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I can't seem to get the urine smell out of my Dad's clothing, or the sheets without washing them several times, which really affects our heating bill.


I am not oppossed to doing whatever I need to do by way of pretreating, etc. Not necessarily open to having Vinegar smell in my washing machine, and having that smell on my own clothing, towels, and bedding. But, then again anything is better than that awful urine smell.


I am also in the process of ordering a better adult diaper. The current ones we are using for my Dad, don't do a good job or keeping the urine contained to just the pads/adult diapers. I see positive reviews for the Tranquility line of adult diapers. I also have read some posts here suggesting that there could be information, and sources to purchase adult diapers, and/or laundry detergent that they use in hospitals or nursing facilities, and retirement homes. I need help with all of this.

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ABRI ADULT DIAPERS L4, night time diapers are good... My aunt hasn't had any issues.. they change her 2 times a day.
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anti Bactria soap normally get rid of the odors. Try Odoband disinfectant. and any thing that will kill the MSRA virus will eliminate urine odors. all of the items can be purchase at Walmart.
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Try Oxy-Clean and Borax.. Together may work better.. may not be any material left, but it may work.
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Try Borax. If you're concerned about Borax residue on skin, run items through laundry a second time with a sensitive skin detergent. Doing two loads of laundry is more work, but it will be worth it to get rid of the odors.
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Just a caution when using urine removers. If the person has sensitive skin, be very careful when using these, especially the ones meant for animals.
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I believe there is a spray product for urine spots and odor but it's for pets. Im pretty sure it will work on human urine also. It can't hurt to try it. Just a suggestion that wouldn't hurt to try. If you are willing to try it, you can find it in the pet section at Walmart. BTW, I also agree with a couple other posted answer by Bigsister7 and grandma1954.
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Borax laundry booster works for removing urine smell
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For detergent we use Arm and Hammer Oxy-Clean Odor Blaster. This works and we use it every day on my wife's clothing and bedding. My wife was in the hospital last November and at that point we stopped using Depends and went to adult diapers, as she was in a wheelchair for the most part when she came home. I don't know the brand because they are supplied by Hospice now, Eventually you settle down to some brand that seems to work and start to get control over the urine problem. Good luck!
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Just suggesting you do an extra rinse cycle.
I invested in those dryer balls to speed up drying; never used fabric softener or sheets...I hate perfumes;
I also use the sensitive skin type detergents/unscented. Mom does not seem incontinent or odorous yet I found one house dress so stained I debated about just tossing it out as opposed to spending an hour scrubbing it. I compromised...ran a load of that alone with hot water (since ours doesn't seem that hot) and Persil for sensitive skin...and was totally shocked: it came out completely clean, no scrubbing!
Also can't think of the name of it, but they now make some washing machine cleaners...Good Housekeeping approved one that I found at Walmart...so after I did a big load of all of mom's stuff, I used that.
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Tide Clean removes the smell related to urine.I use it when washing my dad's pjs,sheets,and mattress pad when he soils them.
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martha908 Feb 2020
Be careful using Tide because it tends to be a skin irritant for some people
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Measure half a cup of baking soda and add it within a detergent wash. Adding baking soda usually gives a load the needed boost to remove urine odor within one wash cycle. As an extra benefit, baking soda will make the whites whiter. This substance works wonders at neutralizing the smelly ammonia within urine.
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BLTMom33 avatar
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BLTMom33 Dec 2019
I agree and use baking soda mostly, which has the ability to breakdown urine odors. I also add 1/2 cup of bleach for the cloth diapers (taking care of my senior dog too) and anything that has urine in it and it doesn’t damage the fabric.
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antiseptic mouthwash we used in cat sanctuary
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RushGirl2112 avatar
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RushGirl2112 Nov 2019
That’s interesting! How much per load ?
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Lysol laundry sanitizer. Add to wash water and or fabric softener cycle. Works fabulously. No need to pretreatment or soak. Available in supermarkets, Amazon and BJs.
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I know that you don't like vinegar, but using that as a rinse, following up with a wash in Tide takes the odor out and does not leave the washer smelling of vinegar (Not my favorite scent either).

