Wet vs Dry Pail

When it comes to diaper pails there are two camps. The wet pailers and the dry pailers.

I, myself, am I dry pailer but I will strive to be an objective party when giving the pros and cons of both.

So, what is a wet pail or dry pail? Very simply, a wet pail is a diaper pail that is filled half way with a water or water/detergent solution wherein you put soiled diapers until you have enough for a load. A dry pail is a diaper pail with no such solution added.

The camps between wet and dry pails are decidedly divided and the debate continues to rage on. Here's why:

Wet Pails Pros:
According to some, wet pails help eliminate stink and stains. Since I have no stink issues and rare staining I'm not sure how this is better than the dry pail, but I'll put it as a pro anyway because that's what I've heard.

No need to do a pre-rinse. Because you are essentially rinsing your diapers in the pail, many cloth diapers don't see the need to do a pre-rinse, they just spin out the water solution and then start their wash. Some still do a pre-rinse to be sure all ickies are rinsed, but I'm told it's not particularly necessary.

Wet Pail Cons:
The first and foremost con to the wet pail is the drowning hazard it produces to little children. Let's face it, you have a pail half full of water or some other solution just sitting there. While I'm sure you wouldn't just let your child play anywhere where there was a drowning hazard unattended, we all know how human we are and it's just one more thing to think about.

They are heavy. In my two-story home we keep the diaper pail on the main floor and a small pail (big enough for only two or three diapers) upstairs for the evening. Upon wash time I collect my wet bag from my pail and drag it down another flight of stairs into the basement where the washer and drier reside. One day I will have to weigh the bag to see how heavy it is but take my word for it, it has some weight to it. You are talking about twenty diapers or more, filled with poop and pee. If I were to do a wet pail method we'd be added at least two-four gallons of water and perhaps some other solution. That's a lot of weight to be dragging around the house.

I once read a very funny story about a mother who used a wet pail. While taking it down to her washer she tripped and dropped the pail. The entire pail filled with poopy diapers, urine and gallons of water spilled everywhere and soaked into everything. She was mortified. It took her forever to clean it up and she never again used a wet pail. It was this story that convinced me never to try it myself. I am not the world's most graceful woman and I can just see my wet pail bouncing down my basement stairs straying poopy water all over the walls and floor. That's enough for me to avoid wet pails all together.

Not to mention that pouring the contents of your wet bag into the washing machine can also be a big messy. Again, not the world's most graceful woman, I can see myself slipping and sloshing poopy water all over my basement. Yuck!

Water solutions (especially those that contain bleach) can be corrosive to diapers and wear on them faster. It was once believed that in order to be sanitary you needed to use a wet pail in which to store your dirty diapers with a half/half solution of bleach and water. People were wondering why their diapers didn't last six months before the elastic was shot, holes were appearing, snaps were falling off and thick, absorbent diapers became thin rags. It's because cleaning chemicals are made to corrode and eat at what they come in contact with. That's what helps them clean, not to mention the fact that water itself is also corrosive (think of the rocks in a stream worn smooth by the water). The best state for your diapers is clean and dry. If a wet pail must be used I would recommend plain water. If you feel a solution HAS to be added I would shoot for pH balance. Baking soda with some lemon juice, an alkaline with an acid to help neutralize each other. I would also go as natural as possible to avoid harsh chemicals getting stuck in the diapers and therefore left on my babies skin.

AVOID BLEACH AT ALL COSTS!!

The Wet Pail Alternative:
Fear not, oh people who would use wet pails, there is an alternative to the cons. Many people who choose to do a wet pail method simply use their washing machine as the pail. They put their machine on the soak cycle, fill it half way and add the diapers as they go. Once they have a load they simply start the spin cycle (or rinse cycle, however they choose) and there is no worries of spilling poopy water all over the floor.

The only con being, of course, you can't do any other laundry unless you have a second washing machine or you do your diaper laundry first.

Dry Pail Pros:
It's just easy. My dry pail is simply a metal trash can with a petal operated lid. I have two Planet Wise Wet Bags that I alternate as liners. The dirty diapers go in. Once the pail is full I pull out the liner, put the new one in and take the soiled diapers downstairs. Because there is elastic around the top of the bag that almost instantly seals everything off, if I were to drop it (which I have) I may get one diaper falling out but I never get a huge mess all over the place. The whole kit and caboodle goes into the washing machine and away we go.

Dry Pail Cons:
Some say that dry pails stink more than wet pails. I wouldn't really know of the comparison, but I do know that my dry pail doesn't stink. My diaper pail sits in my living room. Everyone assumes it's a trash can (my father even tried throwing his paper plate away in it until I stopped him) and no one has commented on a smell. You may think they are just being polite, but in truth, neither me nor my husband have ever had any odor issues from our pail. People who are extra paranoid about stink can sprinkle some baking soda into their dry pail which is considered a quick and easy solution to stink issues.

If the pail itself starts to get a little odorous a simple spritz with vinegar water and some fresh air cleans it up in about ten minutes.

If the diapers themselves seem to be smelly it is probably your wash routine that needs tweaking, not your pail.

I've often been tempted to try a wet pail, just to see how it goes, but I don't see the need or how it could be beneficial. My diapers are clean. There is minimal staining and absolutely no stink issues. I do what's best for them to give them the longevity I hope to get from them. There is no mess to worry about. I simply don't see the need to try a wet pail.

There is some more info on diaper pails here.