How can I assist my client who has really bad urine odor? No matter how much soap I use or try and wash him he still smells.

He needs to be checked for a bladder infection.
I swear by soaking clothes in white vinegar before washing. Mix half vinegar and half water.
If the clothes have been through a dryer then sometimes the urine smell is baked in.

Yes, hang the clothes out or on a rack.

Is he drinking enough fluids, especially water? Diluting the urine may help with the odor problem.

Mom struggles with this.

She's on a lot of meds and she's diabetic. She wears a catheter full time with a cath bag that always leaks a little, so depends and poise pads are added.

I honestly don't know what causes the smell. Mostly the meds, I'm sure. she has no sense of smell whatsoever, so it's really bad and she has no idea.

At 91, we're not looking for more problems, so we don't say anything. Since her apartment is connected to YB's home, the smell travels. SIL has put some candle wax melt things in the connecting hallway that are VERY strong and it helps to quell the odor in the main house.

Fill the washing machine with hot water and a few scoops of OxyClean crystals. When the clothes or bedding are soiled, put them in the machine and let it soak.
When you have a full load to wash, drain the soaking water from the machine. Now add a few scoops of OxyClean crystals again and three Tide pods with Febreze (for a large load). Those clothes will get clean and they will not stink. Once a month or so, run a wash cycle with no clothes in it (hot water with a couple cups of bleach added) to clean the washing machine. Often times the washing machine also stinks and needs to be cleaned.

BC--

I know. That catheter has been a blessing and curse. I agree that it's not working right, she shouldn't be filling the bag twice a day with probably 2-3 more cups of urine filling the depends and pads. But I have zero say in her health issues. Beyond zero. Anything I say is interpreted by YB (caregiver/jailer) and he takes it personally.

Maybe I can get my OS to step in. YB gets so angry with me and I really just want peace.

I do know that she always has one bag attached and one 'clean one' hanging up in the bathroom and there is ALWAYS a bit of old urine in the bag. She simply cannot clean it well enough--I think she needs to do a complete flush or something--but old brown urine smells pretty bad. Also, I think she needs new bags every month or so. Again, I am not allowed to weigh in on her health issues. YB has taken over and gets very angry, loud and even scary if any of us broach her care.

In the end, she lives in HIS house, not mine. The smell is HIS problem.

And mother does her own laundry and is fairly stingy with the detergent. No way could she do pre-soaks and such. It's everything in the wash, 1/2 cup of some cheap detergent and cold wash.

But thank you for the time you took to answer. Perhaps it can help someone else who has some control over a situation like ours.

I do a pre- wash on cold with white vinegar. Then I re-wash with regular amount of laundry soap plus 1/4 cup oxyclean and 3-7 drops of tea tree oil.

Persil is great.

Try oderban at sam's club, and men's shaving cream down below for the last step.good luck .....

Clorox makes a Urine Remove product that can be used on laundry and hard surfaces.
OdorBan, I get it in the gallon size at Sam's Club but I have also seen it at other stores does a great job of removing odor and it is also a sanitizer. Smells pretty good as well. I use it for washing floors even now.
Are you using a light (and I stress light) bit of barrier cream? That does help keep the urine from getting to the skin. But a heavy coating of a barrier cream can be difficult to remove. And if you put it on pat it onto the skin don't rub it into the skin.

Put cheap vodka in a spray bottle and spritz the clothing. It's an old roller derby trick for stinky gear! Also, the vinegar soak is good and Sport Tide for washing!

”Nonenal” is the term for aging body odor. I learned that a chemical in aging skin can smell like urine... that won’t go away. Persimmon extra soap is said to help this condition. I think the soap is available online. I hope this helps!

I was brought to this site and finally found an answer to the laundry, at least. Wash in liquid tide. Spray the item well with hydrogen peroxide before putting in laundry. I bought specific Arm and Hammer Laundry "soda" which is a little different from reg, A&H Baking Soda. You add that with your detergent and in the bleach dispenser add vinegar and was on COLD not HOT. In the beginning when my patient had blood in her urine it was specifically bad so I added a tiny bleach in the bleach dispenser and added the vinegar to the fabric softener dispense. As for the body? I don't have any answer other than good perfumy wipes? We bought the adult wipes from Walmart.

1) Besides the medication that can cause a special smell to urine, diet and spices in the food can cause the problem with urine odor as well.

2) Dehydration could cause this problem too.

3) Also, different fabrics have different tendency to keep the smell. Choose the clothes that are cotton and/or linen.

