Diaper Genie: What Is It, How It Works, Is It Worth It
Yesterday, I was talking on the phone with my best friend (which BTW is currently in labor) and she asked me if I think a Diaper Genie (or similar diaper pails) is worth it. And, for some reason, it was kind of hard for me to give a quick answer to this question. We used it every day with our first daughter Mackenzie. And, we found it quite useful. But, we opted to use regular trash bags when my daughter Mackayla was born. And, we found that the diaper trash can wasn’t as necessary as we previously thought. But, that doesn’t discount how useful it was the first time around. So, I ended up telling her that the Diaper Genie is worth it but it is not a necessity. Weird right? Well, let me explain.
“Dirty Diaper Pail” by Andrew Bardwell is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
What Is A Diaper Genie?
A Diaper Genie (or similar diaper pails) is a trash can that is specifically designed for diapers. But, there are a few features that make it different from a run of the mill trash can. First, it utilizes 7 layer diaper pail bags. The 7 layers make these bags extremely durable. And, they pretty much lock in any odors that the soiled diapers have. But, order blocking is only effective if there is some way to open up the bag when you’re throwing away a dirty diaper but it stays closed the rest of the time.
So, the Diaper Genie features an auto-closing mouth which allows you to throw away the soiled diaper but it closes almost immediately afterward. To make sure that no odors escape, some diaper pails feature a carbon filtration system (at least mine did). This might be a bit overkill since the bags do most of the work in terms of keeping the odors in. And, I don’t think I even replaced the carbon filter in my Diaper Genie. But, it’s a nice feature to have nonetheless.
How Does It Work?
Have you ever seen a garbage pail that features a foot pedal that opens the lid? Basically, the Diaper Genie is the same thing. Except, the foot pedal also opens and closes a “mouth” (for lack of a better word) that clamps and twists. This clamp and twisting motion locks in any odors inside of the 7 layer diaper bags. Once the bag is full, you cut the ends, tie it in a knot and throw the full bag away. It can take a ton of time for it to get full. But, this also means that the bag is very heavy when it’s time to throw it away.
“Gotta Love The Diaper Genie!” by SonnyandSandy is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
How Many Bags Are In A Diaper Genie Refill?
A diaper genie refill (Amazon Link) is basically 1 really long bag. The whole bag is rated to hold 270 newborn diapers. Which is literally a ton of diapers. Well, not literally but it will feel like a ton.
You use it by knotting the accessible end. Then you fill it up. Once it is full, you cut the bag and knot the other end to seal up all the soiled diapers (see picture). Then, you knot the accessible end again and repeat the process until the entire bag is used up.
How Many Diapers Does It Hold?
I never took the time to actually count how many diapers a Diaper Genie can actually hold. But, the manufacturer claims that the entire bag can hold 270 newborn diapers. But, I suspect this number is only attainable if you smash them in there and don’t cut too much extra material when tying your knots. Again, I never actually took the time to count how many diapers each bag holds. So, this is just an educated guess based on years of use.
Also, keep in mind that the manufacturer states that it holds 270 newborn diapers. The keyword is “newborn”. Newborn diapers are the smallest diapers you can get (except for preemie sizes). So, that 270 number goes down the bigger the diapers get.
Does A Diaper Genie Work?
As I stated before, we used a Diaper Genie for years when my daughter Mackenzie was born. And I loved it. We kept it next to our changing table. Which was inside our bathroom. And, we didn’t empty it until each bag was completely full.
Even though it was sitting in our bathroom and held about 50 dirty diapers (at times)… we never experienced any odor problems. So, I can honestly say that the Diaper Genie works very well.
The only cons I can find about it is the refill bags are expensive when compared to regular trash bags. And, the bag is quite heavy when full.
Is Diaper Genie Worth It? / Is It Necessary?
So, is the Diaper Genie worth it? Well, it does exactly what it’s designed to do. And, it does it very well. So, I can easily say that it is worth it. Now, you might be asking why we used it with our first daughter but not with our second. Well, the foot pedal broke after 2 to 3 years of daily use. And, we were too lazy to go and buy another one. So, we started using regular trash bags instead.
Let’s not kid anyone, regular trash bags don’t work nearly as well as the Diaper Genie when it comes to blocking odors. With the Diaper Genie, we were able to go a week or two before the bag was full and had to be thrown out. With regular trash bags, it takes only a day or two for the odor to become apparent. It wasn’t a big deal though. We just started taking out the trash more often.
The Diaper Genie is worth it since it allows parents to throw away used baby diapers without having to actually go outside and throw them away. Let’s face it, parents of newborns need all of the spare time they can get. But, it is not a necessity. You can just as easily use regular trash bags to dispose of the dirty diapers. It just means that you’ll have to throw them out more often.
By Grace – Child Development Associate Teacher in California
My husband Mark and I have been blessed with two beautiful, smart, positive (I can go on and on) girls… Kenzie & Kayla. And, we have learned many tips and tricks while raising them. Tips and tricks that we felt would be useful to other new parents out there. So, we started WAYISAVE as a website built by parents for parents to share the best baby deals, coupons, tips, tricks and the occasional piece of advice.
