keeping diaper pail odors down

[Marie000]

Does anyone have any tips on keeping their cloth diaper pail from stinking up the place.

I wasn't too concerned about it at my old place, because I could just leave the pail behind a closed door, but now that we have moved, that's no longer an option.

My diaper pail has a compartment in the lid to put odor controlling things (I assume that's what it's for). What could I put in there? Do store-bought odor absorbers work? Or are there any good homemade solutions?
I guess baking soda is always a good option, but the powder would just fall into the pail.

 

[misspriss]

I'd get rid of the lid. Closed pails trap the ammonia odor, an open pail won't. As long as you wash every two days or so, it's not a problem. At least that worked for us! It was the general recommendation I found on the internet.

 

[minties]

I rinse every nappy before it goes in the bucket and don't get any smells (I used to). The bucket is right by a sink in the laundry, so it's easy for me to rinse each insert/flat/prefold under the tap, quick ring out of the water and chuck it in the bucket.

I also find that they don't ever get any smell issues after being washed if I do this quick rinse too. Not saying that you do...just a good side effect.

 

[SarahBear]

Do you have a wet pail or a dry pail? I never tried wet, so I don't know how much that smells. When we did cloth, we just had ours in a bucket with nothing added. It never really smelled too bad.

 

[JenX]

How often do you wash? I wash every other day and really don't get much stink at all.

 

[Marie000]

I have a dry pail. I used to wash every 3 days, but I will do it every 2 days now.

Unfortunately I can't really rinse the diapers. I don't have a laundry sink.

So far it's okay. I put some baking soda wrapped in thin fabric in the lid compartment and it seems to help.

 

[SarahBear]

You don't necessarily need a laundry sink. The bathroom sink can work just fine, as can a bathtub. Another thing you can do is give it a swish in the toilet and flush the toilet while holding on to the diaper.

 

[minties]

I like what Sarahbear just said. I use the toilet and the sink or bathtub in the bathroom too.

If it's a poo'y nappy I flush the poo off while holding the soiled part in the water and rinse the nappy under a tap in the bath.

I used to keep a bucket in the bath too which is good, I only stopped as the kids kept trying to put toys in it.

All of my nappy brands say to rinse nappies before washing.

 

[Sqwidge]

A friend of mine who cloth diapers said to me the other day when we were talking (I don't cloth) that she puts a couple of drops of tea tree oil on the first nappy that goes in and that's all it needs to stop smells...