Cloth Diapers Make Your House Stink

by Megan 

MYTH!  Cloth diapers DO NOT make your house stink.  In fact, I have found that disposable diapers tend to cause more stink in the pail and house than cloth does.  When it comes to cloth diapers you will not need a fancy diaper pail contraption.  In the disposable diapering world, they have diaper pails that lock away smells while ALSO twisting the diapers into a long sausage-like link of plastic.  With cloth diapers, you can keep your pail system super simple!

Storage of Dirty Cloth Diapers

There are numerous ways to store dirty cloth diapers, let me touch on a few of the more popular ways.

1. Open Pail Method with a pail liner.  This is what I personally use so I wanted to mention it first.  I have a simple 8 gallon trash can, without a lid, that I line with a washable pail liner.  A pail liner is like a laundry tote/bag made out of the same waterproof material that the diapers are made from.  I keep my pail in my bathroom, however, some people keep it in the baby’s room, and some keep it in the laundry room. I find my pail does not smell because it is open and oxygen can circulate through it.
2. Closed Pail Method with a pail liner.  Many people prefer to have a system similar to mine above with the main difference being they utilize a lid.  This may be a swing lid or step-on lid.  Some families with dogs find this to be a better option than an open pail.  This form of pail can smell more than an open pail, but the smell is “contained” with the lid.
3. Hanging Pail.  A hanging pail is typically a waterproof, zippered bag that you can hang on a hanger, a hook, or off of the changing table.  These can be a common solution for a more aesthetically pleasing pail option in the baby’s room. I personally have one hanging in my bathroom for a second location to store dirty diapers (my bathroom is small and won’t accommodate an actual pail).
4. Wetbag.  A wetbag is a waterproof, zippered bag that tends to be smaller than a “pail” size bag.  Wetbags are typically for the purpose of keeping in your diaper bag when you are out and about with cloth diapers.  However, some families like to have wetbags at different changing areas in the house.

One More Myth When it Comes to Dirty Cloth Diaper Storage

No matter what your mom, aunt and grandma say, please, do not soak your cloth diapers in a bucket of bleach.  This was a form of managing dirty diapers “back in the day” when they were made out of simple fabrics like cotton.  Cloth diapers of today tend to have many other components involved with them (snaps, elastic, waterproofing, etc.) that will break down rapidly if you store them in a solution of bleach + water.  Never store them in a “wet pail” type of system.  This is an unnecessary step when it comes to managing modern cloth diapers.  It also poses a potential drowning risk to your sweet baby as they become mobile.

What pail system do you think you’ll go with? Let me know!

Until next time, 

<3 Megan