Q. What Is a Dry Pail?

A. Until you can get them to the washing machine, you might want to keep dirty cloth diapers in a dry pail. Some parents prefer this method to a wet pail, because it's less messy and eliminates the dangers of having a bin of standing water in your home. You'll need a medium-sized garbage can, lined with a plastic bag and with a tight-fitting lid, that you can keep in the bathroom or next to the changing table in the nursery. Add baking soda to the pail to help keep odors at bay, or dot the top edges of the pail with essential oils. Once you remove your baby's soiled diaper, you can either drop it directly into the pail or rinse it in the sink first, thereby presoaking it and creating more of a wet/dry pail.