Does anyone have any hacks for getting rid of the urine odor in laundry?

I add white vinegar and backing soda to the detergent in every wash. Seems to do the trick.

i use white vinegar, with wash set to COLD water only. Then, when done wash again as normal

Hi, I skimmed all the comments/answers for this question and did not see that anyone suggested Tide Odor Control pods. They have been amazing for my parents. My dad sweats, a lot, and it has a smell; not horrible, but smells. And, he sometimes has a urine smell on his pants. I was getting them Lysol laundry sanitizer but then could not find it because of Covid. I found the Tide Odor Control pods and my mom just throws one in with each wash and it has been exactly what was needed. They are usually at Target. Good Luck!

Counterproductive as it seems, ammonia sweetens the wash - neighbor who works in a nursing home told me they use it in laundry (I'd been using vinegar).
I'm not a 'measurer' - throw in about 3/4 of a cup. REMEMBER -NEVER mix with bleach!

Vinegar !

Clorox makes a product called Urine Out that works well.
I like OdorBan not only does it remove urine odor in laundry but diluted in different concentrations it is an air freshener, deodorizer, sanitizer. It is enzyme based so it does not just mask or cover odors. It works on hard surfaces as well as soft.

White vinegar -cheap and very effective, you may have to try different amounts to find the right ratio. I just put it in at the beginning of the cycle at the laundromat.

The best thing I’ve found is Downy Scent Boosters, little beads you sprinkle on bottom of washer before adding clothes. Don’t need much and it works!!!

I use 1 cup of vinegar in the first wash and rinse with Lysol Sanitizer, then a second wash with Tide max clean, and Downy Fabric softener.

This also works really well on dog pads.
Hope this helps.

Her urine should be going into disposable diaper..& if it’s always in/on clothes, then they’re not changing her often enough or not putting diaper on correctly. Discuss with facility. Hugs 🤗

Vinegar or listerine …works great
also do a second rinse cycle

I have been using Lysol Sanitizer-blue lid liquid-at the big box or maybe grocery store. I use about 1/2 cup in each load. the product is not bleach so will not damage fabrics but gives a pleasant fresh smell. I find the sanitizer also helps with the issue of front loader washing machines getting smelly.

I do give my front load machine a deep clean with a brush in the nooks and crannies around the door as needed, but otherwise i leave the door open in between loads and the Lysol seems to freshen up the machine at the same time-this comment is more towards OP who have had issue with front loaders.

Wash in white distilled vinegar first , like around a cup and then wash again in laundry detergent.

Many thanks to all of you who took the time to reply and share your advise. Several of you suggested baking soda. I had been using washing soda and still think that is a better option for cleaning than baking soda. I love it on pots and my own family laundry, especially napkins, towels, table cloths. But it wasn't doing the job on the urine odor. I have also tried Borax, which I love for general cleaning, but that too failed on the odor. Suggestions for the hamper are not really practical for me because the nursing home staff takes care of the hamper. Yesterday was the first laundering since my post and your replies. I used Tide hygienic clean and lysol laundry sanitizer sport. It was a lot better, but not perfect. With tim, I will work my way through the other suggestions. A few of you mentioned a laundry egg. I am curious about this, but unclear how it works. It seems like this replaces detergent, but then I thought one of you mentioned using it with other products. So if any of you have time to post about the laundry egg I would appreciate it. I a

Those of you who complained about the new washers are right on. I hated my front loader and replaced it with a top loader that has a deep water option, but even that is much less water than the old top loaders. The only solution I have found is to dump buckets of water in the machine, let it agitate a few minutes Then I have unplug the machine because after about 10 minutes it will start a drain if I don't unplug. I don't have a sink in the laundry room, which means carrying bucket after bucket of water from the kitchen to the laundry room. Grrrr.

Adding to previous response..The laundry egg is a mineral clean. The mineral combinations open the cell of the clothing to clean the clothes allowing all the dirt/urine out. Nothing is in the product that coats the clothes like the commercial detergents so the clothes don't retain water which reduces drying time. As they dry with the dryer egg the cells close and the clothes. The laundry eff is good for 1050 washes and the Dryer egg for 210 drys. Using these 2 products has heavily reduces cost by not buying all the commercial products, being able to use the short cycle on the washer and has reduced drying time to 20 min instead of 90. Static is removed but still struggling with wrinkles if you don't take the clothes out while they are hot. My totasl cost for the Laundry and Dryer egg on ebay was 24. The box of tide pods was 32 alone.

I have multiple pets, an incontinent parent and a teenage son. I have multiple urine issues in my laundry and home. Odoban disinfects and removes all odor using just this and the laundry egg. Its not toxic and is concentrated so one bottle goes a long way. I use in carpet cleaner as well and it does not damage the flooring. This can be bought at Sams Club, Home Depot etc and is about 10/gallon. This is the only product that actually eliminates these smells. I use this A LOT!

White vinegar in pre-soak wash.

Mom lives at home but there are times when it's closer to a week before doing laundry. There is some things getting wet but not soaked. If I do laundry within the day, I only use Tide HE, and then a dryer sheet ( Downy ) in the dryer. If it's 2 or more days, I first wash with Tide HE plus a color-safe Clorox pod. Then I wash a full 2nd time with only Tide HE ( to get any Clorox out due to itchiness ) and then dryer with Downy sheet. Have never had any urine odor issues.

Odoban works great. Check it out!
https://odoban.com/

KisaVal: Try OxiClean.

if you don't want to buy any of the items, people are suggesting, there are some DIY's you could google. (diy for urine odor on clothes). good luck

I deal with the urine odor problem in my 88 year old moms clothing - but also deal with her on and off bowel incontinence so my methods change and I have given up on expecting 'solved' !
I sometimes refrain from washing one or two items - water bills - so I purchased the fragrant Hefty trash bags for when things are not too bad and I cannot wash immediately -
(they have different hefty scents and really do help when you can't do it in the right now mode)
I have soaked for hour prior at times-- depending -
I have switched laundry detergents -
I have tried the Downy beads with the detergent - clothes have a camouflage fragrance that let me know I am camouflaging -
I am now trying Gain laundry but am also doing a second rinse cycle with vinegar-- it does seem to help !
All I can say is I can't continue to buy clothing for my mom so I try ----but repeated wear of the same clothing even freshly washed time after time the odors may not always go completely away -
Good Luck

Put vinegar in the bleach dispenser for each load. About 1/4-1/2 cup.

White vinegar. I put it into the tank and also where it says "bleach".

My husband is in a nursing facility, and I do all his laundry & all his clothes smell.
I use only cold water and add to the laundry detergent, oxi clean and always use
Lysol (cost only $3.99 48oz) you can use the Lysol for everything. If fact I love the clean smell so much I use it on everything I wash. My clothes smell clean too.
Pour it on the clothes when you put them in the machine, I just pour it on. It will take all the smells out. Try it, it does work! If you like add it to the rinse cycle too.

Try using white vinegar in the rinse water.

Tide 10X seems to work well

I like Oxyclean, just a scoop in the wash cycle.

There is a product called Funkaway laundry Booster. I had the same problem with my Mom’s laundry and it works wonders! I find it at my local grocery store or I have also ordered it on Amazon.

I used white vinegar today with my husband's clothes. it seems to have worked. I just added 1/2 cup to the wash with the soap.