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 you—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.
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 — 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.
