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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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You need an enzyme product like "Nature's Miracle" which is formulated for pet urine. It's the BEST.
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Barbara15 Nov 2019
Thanks! I will definitely try that.
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Well, weh my dd was in cloth diapers, I put Borax in the soaking pail. Never had an issue with urine smells.

Vinegar will not make your cloths or the laundry room smell like vinegar, it washes out in the rinse water.

When I have to deal with cat accidents, I use sudsy ammonia. It takes out all the smells.

Becareful you cannot use Ammonia if you are using bleach in the same load.
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worriedinCali Nov 2019
I’ve used vinegar in the wash to get pee smell out of clothes and it definitely made the clothes smell!
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White vinegar leaves no smell. I also used rice wine vinegar once when I had no white vinegar and it worked great. I never use more than 1/2 cup per load. I also don’t use hot water wash every time as that seems to make the sheets smell worse. Also, be careful with Nature’s Miracle as that is made for use on floors, pet bedding, etc. if the person has sensitive skin it may make them break out.
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Zdarov Nov 2019
I’ve also had great results with white vinegar and never smell it afterwards!
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Odoban is also good. Just pour a little of it in your washing machine. (It's not soap but a spray to combat odors). The smell is nice afterwards. Walmart and Sam's club usually have odoban in their cleaning supplies section.
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Zdarov Nov 2019
Wow, I’d never heard of this and need it in my life! Thank you.
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What I’ve found most helpful is spray-on stain remover. I’ve used brand named ones as well as generic ones and they are equally effective. I spray the area as soon as possible and often repeat right before laundering. It’s been miraculous for me. Dad had pants that I was ready to throw away but the stain remover even helped the older pairs of pants. Good luck!
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My mom had an accident on a hotel bed. My aunt sprayed "Ozium" on it -- and you couldn't smell it at all. It's amazing stuff!

https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=ozium&ref=nb_sb_noss
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Harpcat Nov 2019
I agree about Ozium as a spray. We used it when I worked I. The hospital
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Here is a product which is a laundry additive found on Amazon.they swear by it: OdorKlenz Laundry Additive, Liquid Large - 15 Loads, Odor Neutralizer, Made in USA

by the way I use white vinegar in my softener dispenser every load and never smell vinegar. It softens, removes extra soap and doesn’t gum up the washer.
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LindaMary19 Nov 2019
I also have been using white vinegar in my softener dispenser for years now. I never smell vinegar - my clothes just smell fresh but not perfumy now, and there's less static electricity after drying.
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Tranquilityproducts.com A few years ago I found the line of tranquility products for my father. We used the disposable pull on briefs and my dad was fine with them. We also had him wear jeans with elastic waist for easy pull down and he would sit on the toilet seat to fully empty his bladder. No belts or zippers to deal with and he was quite fine with the changeover. The folks at customer service on the tranquility website are very very helpful and nice. On their website there is a easy to use questionnaire type to determine your needs. Quality product.
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barbara, as to diapers - we use a pretty-panty type on Mom, wish I knew what’s best for men, sorry!

The Odoban recommended above is ‘used in hospitals,’ maybe you can call a hospital’s administration dept. and ask what they recommend, or do a web search that way.
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Lysol now makes a laundry sanitizer that I use for my husband’s laundry, sheets etc. for that very reason. It is in a white plastic bottle and is called Lysol Laundry Sanitizer. I get it at the grocery store. It is great!
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Use bed pads, and the diaper should be changed more frequently so the urine would not accumulate which can also burn the skin. It should not be bleed through to clothing. Pads sold for pets (dog section) are much cheaper and work better than ones sold for humans. Disposable diapers may sound more money, but the cost of frequent washing and using laundry detergents for cloth diapers can negate cost savings.

IF he is still able to walk, use the underwear type. ALThough sold for men and women, in reality they are both the same, so get whatever is on sale even if it says for women. IF he is bed ridden only use the diaper type of undergarment.
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The only thing that has worked for me is Defunkify laundry detergent! I had tried several other things, including the Lysol laundry sanitizer. The Defunkify comes in pods that you just toss in. They are natural ingredients that get the odor out, rather than just masking it. I found these online at Sam's Club, but they do not have them in the store.
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WHAT I USED WAS A CAP OF DETTOL IN THE WASH..IT REALLY DOES TAKE AWAY THE URINE SMELL & IT IS AN ANTISEPTIC LIQUID..RATHER DETTOL SMELL...
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My sister and I swear by Arm & Hammer OdorBlaster detergent. It comes in liquid or pods and frequently goes on sale. The AL where Dad lives uses Odoban additive, which also seems to work well, especially for bedding.
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Clorox makes a product called Urine Remover it is good on laundry, and hard surfaces as well as soft. I used it a lot!
There is another product called Odor Ban this works both for the air as well as surfaces.
Got both products in Gallon size bottles at Sam's Club.
Both can be used with laundry detergent or sprayed on the clothing when it comes off the person. I also used both on the hospital mattress when cleaning it.
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I use a cup of white vinegar and also just use cold water only. I have never noticed any vinegar "after smell"
Most of today's laundry detergents are made for cold water use.
I have also had good results with OxiClean Liquid Laundry Detergent.
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I use Tide Plus Febreze Sport Odor Defense Liquid Laundry Detergent. It is good for my son's smelly sweaty clothes and my parent's "accident" linens and clothes. Also, I use Affresh washing machine cleaner once a month.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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vinegar along with your regular laundry detergant.
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NeedHelpWithMom Dec 2019
Yes, vinegar neutralizes smells.
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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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Soak in water with some Persil, then rinse briefly.
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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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