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Living Well Mom

I help moms with simple, natural ways to look after their families. Find recipes, fun stuff for kids, and simple DIY ideas. Plus natural solutions made easy peasy!

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Money Saving Tip: Cheap Diaper Pail Idea

By Erika in Easy DIY Projects & Crafts

A diaper pail is a must have if you have little ones. Not pleasant, but it comes with the territory.

I have 4 kids and up until recently (and our potty training adventure) had 2 in diapers. Now we have 1 in diapers full time and 2 at night. We need something that’s efficient but cheap. I’ve tried at least 3 different types of diaper pails over the years and the simple diaper pail we use now is my favorite.

Trash can for diapers this idea now...

It’s a simple flip-open-lid-with-a-foot-pedal trash can that uses regular trash bags. I bought it from Lowes a few years ago for about $10.

But the big question I know you are all waiting for – Does it keep in the smell?

Yes, it does. Maybe not as well as the individually-wrapped-and-sealed diaper pail, but it works pretty well for something so simple. We keep it in our bathroom by the sink and barely notice it. You can use baking soda sprinkled in the bottom or the little deodorizing discs on the inside of the pail to help too. I won’t say it’s smell-proof; there are definitely times when we open the pail and get a whiff, but overall it does the job.

Now if you have a two year old who decides to open and shut the lid repeated times on the afternoon before trash day, that’s a different story!

This works for cloth diapering too; we used this same method when I cloth diapered a couple years ago. Instead of trash bags, purchase a large pail liner such as this Pail Liner. I always kept two on hand that way I had an extra while one was in the wash.

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    Filed Under: Easy DIY Projects & Crafts, Home Published on April 17, 2012

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    About Erika

    Erika Bragdon is a flower essence practitioner and a second-generation homeschooling mom with 3 kids at home and 1 in college. She enjoys her chickens, goats, and gardening on a small farm in New Hampshire, and is passionate about sharing flower essences and more ways to renew body, mind, and soul with moms.

    Comments

    1. Nicole (Mama to 4 Blessings) says

      April 17, 2012 at 7:21 am

      I use the same thing for our cloth diaper pail! I do not use liners though.

      Reply
      • Erika says

        April 17, 2012 at 7:23 am

        Isn’t simple great?

        Reply
    2. melissa says

      April 17, 2012 at 8:08 am

      I will have to look into this diaper pail. Thank you very much:)

      Reply
    3. Heather McD says

      April 17, 2012 at 10:02 am

      That’s similar to what we do. Great post!

      Reply
    4. Kathryn Costa says

      April 17, 2012 at 11:05 am

      Great idea. I had one of those fancy Playtex diaper genie things when my children were in diapers and honestly it didn’t work. It would smell to high heaven. This is a great idea!

      Reply
    5. Devon says

      April 17, 2012 at 3:20 pm

      Great Idea!!!! I am all about saving money. We have a diaper champ that we use for our cloth diapers. This would have worked just the same and would probably hold more.

      Reply
      • Erika says

        April 17, 2012 at 3:35 pm

        We had a diaper champ before switching to this. I honestly don’t think there was any difference in smell.

        Reply
    6. Kelley Johnsen says

      April 17, 2012 at 4:12 pm

      Wish I had it when the kids where in diapers!

      Reply
    7. Marry says

      May 8, 2012 at 2:44 pm

      I enjoyed the tips you are providing on your frugal living can make life easier by providing long term living for doing something one time.Thanks for the the information……

      Reply
    8. David says

      February 1, 2015 at 4:47 pm

      Brilliant. We were gifted a diaper pail so I had to come up with a cheaper bag option (http://theunpreparedfather.com/diaper-pail-money-saver/), but your way is ultimately cheaper because you can use the can for other things. Like garbage 🙂

      Dave

      Reply
      • Erika says

        February 2, 2015 at 11:21 am

        Thanks, David. Your method is awesome too! I never could understand spending so much money for those type of diaper pail trash bags that will end up in the trash! Great post!

        Reply
    9. Compare Diaper Prices says

      November 22, 2015 at 1:07 pm

      You can also put some charcoal inside to absorb the bad smell. 🙂

      Reply
    10. Rhonda Furia says

      February 21, 2017 at 6:30 am

      HI,

      I’VE READ YOUR ARTICLE AND ENJOYED IT AND LEARNED A FEW MORE TRICKS THAN I NOW USE. YOU SAY TO READ BELOW TO SEE HOW TO GET A FREE NEST THERMOSTAT…I CAN’T FIND IT ANYWHERE, WOULD YOU PLEASE DIRECT ME TO ITT?

      THANKS RHONDA FURIA

      Reply
      • Erika says

        February 21, 2017 at 10:39 am

        Hi Rhonda, you can read more about how to get a free NEST thermostat through Direct Energy in my article here: https://livingwellmom.com/2017/02/reduce-electric-bill/

        Reply
    11. Rhonda Furia says

      February 21, 2017 at 6:32 am

      HI, I CAN’T FIND THE PLACE WHERE I CAN GET A FREE NEST THERMOSTAT..WOULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME?

      THANK YOU, RHONDA FURIA

      Reply

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