New to CD, questions about pails, liners, soaking?

[lizsky]

I'm expecting my 1st next month and am new to all of this. I have decided to do one of those trial CD programs, so that I can figure out which diaper type/brand will work best for me.

But I'm wondering about pails, liners, soaking...sounds like many folks use a regular trashcan? how does that work in terms of soaking? Do you fill a liner with water or do you fill the trashcan? And wouldn't it be really heavy to try to lift and change? Do people keep the pail right by the changing table? How does that work in terms of odor control? Would love advice from you experienced mamas.

[cristeen]

I just use a trash can. The one I have is sold as a diaper pail, and it has a nearly airtight step-lid on it, but I rarely put the lid on it. I do not do a wet-pail, we do a dry-pail. I found that it smelled more when it was kept airtight than it did when I left it open - same as with the kitchen compost pail.

We kept it next to the changing table when we were using it, which lasted about a month. Ever since it's been in the office where we spend most of our time, and he just gets changed on the futon.

As for smell - it doesn't smell that strongly, really. If there's a fresh poopy, that'll smell for a little while, but it dissipates fairly quickly (just like when you take a poopy in the toilet - the bathroom smells for a little while, but then it passes). Even my DH who was worried about smell at first hasn't had any problems with it at all. The only time I smell it is if my nose gets within about 2 feet of the pail - like if I lay down on the futon with my head near the pail. I've just learned to put my head at the other end of the bed.

[lifeguard]

We use a plastic bin. We tried wet pail but found it smelly, heavy & annoying. I do sprinkle baking soda in it if it is getting stinky. Keeping the lid at least a little bit open helps with the smell too.

[Addie]

I've always been advised against using a wet pail - it seems to have fallen completely out of fashion. We just use this pail liner. It has elastic at the top, and snaps so that you can attach it to a rail or doorknob. Ours hangs on the doorknob of DS's room, next to the changing table. When I wash the diapers, the liner goes right in the washer and dryer with everything. I wash diapers every other day, and I honestly never smell the dirty diapers in his room.

[HeliMom]

Originally Posted by Addie

I've always been advised against using a wet pail - it seems to have fallen completely out of fashion. We just use this pail liner. It has elastic at the top, and snaps so that you can attach it to a rail or doorknob. Ours hangs on the doorknob of DS's room, next to the changing table. When I wash the diapers, the liner goes right in the washer and dryer with everything. I wash diapers every other day, and I honestly never smell the dirty diapers in his room.

we also just use a couple of pail liners without a can. I've never had a smell problem.

[asoulunbound]

We use something like this in red. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-...#ProductDetail You can buy them nearly anywhere household things are sold, for like 10-15 bucks. Ours was really cheap because there was a scratch or dent in it, I don't recall, but they knocked a few dollars off.

As for smell, I sprinkle a little baking soda every now and then, but really don't have any issue with smell. I wash every other day or as needed. Its a dry pail. I read somewhere on here that wet pails might void the warranty on covers. Don't know how true that is, but I've never had an issue using a dry pail.

As an aside... as often as possible, sun your diapers... it's free and keeps them looking/smelling so nice. No one told me about sunning when I started Cding. We just had 30 inches of snow, so I don't know when I'll be able to get to the line out back!

[mom2brooke]

Dry pail with a pail liner here as well. Just purchased a garbage can at Walmart with a hinged lid. Brought the pail liner to Walmart with us in fact, to get the right size. We used to keep the pail in the hallway, kind of hidden behind the half wall at the top of the stairs. No smell unless you open it, just like if you open the lid of a disposable diaper pail.
Dry pails are SO much easier than wet. I haven't run across a good reason for a wet pail. Diaper sprayers are a great thing as well. They just attach really easily to the toilet, and you spray off the poop before putting the diaper into the pail. I installed mine in 5 min by myself, and that included going downstairs to get a wrench.

[Ruthie's momma]

I used an open, dry pail w/o a liner. Wet dipes and wipes were simply tossed in while dirty dipes and wipes were spritzed with diluted Bac-Out first. I would sprinkle the pail with baking soda once or twice per day (and washed everything every 2-3 days). The pail had various homes, depending upon my mood.... When we lived in an apartment, it was kept in our very large, walk-in closet (along with the diapers). When we moved into our home, the pail was most often kept in the laundry room.