About the diaper pail

This is a simple accessory, almost forgotten among all the other choices to be made for the new baby. A diaper pail? That's easy right? As a matter of fact, Yes, it is!

Once upon a time, in the olden days, cloth diapers were soaked in a "wet pail"- a diaper pail with water, that kept the diapers wet until laundry day. We don't recommend There are multiple downsides to this:

• A pail full of water in the nursery is a possible drowning hazard for a curious baby, or, at the very least, a huge-mess hazard
• A pail full of water and wet diapers is heavy, making the trek to the laundry room harder (and more likely to spill).
• Soaking the diapers in water mixed with urine can amplify stains and smells, as well as break down the materials of modern diapers and covers.
• Diapers left soaking wet can mildew or mold more easily.

To me, the wet-pail system just has a major yuck factor. So, "dry pail" it is! What do you need to look for in a diaper pail?

• A closing lid - This will not only deter babies or pets from pulling out the contents, it will keep smells from emanating from the pail and most importantly, keep air from hitting the wet diapers. Poop may seem like it smells bad, but it's not a big deal, trust me. When you deal with a smelly diaper pail, the stench that will knock you off your feet is the ammonia smell, which comes from urine being exposed to air. A swinging lid won't cut it- get something that shuts.
• A step pedal - when you've got a dirty diaper in one hand, and are trying to hold a wiggly baby on the changing table with the other, you'll understand the need for this feature. A hands-free mechanism of some sort to open the diaper pail is very helpful.
• Size -You need something that will hold 2-3 days worth of diapers. A 13-gallon size kitchen trash can has worked well for our needs. Really simple.

Inside your diaper pail, you'll need a wet bag big enough to hold all the diapers between the laundry cycles. The large, XL, or XXL diaper pail liners work well for this. (It's not a bad idea to have two of these pail liners, so you still have somewhere to put your diapers while the other pail liner is in the wash.) On laundry day, tote the pail liner full of dirty diapers to the washing machine, dump the diapers in, throw the pail liner in, too, and start your wash routine. Mess-free!

What if my diaper pail stinks?

First, make sure it meets all the above criteria, and make sure you're doing laundry every 3 days. Diapers that sit too long will stink, period. If you're still having trouble, add some baking soda, tea tree oil, or specially-formulated diaper pail freshener to your pail to keep things smelling fresh. All these things are safe to use with your diapers.

What about the special diaper pails at the baby store?

They're cute. They keep the stink down really well. They're fine. I have a few caveats, though. The little hole a disposable diaper is supposed to fit through? Your cloth diaper might not fit. The can might not hold enough diapers to get you between washings. Also, you'll want to make sure the model you choose will accommodate a wet bag. You don't want to have to be locked into buying their specific brand of trash bags when it's easy enough to wash a reusable pail liner with your diapers.

What solution has worked for you?