Kinder, we recommend washing all dirty cloth diaper laundry twice. Once on a pre-wash and second as a main wash. The pre-wash cycle does a great job of removing excess urine so that the main wash can properly clean your soiled cloth diapers. 

Barnyard Smell:

Barnyard smell on cloth diapers is most often caused by left-over particles of poop in the diaper insert or cover, which means the diaper was not properly cleaned in the washing machine. This is a sign that the diapers are not getting clean enough and it’s time to revisit your cloth diaper washing routine.

Barnyard smell is usually most obvious when the diapers come out of the dryer, and it generally smells like a musty manure odor or just a little funky. Note that clean cloth diapers should not smell like anything—detergent or poop.

To get rid of the barnyard smell, it is recommended to up the detergent quantity in your routine slightly. It is also important to have a good wash routine, avoid fabric softeners and dryer sheets, and ensure that the diapers are getting cleaned enough to prevent barnyard smell. You might also consider drying your diapers in the sun as sunlight is a natural disinfectant and can help remove any remaining bacteria that may be causing the smell.

If you notice odor as you’re pulling your diapers from the dryer, it’s a good idea to try one more wash cycle. This is often enough to have your diapers smelling fresh again.

Recurring or constant barnyard odor is cause for concern and a reason to revisit your washing routine.

Common causes of Barnyard Build Up on Cloth Diapers:

• Detergent Build Up: Detergent build up can coat the fibers of your diapers and prevent the new detergent from properly agitating and cleaning your diapers. Decrease the amount of detergent in each wash cycle. For many families 1-2 tablespoons is a great place to start. You may also consider adding a second rinse to your wash routine to prevent future build up.
• Hard Water: An excess of calcium or magnesium mineral deposits in your water supply can make it “hard” — these minerals can also make it harder for your detergent to do its job effectively. Consider adding a water softener to your laundry routine. Calgon is a popular laundry additive that can soften water so that your laundry detergent can clean more effectively.
• Not cleaning enough: It is also possible that the barnyard smell is coming from a wash routine that simply isn’t cleaning your diapers enough.

Some things that can help better clean soiled diapers:

• Rinse all pee and poop diapers thoroughly after wear and allow them to air dry before adding to your dirty laundry storage.Add a pre-wash cycle to your wash routine. 
• At Kinder, we recommend washing all dirty cloth diaper laundry twice. Once on a pre-wash and second as a main wash. The pre-wash cycle does a great job of removing excess urine and soil so that the main wash can properly clean your soiled cloth diapers. 

Still need help?

Message our website chat or consider booking a 1 on 1 call with cloth diaper advocate, Anna of Nerdy Mommas Cloth Diapers. 

When booking a cloth diaper consult at Nerdy Mommas, use the code KINDER at checkout to save 15% on a 30 minute personalized wash routine help session. Normally valued at $30. Learn More »