Is it really worth getting a diaper garbage can ?

Executive Member Joined: Oct 28 2011 Posts: 418

What's the advantage of a diaper garbage can over a tightly cosed bathroom garbage can?

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).

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.
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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.
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Executive Member Joined: Oct 28 2011 Posts: 418

Gold Member Joined: Aug 24 2010 Posts: 1486

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)

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.

Gold Member Joined: Jul 14 2009 Posts: 2094

a covered pail works fine for me.

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.)

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.

Senior Member Joined: Dec 19 2008 Posts: 228

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...

Diamond Member Joined: Jan 14 2011 Posts: 2733

if you double wrap each diaper, you won't have any problem. the diaper genie is just an expensive way of double wrapping the diaper for you.

Gold Member Joined: Jul 02 2010 Posts: 1717

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....
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I double bag smelly diapers and put them in the kitchen garbage. There is no smell when double bagged. and the garbage is taken out often.

Silver Member Joined: Jul 26 2011 Posts: 804

mine got so smelly that I threw it out. its really only good for infant wet diapers. everything else stinks!!!!

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5893

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.

Gold Member Joined: May 12 2008 Posts: 1282

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.
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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.
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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.
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