With just three simple items you probably already have around the house, you can make a powerful odor-stopper for even the most rotten kitchen trash or the nastiest bathroom bin.

Resisting the “Diaper Genie”

Long before I even had my first baby, I knew I wanted to keep things simple and avoid any unnecessary products. A dedicated garbage can just for diapers with its own separate bags seemed to be more clutter than convenience.

Doubling the diapers, and doubting my decision

At first, I was sure I could just take any dirty diapers straight out to the outdoor trash, and there would be no smells to speak of, but then came a second baby and snowy weather and that habit quickly came to an end. I soon learned why Diaper Genies are so often on the lists of “must haves.”

I was still determined not to replace our small trash can with a big bulky diaper pail. But let me tell youโ€”I cloth diaper my kids, and with the routine that I’ve found that works best for our family, the…”solids”…go straight into the trash can without even a diaper to block the smell. Having a lid helped a little, but any time we threw something away we were blasted with all the stink inside, and that smell can linger for hours. Not good. I knew I had to do something about it.

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Stopping the stink

I knew I didn’t want a whole new receptacle for our smelly garbage, but I also knew I had to find something. There are garbage odor eliminators available in stores, but these smell-capturing capsules can cost up to $5 each, and still have to be replaced every week or two. That’s more than we’d spend on the boys’ diapers, wipes, clothes, and toys combined. However, I noticed most of these products were basically just different-sized and shaped containers of baking soda โ€” easy enough to replicate for mere pennies instead.

A simpler solution

All you need is a dryer sheet, a few tablespoons of baking soda, and some packing or duct tape.

1. Lay a dryer sheet out flat on a counter or table.

2. Place a few tablespoons of baking soda in the middle.

3. Fold the dryer sheet around the baking soda. Use a small piece of tape to keep it closed.

4. Tape the underside of your trash can lid (or to the inside edge of the can if it doesn’t have a lid) leaving the middle of the “packet” exposed.

And that’s it! It makes a WORLD of difference.

If you start to notice the odors escaping again after a week or so, simply throw away the old odor-absorber and replace it with a new one. This is so easy! I can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner.

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