Clean out the washing machine first then Try putting a cup of vinegar in his wash.

You might see if he has a Urinary Tract Infection.

He should drink more water to make his urine lighter.

It could just be his meds making the smell.

I use sudsy ammonia, about a cup in and soak for an hour or so. Then wash as usual.

it takes the smell of cat pee out of laundry. I used to have an old man cat that would pee on dirty laundry.

hanging clothes outside on a clothes line helps too.

If his urine smells that bad he might have a urinary tract infection. It's very common with older persons. He needs to see the doctor and a same sent for a culture. If it is then the doctor will give him a script for a antibiotic. This happens with my mother too so I'm very aware of any changes in order to get it treated quickly.

Synthetic fabric holds onto odors much more, so switching to natural cotton can help a lot. Air drying clothing is very helpful. I would also line their favorite chair with a washable cover as odor can transfer. A bad urine smell can mean a UTI and it may not be the typical either. I noticed a problem with that with a parent who had acquired pseudomonas while in the hospital. Your client should be checked.

My mother passed in 2017 RIP. Her urine was horrible smelling from meds. Put Dawn dish soap will remove the smell .wash in cold water and hang dry. It really works her aides taught me this in the nursing home. Hope this helps someone !!!

For a different, but difficult smell, I found this (link at bottom). It is expensive. How about trying baking soda paste on his skin? I don't know about safety of that. For laundry, I've had good luck with adding Borax in the wash for odors.

For that "old people" smell from skin cells: also comes as a liquid. https://www.amazon.com/Purifying-Deodorizing-Persimmon-Associated-Artisanal/dp/B005K8MG9U/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=mirai+body+wash&qid=1613321158&s=digital-text&sr=1-2

Possible UTI!

He should be checked for urinary infection - in home health (if he has that) can take a specimen to a lab if the doctor orders it without having to carry him to the drs office. He could also have kidney issues going on. If he can get out of the house, you might encourage a visit to a urologist just to be sure there is not something going on that requires medication or perhaps something worse.

Urine for people who drink a lot of water usually has little to no smell and is clear. Without the water intake, the waste/pee is more concentrated and creates strong odor and darker in color. Getting more water in him each day may help with odor on him and in the clothes. Incontinence may be helped with some pads to keep it off the clothes and bedding. If he already uses pads for this, he is probably not changing them each time they are wet.

You have to be very careful about mixing things to wash laundry so you don't create a dangerous gas, so try one thing at a time. OdorBan works quite well for clothing odors, (Sam's sells it by the gallon) Add it to your washing machine with laundry soap (gain has a great smell). Clorox makes a fabric sanitizer that you spray on - like a spot treatment. Others say vinegar, but I never really was that pleased with results.

Definitely need to take your client to the doctor as that’s not normal. As far as the clothes you may need to use extra Clorox Bleach in the wash. Don’t forget to use scented softener. Good luck.

Wow!! Great ideas on this post.
On the uti possibility, there are test strips for over the counter from rite aid and Walgreens and probably others. This may be a good indicator of UTI. Then a medical professional would have to take it from there.
I also suggest that your gentleman wear depends or something like that.
Best wishes.

i had same problem with my husbands clothes & bedding. I put all his wet clothing, bedding, etc. in washing machine. Then used rinse and spin cycle. Added pine sol, fabulosa - anything with strong scent. Then washed as usual. This seemed to work.

A small amount of PineSol also is a good smelling laundry booster. Soak in it before washing, but test the fabric first.

He could have a UTI. My mothers urine has a strong odorous smell when she has a UTI. I would call her doctor for a urine culture.

You’ve gotten some really good tips here.
Adding a few
1 be careful of scented washing detergents- they can break out sensitive skin
2. just like cloth diapers ( my daughter broke out from pampers) i would rinse out, put in a diaper pail with detergent ( I used Lysol or Pinesol) until I washed
3. is he hydrated? Drink 6-8 (8ounce) glasses of water a day unless he is on fluid restriction from MD
4. See MD and get him assessed. Could be kidney, UTI, Blood sugar levels, Uric acid from early kidney problems etc. My point is there’s a lot that could be happening, may be time for a check up.
best of luck in all you do.

I don't know the answer but have you checked with nursing homes to find out what they might use/ wishing you luck

I straight cath my husband and this sounds like a uti. I know when my husband's urine has an odor that always wind up being a UTI.
PLEASE contact your client's doctor before this can lead to something more serious. UTIs are nothing to mess with because it can lead to sepsis.