Mum rarely makes it through the night without wetting the bed. Even though I have a quilted plastic bed pad and waterproof mattress cover on the bed, after washing the wet items, I can't seem to get the smell of urine out of them. Regular laundry detergent doesn't seem to get rid of the odor. My house is beginning to smell like a nursing home! Any suggestions?
If I recall they were both under $9.00 for a gallon as well as a spray bottle to use to dilute the product.
I know what you mean, soaking through. My husband can soak through the under pads and ..are you ready..keep the brief dry. I think I have figured out that the urine flows over the crease in his hip area and never hits the absorbent padding. I might try putting him to sleep on his side for a few hours.
And I know what you mean about the only quiet time! My husband is not verbal, has not been for about 5 years but he moans and makes other noises. When he is asleep that is the only time I get a break.
Stay strong!
One is for general odors it is OdorBan it is a Disinfectant, Fabric and air freshener. The scent I have is Eucalyptus. It is their original scent. It is a multi purpose cleaner and "kills 99.99% of germs".
The other product I got is by Clorox it is Urine Remover for stains and odors. and it does a good job. This product works on hard and soft surfaces
You also may want to place an Under Pad or "chuck" on top of the sheet directly under her, that will catch and absorb much of the urine before it gets to the sheets and under padding.
And is your Mom using an absorbent undergarment at night? A pull up brief or tab type might help as well.
And although it disrupts the sleep have you tried getting her up to go to the bathroom? You could try getting her up a few hours after she has gone to bed, if she goes to bed a 8 and you go to bed a 11 get her up just before you go to bed.
In the UK it is called Napisan and it really does work. Best to have sheets that you can HOT wash (over 60C)
I have tried home remedies and I have to say they aren't as effective although probably a lot greener in environmental terms.
CMs idea works too but I still think Napisan is better but I do use cotton sheets not polyester ones (despite hating ironing them). When Mum had a period of really bad incontinence through absolutely everything including her diaper, I used what we call a draw sheet...not sure if you have them over them but let me explain just in case you aren't familiar with them.
It is a half sheet, made of paper with a plastic backing and goes across the full width of the bed at the relevant point. Be warned it does crackle when you move on it but it did save a lot. When the kids were small we used to use a rubber draw sheet over which we put a small sheet so although we still had the washing to contend with the size of the sheet was only half what it would have been otherwise.
As for the mattress from which the smell could be emanating into the sheets, I threw Mums out and bought a hospital style sealed mattress. I know Norix make them in the USA but there will be others and they can be steam cleaned bleached and even run over by a car (preferably without loved one being on it at the time!) So it might be worth having a look and as CM said starting from scratch with all the accoutrements in place
Anyway. Put your pads with a scoop of Vanish in a diaper bucket. Leave for the prescribed time (not sure if there is a maximum - if not, leave them overnight). Put them un-rinsed into your washing machine. Put them through a maximum wash at maximum temperature with biological detergent. Give them an extra rinse. Dry in the open air, if possible.
If, after that, the odour is still there then throw them away. Because even if it does eventually fade your nostrils will still suspect it's there and you'll have no peace.
I was thinking of some advice I read in my grandmother's big black book of helpful hints for the home and farm from back at the turn of the last century, put the item in a pillowcase and bury it for a week LOL
Not with my mother's things but with my previous dog's bedding once she (the dog, that is, name of Cindy) became 'unreliable' - feeling there wasn't much to lose, I ignored all rules and put them through a boil wash with good stout biological detergent and some disinfectant. They (an old New Zealand tartan wool blanket, a cellular cotton blanket and a synthetic filling old quilt) survived. The quilt was bit lumpy.
So... I'd do that: try the hottest wash you dare, preferably with a prewash, and don't spare the horses when it comes to adding detergent. You can always give them an extra rinse if you're worried about detergent residue.
Good luck😊