Thanks for the Tranquility tip. Do they come in pull ups? (Going to Amazon right now)
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Enzymatic cleaners work great. Mostly sold for pet urine, but Nature’s Miracle Laundry Boost Bio-Enzymatic Formula is made specifically for laundry.
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I’ve been using the Lysol concentrate with my regular HE liquid detergent. This has been a great help in not only deodorizing but also cleaning my Mom’s clothes & linen. Hope this helps.
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I have found that OxiClean or Biz both work on getting out smells. Plus use a laundry detergent Like Purex or tide together with these two and a small amount of Bleach will do the job. It also keeps your washer smelling clean. Also using hot water also cause clothes to smell more because it cooks the smell in. Use cold water and always let the washer fill first then put in the clothes if you have that type of washer. Oxiclean or Biz keeps the smell down and your clothes will also stay smelling good for a long period of time. Plus if use either dryer sheets or fabric softener and you will find that all you smell is those products and not the urine.
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I have found that OxiClean or Biz both work on getting out smells. Plus use a laundry detergent Like Purex or tide together with these two and a small amount of Bleach will do the job. It also keeps your washer smelling clean. Also using hot water also cause clothes to smell more because it cooks the smell in. Use cold water and always let the washer fill first then put in the clothes if you have that type of washer. Oxiclean or Biz keeps the smell down and your clothes will also stay smelling good for a long period of time. Plus if use either dryer sheets or fabric softener and you will find that all you smell is those products and not the urine. Also use your soak cycle for about 20 min. to 1 hour.
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Soak in water with some Persil, then rinse briefly.
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Pre-soak in Dishwasher detergent! It's a "diaper" trick.

I tried it with the washrags used to clean my DH and it worked great!! Not only was the smell gone, but so were the stains!

I have also used Hibiclens in my washing machine - a capful is enough - and it disinfects great! Hibiclens is "pre-surgical scrub."

My sister uses a washing-machine disinfectant and swears by it, I know you can buy it at Sam's Club and probably Walmart. But I have the Hibiclens so I just use a capful of that.

For a urinal, the best thing was a tiny bit of Hibiclens with a bit of water - not only will it remove the smell, it also removed the stains in the cheap plastic urinals!
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vinegar along with your regular laundry detergant.
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NeedHelpWithMom avatar
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NeedHelpWithMom Dec 2019
Yes, vinegar neutralizes smells.
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I have found that the key to removing odor is changing the water: Soak your laundry load in the washing machine with a cup of vinegar and about 1/2 cup baking soda. No detergent. Stir it in using a long kitchen utensil and let it sit for a few hours, or overnight. Then set the machine to spin cycle so that the water drains completely. Then wash as usual, I use ALL Free and Clear Odor Relief detergent. I found that this makes a huge difference with both urine and “old man smell”. The key is changing the water so that when you run the actual wash cycle the water is clean and free of what caused the odor. It takes longer and uses more water, but it works!
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It's not a detergent but I have found the best thing to counter deep lingering odors is Downey fabric softener. Use the original formula, not a cheaper brand for best results.
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I used a Guards pad that Lrsheridan mentioned in my husband's pull-ups as well as a pad across his bed, the kind that is about 4-5 feet wide and has extensions to tuck under the mattress. This made it easy to change and be washed every day. The pads worked well.
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I have used a cup of white vinegar in my rinse water for 30 or more years, every load I wash. This keeps the lime, etc, build up out of the washer and rinses any soap that may remain in the clothing which causes whites to become gray and dingy. Dark clothes are brighter because there is no soap residue. I never have noticed any residual odor remaining in the clothing before or after drying.
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In addition to using TENA overnight pants and Prevail underpads as a preventive measure, I wash everything with Gain laundry detergent, toss in some Gain "fireworks" scent booster tablets, and use Gain fabric softener sheets in the dryer. Some people think that Gain products are too perfumy, but I happen to like their original scent, and I rarely have to use OdoBan or anything else.
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Oxyclean oodorblasters worked well on my mother-in-law's garments, sheets, etc. Most Walmarts sell this version. Used it for stinky, sweaty teenager's clothes before that :) There are some great suggestions listed here! I do like the Febreze Sport scent Tide as another member suggested.
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If it's really bad, soak clothes for 20 minutes in bucket of water with 1/4 cup Pine-Sol before washing.

White vinegar does not leave a smell if the washer is operating properly. I use it to wash all of my pets' toys and blankets. You can also throw in 1/2 cup of Borax or baking soda with the vinegar for extra cleaning power.
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Have you tried a cup of baking soda in with each load? It seems to help with a lot of things for me
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In addition to the suggestions above, I recommend using overnight Depends, sometimes doubling up on them, and/or putting a "Guard"- type insert inside the diaper before putting him to bed. And having him sleep on a "chux"-type liner on top of the bottom sheet. Also, using a mattress pad that tucks under the mattress and is only half-size for easy removal during the night. Also, limiting liquid intake in the evening. These have all helped!
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