Hey, rational parent. I bet you’re like me and you’d prefer to see, smell, and hear your child’s bowel movements as little as possible. So you’d also like to know what sized bags fit the Ubbi, how to keep it from smelling, and other important smell-containing topics.
I’ve seen the Ubbi rated as the best diaper pail and unless someone else invents a pail that magically never smells, I have no reason to believe there’s a better diaper pail out there.
My son’s dumps stay pretty well contained and I only have to hold my breath when I change him or the bag in the pail. Thankfully not when I walk within a few feet of the Ubbi.
More details below on some important, odor-avoiding, questions.
How does the Ubbi diaper pail work?
The Ubbi diaper pail is made to keep smells inside by sealing the bag through a smaller hole at the top, inside a less absorbent steel can, with rubber gaskets that seal in odors with the pail closed.
To make it easy to put a diaper in with one hand, there’s also a sliding door on top of the pail that can be opened and closed easily.
The last detail parents of toddlers especially appreciate is the locking feature on top of the pail that lets you lock the sliding door so your little one can’t get curious and open the pail by themselves.
What bags fit an Ubbi diaper pail?
Any brand of 13 gallon garbage bags or tall kitchen bags fit the Ubbi diaper pail.
I use the actual Ubbi brand diaper pail bags and they keep the smell in fairly well, but I wouldn’t recommend spending more money on them just to get the Ubbi brand.
If you have regular kitchen garbage bags you’re already using or a scented bag that you already like, go ahead and use those instead as the Ubbi brand bags don’t have any special features aside from being 20% recycled materials.
You might want to use two bags at once as well. More details on that below.
How to keep an Ubbi from smelling
The short answer: You can use two bags at once, putting a dryer sheet in the bottom of the can, and use Ubbi odor control gel packs.
I have the Ubbi diaper pail in my son’s room and it took about 2 weeks for it to smell. It only smells when it’s open, so it does a good job of keeping the stink inside, but it doesn’t feel fresh when I take the bag out to replace it and am reminded how much stink is inside even without any diapers.
There are three ideas I’d suggest for how to keep the Ubbi diaper pail from smelling:
1. Use 2 bags at once
I’ve used the Ubbi brand bags one at a time and they’re thick and work fairly well, but it’d be more best to double line the bags and keep more of the stench contained.
I’d recommend doing this from the very start after getting the pail. You’ll be glad you did in a few weeks or months when you go to replace the bag and the can doesn’t smell like an outhouse.
2. Put a dryer sheet in the bottom
Before putting a bag (or multiple) into the pail, put a dryer sheet in the bottom of the pail to help combat the smell and get a more pleasant scent inside.
Doesn’t matter what brand and it wouldn’t hurt to put several in.
3. Use Ubbi odor control gel packs
Ubbi clearly knows diaper pails smell, so they created odor control gel packs that you put inside the pail.
They smell like lavender, you can get them in packs of three, and they’re not particularly expensive. So it’s worth getting to keep the pail lasting longer.
And if your sniffer is super sensitive and you want to go the extra mile, you can also try sprinkling baking soda or putting a few drops of essential oils in the bottom of the bag and can.
Ubbi Diaper Pail Dimensions
The pail is 8.75” W x 21.5” H x 12.5”D. 13 gallon bags or tall kitchen bags fit best.
How to put a bag in the Ubbi
1. First, make sure the lock is turned to unlocked (counter-clockwise), then lift up the top of the diaper pail.
2. Put your bag through the smaller circular hole and wrap the top of the bag around the top of the circular ring.
3. Last, tuck the edge of the bag underneath the small ring so it’s clamped between the diaper pail and circular ring, which will help keep the diaper smells from escaping.
4. Slide the door closed and push the lid down until you hear it click.
If you put the bag over the whole can opening and not just through the smaller circular hole, the odors don’t get sealed in as well by the rubber rings.
Believe me, the room is then more likely to smell like diapers and no rational human wants this.
How to unlock the pail
With the pail closed, turn the small locking mechanism on top of the lid counter clockwise.
Is it worth it?
My quick answer is yes. It’s worth buying one. My son is now 9 months old and I’m glad we have one.
It does a good job of keeping smells in as long as you keep it closed, it doesn’t need to be emptied daily, and it’s not ridiculously expensive.
But please know that it is absolutely going to smell when you open it. With my son now eating real food, his diapers and the diaper pail when it’s opened, would put a Taco Bell bathroom to shame.
If you don’t mind emptying garbage every day, you might be better off skipping the diaper pail and spending the money on other more important items like a Hatch Rest sound machine, or putting it towards a Baby Bjorn Bouncer or MamaRoo swing.
Have a different question?
If you’ve got a different question you’ve struggled to find an answer for, email us at gdhquestions@gmail.com.
