Diaper Pail, Do You Need One?

The Diaper Pail is exactly what the name says.  It is basically a garbage pail made for you to put diapers in.  There are a few companies that make them, and each is designed slightly different.  There are models that are hands free, some have an easy flip of a handle to get rid of the diaper and some have a lid that you lift up.  Many of them have bags or refills that you have to purchase that are designed for that particular diaper pail.

There are a couple of pros to purchasing a diaper pail.  First, it can be convenient, you can keep it right next to your changing table or whatever you use to change the baby.  Second, they are usually compact enough that you can keep them out of the way.  Finally, they can be moved easily.

There are also several cons to purchasing one.  First, I think most of them do not keep the smell inside.  Second, they can be difficult to clean.  Third, refill bags or liners can be very costly.  Finally, some of them are built poorly.

I did purchase the Baby Trend Diaper Champ.  I liked it for about a month.  The first month of my son’s life I changed him in the nursery on his changing table frequently, and it was convenient to have the diaper pail right there.  However, after about a month or so I started to change him in whichever room we were in, which was usually the living room.  I did not run up and down the stairs just to use the diaper pail.  I would just use our garbage can.  I also noticed after about a month or so that the pail started to give off an odor.  I finally ended up removing it, because I could not stand the smell anymore.  A friend of mine had purchased the Diaper Genie, she did not have a bad odor problem.  However, she found it to be difficult to use and costly for the refills.  She also just started using the garbage can.

In my opinion diaper pails are just not worth the money.  If you think you will use your changing table a lot, and will change the liner frequently than maybe it would be worth it.  If not, I would just use the garbage can.  If you have a particularly smelly diaper, tie it up in a plastic shopping bag or something before you dispose of it.