Ammonia stink--help me fix it and keep it fixed!

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DS is in sposies after getting a horrid ammonia burn from his nighttime diaper Sunday morning.  I've had ammonia issues with the nighttime dipes for months and thought it was getting better. The smell used to just about knock me over flat, and it's gotten milder lately. Now I suspect he's been holding his pee and going right before getting out of the crib; the last couple days he's been drinking tons of water because of the heat so he must be peeing earlier in the night. (DS is 2y3mos.) 
Nighttime diapers: MEOS cotton with stay dry + snap insert, AMP hemp insert in the middle, wool cover
Daytime diapers: prefolds, Booroi covers (haven't noticed any ammonia even when he falls asleep in one)
Detergent: Countrysave 
Wash routine: 2x/week, warm rinse, warm soak, sanitary cycle--I add a jug of hot water to the detergent tray, and use 3/4 scoop of detergent instead of the half recommended for HE because of the extra water--then three warm rinses (60 mins total) because I always smell a chemical-y residue after one or two. I always rinse/soak the nighttime dipes several times before throwing them in the wash bag, and usually rinse poopy dipes as well. Also wash covers/liner bags separately.
NB: since I live in Ontario and energry prices are ridiculous, I can't afford to a) wash more than 2x/week or b) start a weekday wash before 7 pm (tiered energy pricing), which means longer rinse cycles are out unless I feel like being up until 2 am. 
Tried without much success: RLR, soaks with Blue Dawn, water-only washes to strip. Curious to try but scared of damaging snaps/liners: boiling.

As well as getting rid of the ammonia I'm wondering if I should switch detergents. We have hard water, a front loader, and DH can't stand the smell of most natural based detergents eg Nellies. DH also insists that it be made for an HE machine--eg he won't try Soapnuts because there's no HE logo on it, and it's not formulated at all. ;) Any recommendations are welcome; hopefully it'd be something I can find in Canada without having it shipped.

Any ideas would be great. I really want to get this solved before the second baby comes in September!

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anne-girl Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'invisible Joined: 27 Aug 2010 Points: 13	Post Options Post Reply Quote anne-girl Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Ammonia stink--help me fix it and keep it fixed! Posted: 25 Jun 2012 at 1:44pm
	DS is in sposies after getting a horrid ammonia burn from his nighttime diaper Sunday morning. I've had ammonia issues with the nighttime dipes for months and thought it was getting better. The smell used to just about knock me over flat, and it's gotten milder lately. Now I suspect he's been holding his pee and going right before getting out of the crib; the last couple days he's been drinking tons of water because of the heat so he must be peeing earlier in the night. (DS is 2y3mos.) Nighttime diapers: MEOS cotton with stay dry + snap insert, AMP hemp insert in the middle, wool cover Daytime diapers: prefolds, Booroi covers (haven't noticed any ammonia even when he falls asleep in one) Detergent: Countrysave Wash routine: 2x/week, warm rinse, warm soak, sanitary cycle--I add a jug of hot water to the detergent tray, and use 3/4 scoop of detergent instead of the half recommended for HE because of the extra water--then three warm rinses (60 mins total) because I always smell a chemical-y residue after one or two. I always rinse/soak the nighttime dipes several times before throwing them in the wash bag, and usually rinse poopy dipes as well. Also wash covers/liner bags separately. NB: since I live in Ontario and energry prices are ridiculous, I can't afford to a) wash more than 2x/week or b) start a weekday wash before 7 pm (tiered energy pricing), which means longer rinse cycles are out unless I feel like being up until 2 am. Tried without much success: RLR, soaks with Blue Dawn, water-only washes to strip. Curious to try but scared of damaging snaps/liners: boiling. As well as getting rid of the ammonia I'm wondering if I should switch detergents. We have hard water, a front loader, and DH can't stand the smell of most natural based detergents eg Nellies. DH also insists that it be made for an HE machine--eg he won't try Soapnuts because there's no HE logo on it, and it's not formulated at all. ;) Any recommendations are welcome; hopefully it'd be something I can find in Canada without having it shipped. Any ideas would be great. I really want to get this solved before the second baby comes in September!

expectingnumber2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'insightful Member Rating(7) Perennial Pinner 3 years 270 days Joined: 23 Sep 2009 Location: WI Points: 2593	Post Options Post Reply Quote expectingnumber2 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 25 Jun 2012 at 4:01pm
	My DD2 is right around your DS's age and we've battled ammonia on and off with the nighttime diapers. I think it partly comes with the age. There is a good chance you won't have any problems with your NB diapers. I have a TL washer, also use CS detergent, and also have hard water (but our hot is on a water softener). Here is my wash routine: - cold prewash (or rinse) with 1T bleach (mind you this is for a large TL washer and I am ok to skip the bleach here and there without issue) - hot water soak for 4 hours or overnight with about 3/4 scoop of CS (this has really made a great difference for me but with the time of night you need to do laundry it might not work for you) - switch the washer to a long wash after the soak. The diapers just get washed in the same water they soaked in - cold rinse with 1/2 capful of Calgon. This also has really helped my rinsing problems since my cold water is hard water. - 2nd cold rinse nothing added I wash every other day now because the loads get too big with all the NB diapers but I before DD3 was born I was washing about twice a week with this routine.
	Michelle wife to Brian mom to DD1 (5/13/06), DD2 (4/23/10) and DD3 (5/8/12)

anne-girl Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'invisible Joined: 27 Aug 2010 Points: 13	Post Options Post Reply Quote anne-girl Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 25 Jun 2012 at 10:16pm
	The problem is that I don't have any NB diapers--not for nighttime. I'll be using the same MEOS dipes I've been using on DS once they fit the next kid (which won't be long if he's as big as DS' 9lbs at birth!) I do have some without the dry liner that don't seem to have ammonia issues when I use them as backups overnight, but it would be nice not to have to keep them separate. I'm already doing a rinse/soak before 7 pm, so I could do it earlier I guess. Never would have thought of soaking w detergent, or trying Calgon.