Odor Control in LTC: How Underpad Core Design Manages Ammonia

Ask any long-term care director what families complain about first, and the answer is rarely staffing or meals. It is smell. A care home in Mississauga traced a recurring odour complaint to underpads changed on a schedule rather than on saturation — ammonia from urine breakdown diffused into the room before the pad was replaced.

Odour in LTC is not just a comfort issue. Persistent ammonia exposure irritates airways and skin, and odour signals that incontinence products are underperforming. Understanding core design helps teams choose products that control smell, not mask it.

Where Urine Odour Comes From

Fresh urine smells mild. The sharp odour develops as bacteria break down urea into ammonia. The longer urine stays warm and wet, the more ammonia forms. Three factors drive odour in care settings: saturation, dwell time, and airflow.

A pad that absorbs quickly and locks fluid away shortens the window for bacterial action; one that pools urine gives ammonia time to form and escape.

How Underpad Core Design Controls Ammonia

Not all absorbent cores are equal. The two main constructions in the Canadian market are fluff pulp and SAP (super absorbent polymer) cores, and they behave very differently with urine.

Fluff pulp cores absorb through capillary action into the fibre matrix. They hold a lot of fluid, but it stays distributed close to the surface, where warmth and bacteria accelerate ammonia formation. Fluff pads also stay wet longer — more odour, more skin moisture exposure.

SAP cores combine fluff with super absorbent polymer granules that swell into gel as they absorb, locking fluid away from the pad surface and away from air. With the surface drier and urine immobilised, ammonia generation slows — the mechanism behind the SAP underpad's odour control reputation.

The 60x90cm five-layer SAP underpad from CliniEco Medical works on this principle: a rapid acquisition layer pulls urine down, the SAP core locks it into gel, and the waterproof backing keeps it off the mattress. Five layers add strength for pads repositioned several times a day.

Change Frequency: The Practical Half of Odour Control

Even the right core cannot work if the pad stays in place too long. Odour control is a partnership between product design and care routine: a SAP pad delays ammonia formation but does not eliminate the need to change.

A practical benchmark: check and change incontinence products at least every two hours during the day, more often when a resident is restless or has a full void. Wetness indicator lines help staff spot saturation without disturbing the resident; a saturated pad should be removed immediately, not left for the next round.

Pair the underpad with a brief that matches output: a 3,000 mL brief handles daytime needs, a 5,000 mL overnight product cuts night-time changes. The Day Comfort adult brief and Night Plus overnight brief are sized for this pairing.

Room-Level Odour Controls

Product choice handles most of the problem; room routines finish it: continuous low-level ventilation clears odour faster than a closed room, and linens move promptly to covered hampers — a pile of saturated products re-releases ammonia.

Cleaning between changes also reduces odour. A change leaves microscopic urine residue; wiping the resident's skin with a cleansing wipe and drying thoroughly before a fresh product cuts the bacterial load. A waterproof, wipeable cover under the pad prevents odour from soaking into the mattress.

Odour as a Quality Signal

Care homes should treat persistent odour as a process problem, not an inevitability. If a wing consistently smells, audit product absorbency, change frequency, and waste handling — a mismatch in any one defeats even a SAP pad.

Supplies are part of the answer. CliniEco Medical's SAP underpads, day briefs, and overnight briefs are designed to work together as a system; order in facility volumes and keep the system consistent across wings.

FAQ

Why do some underpads smell worse than others?

Core design is the main factor. Fluff pulp cores hold urine in loose fibres near the surface, where bacteria convert urea to ammonia. SAP cores lock fluid into gel inside the pad, away from air and skin, which slows ammonia formation and keeps the surface drier.

How often should underpads be changed in LTC?

At least every two hours during the day for incontinent residents, and immediately when a wetness indicator shows saturation. Overnight, a higher-absorbency product can extend the interval, but heavily saturated pads should never wait for a scheduled round.

Does a higher absorbency rating always mean less odour?

Not automatically. Absorbency capacity matters, but how the core holds fluid matters more. A pad that absorbs 1,500 mL but leaves the surface wet will smell more than a SAP pad holding the same volume in gel. Check both capacity and core construction.

Can odour control products replace good change routines?

No. Products buy time — they slow ammonia formation and keep the surface dry. But a saturated pad left in place will eventually smell regardless of core design. Odour control is a combination of the right product and a consistent change routine.

To keep odour off the family feedback list, start with the product system: SAP underpads, day briefs, and overnight briefs from CliniEco Medical.

Last updated: 2026-08-26. CliniEco Medical is a Health Canada licensed medical device establishment (MDEL #35334).