Is it really worth getting a diaper garbage can ?

DrMom

Mon, Jan 30 2012, 8:33 pm

You mean one of those "diaper genie" contraptions?

I have no idea. I just have a plain old covered rubbermaid garbage pail for wet diapers. I put a small baking soda sachet in the bottom to absorb odor. I empty it regularly and have had no problems.

Diapers with #2 in them get thrown out immediately and are not thrown in the diaper pail.

I think diaper genies and the like hermetically seal each diaper in plastic so no smell escapes. I think that's overkill (and probably worse for the environment than plain old disposable diapers alone).

life'sgreat

Mon, Jan 30 2012, 8:38 pm

For me it was a very good buy. I have a changing pad in my bedroom and the diaper genie next to it. I do not want smelly diapers in my room, but don't want to have diapers pile up either at the door to the bedroom 'to be thrown away later' or having to walk to wherever to get rid of it.

shanie5

Mon, Jan 30 2012, 8:44 pm

A diaper pail is handy if you dont have a covered pail in the room you normally change the baby in. The diaper genie I had years ago sealed each diaper individually, but when I emptied it, there was still a pretty powerful smell.

chevron

Mon, Jan 30 2012, 9:01 pm

DrMom wrote:

How do you trow away diapers with #2 immediately? I used to put it outside on the fire escape until garbage dispose time embarrassed

but I don't think you did that?

Mon, Jan 30 2012, 10:05 pm

I just stick them in a shopping back, twist the bag closed, and dump it in my covered garbage can. And it's fine. (But maybe as ds gets older it will become a problem? Now he's 9 months)

Isramom8

Tue, Jan 31 2012, 12:01 am

I had a diaper genie system once, but got lazy about replacing all the parts. You can use scented plastic bags intended to keep smell to a minimum. I like those. Designate one garbage as far away as possible from family activity. The best idea really is to remove each smelly diaper from the house as soon as possible.

DrMom

Tue, Jan 31 2012, 2:50 am

chevron wrote:

DrMom wrote:

How do you trow away diapers with #2 immediately? I used to put it outside on the fire escape until garbage dispose time embarrassed

but I don't think you did that?

Okay, I shouldn't have used the word "immediately," as it may imply nanosecond disposal capabilities. More accurately:

I put each poopy diaper in a plastic bag, tie it up, and hang it out the window near the door. The next person who goes out takes it with him. So it usually leaves the house in ~2-3 hours. Compared to the weekly emptying of the wet diaper pail, that's pretty quick. Smile

sarahd

Tue, Jan 31 2012, 3:19 am

I have a covered garbage pail on the balcony outside my bedroom. Diapers get changed exclusively in my room and are put into that pail. It works fine in the winter. In the summer there's an overpowering smell each time the cover is lifted. I am too cheap to spend money on a diaper genie, so we live with the smell (which stays outside and dissipates within a minute or so.)

little_mage

Tue, Jan 31 2012, 5:26 am

We had a diaper pail (not a diaper genie, but something marketed as a diaper pail) and it broke-the lid wouldn't close. So now I just use a plain old kitchen trash can. I think as long as you have a lid, you'll be fine. That being said, given that we're using cloth, diapers get taken out and washed every 2-3 days, so stuff isn't sitting in there as long as it might with disposables.

farfromhome

Tue, Jan 31 2012, 8:54 am

I bought a diaper genie and used it for my first, but I hated changing the bag from it, and the refills were so expensive! now with my second I just double wrap it in a shopping bag, and put it in my garbage which gets changed often anyways, and we dont have a smell from it...

Ema of 5

Tue, Jan 31 2012, 9:04 am

I had a diaper genie when my son was born, but I only filled it up one time, cuz it reaked so bad that even my room smelled even when it was covered.
instead, I bought diaper sacks- they are sold in all of the jewish stores. they are scented little bags that you put diapers into, and they really work!! then I can put the diapers wherever I want- I can leave them in my room until I get up, or in the hall, or in the garbage and they dont smell.
a MUCH better investment than a diaper genie, in my opinion....

seeker

Sun, Mar 04 2012, 3:03 pm

I have seen them in other people's homes and they didn't seem to get any less smelly than our regular garbage. We made sure to line it with a bag and empty it at least daily, and if a diaper was really foul it got tied in its own shopping bag.

Even wet diapers smell really nasty if they are left for a while, so even wet diapers in a diaper genie (which is meant to be emptied less frequently) create a stink.

I just feel like it's worth going to the garbage more often. Now it's really easy because it's right outside my apartment door, but even when I had to go down stairs and out doors to get there it's not such a big deal to do 1-2 times a day.

mosma

Sun, Mar 04 2012, 4:17 pm

I have a diaper garbage can and I love it. I don't have the diaper genie (too expensive to get the bags all the time!) mine takes regular garbage bags but it closes the top off twice, and it really doesn't smell at all. I have had it for 8 years now. I love it.

ewa-jo

Sun, Mar 04 2012, 4:33 pm

Do you have an outside porch or balcony?

We use a regular large-sized trashcan )without a lid) that we keep on a balcony. When I have a diaper, I open the window and throw it into the can// and then close the window.... done!

In our house, it's on the same balcony as the catbox.

It's a little annoying to walk over to the window with every diaper, but the house doesn't smell and I don't have to wrap it in plastic bags or anything else.

ra_mom

Sun, Mar 04 2012, 4:55 pm

We bought another diaper pail (can't remember the name- I can check in the basement for you if you need me to), which we decided was a better fit for us than the Diaper Genie (especially because you could use any bag in there.). It truly was a good investment for us.