Diaper Genie Instructions for Assembly, Refills, Cleaning & More

Learning how to manage your baby’s dirty diapers involves a bit of trial and error—how often should you take your child’s dirty diapers to the trash? What is the best way to mask the smell between trips to the garbage? Luckily, products like the Diaper Genie® can help. Read on to learn how to assemble a Diaper Genie®, how to properly dispose of diapers, and how to refill and clean it for many odor-free, diaper-changing years to come!

How does a Diaper Genie work?

A Diaper Genie® reduces dirty diaper odors by sealing them in a plastic liner inside the pail with a clamping mechanism. To use it properly, pull enough film out of the liner refill to fill the pail and tie a knot in the bottom of it. Lift the lid and push the rolled-up dirty diaper into the film. Then close the lid.

Section 1 of 5:

How to Assemble a Diaper Genie®

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1
Attach the head and the base at the hinge. The first step in assembling your Diaper Genie® is to attach the head of the pail (piece A) to the base (piece B). There's a hinge on the bottom of the head and a bar at the top of the base. While holding the head at a 45-degree angle, place the bar from the base into the hinge and press down gently until they click together.^{[1]
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- If any pieces are missing, ask for replacement parts or a new Diaper Genie® by filling out a Help request form on DiaperGenie.com. To find the form, click the black “? Help” button in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
2
Check if the foot pedal works. Press down on the foot pedal with your foot. It should cause the lid and the clamp underneath the lid to open smoothly. If not, the head may not be properly connected to the base, so try taking it off and putting it back on again.^{[2]
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Hold the canister at a 60-degree angle and insert the bottom into the base. Then tilt the top up and push it into the base until you hear it click into the head.^{[3]
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4
Prepare a liner refill for your Diaper Genie®. Pull the tab on the Diaper Genie® refill to remove the plastic seal. Then, pull downwards until you’ve released about 18 in (46 cm) of film (or enough to fill the bottom of the Diaper Genie®). Tie an overhand knot in the bottom of the film to secure it.^{[4]
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- NOTE: Some Diaper Genie pails use square refills, while others use round ones. Make sure you buy the right one when your first refill runs out!
Lower the liner refill into the top of your Diaper Genie® and push the knot you tied down through the clamp. Finally, close the lid on the pail. You’re now ready to start using it!^{[5]
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Section 2 of 5:

How to Dispose of Diapers in the Diaper Genie

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1
Roll the dirty diaper into a tight ball. After you change your baby, roll their dirty diaper up tightly and secure it with the diaper tabs or a small piece of adhesive tape. The tighter you wrap the dirty diapers, the more of them the Diaper Genie® will hold before you need to empty it.^{[6]
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Research source} Here's how many newborn diapers you can expect your Diaper Genie to hold based on the size of the pail:
- Diaper Genie® Classic Pail: 55 newborn diapers
- Diaper Genie® Compact Pail: 50 newborn diapers
- Diaper Genie® Platinum Pail: 47 newborn diapers
- Diaper Genie® Signature Pail: 47 newborn diapers
- Diaper Genie® Deluxe Pail: 42 newborn diapers
- Diaper Genie® Select Pail: 40 newborn diapers
- Diaper Genie® Complete Pail: 36 newborn diapers
2
Open the lid and push the dirty diaper through the clamp. Press down on the Diaper Genie® foot pedal to lift the lid, then push the dirty diaper all the way down through the clamp. Ensure the clamp closes again after the diaper is fully inserted. Then lift your foot off the pedal to close the lid.^{[7]
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- Once the clamp closes, the Diaper Genie® twists the film directly under the clamp, sealing the dirty diaper (and its odor) inside the pail.

Section 3 of 5:

How to Empty a Full Diaper Genie®

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When your Diaper Genie® is full, unhinge the top from the bottom by pushing the button located in the middle of the pail (where the top and bottom parts meet). Flip the top part over, revealing the built-in, childproof cutter mechanism on the inside.^{[8]
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Pull the liner into the cutter and press down until it severs the liner. Tie a knot at the top of the liner to close the diapers inside.
Lift the full, tied-off bag out of the Diaper Genie® and dispose of it outside, wherever you put your garbage.

Section 4 of 5:

How to Refill the Diaper Genie®

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After emptying the full Diaper Genie®, tie a knot at the bottom of the film sticking out of the refill. If you fail to do so, the dirty diapers you place in the pail will fall out of the bottom of the film when you try to remove the next full load.^{[9]
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After tying a knot at the end of the film, pull out about 18 in (46 cm) of liner, like you did when you were preparing to use your Diaper Genie® for the first time. Ensure that the amount you pull out is enough to fill the bottom of the pail.^{[10]
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Finally, flip the head of the Diaper Genie® back over so it's sitting atop the base and the canister. Press down until the parts click back into place.^{[11]
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Section 5 of 5:

How to Clean the Diaper Genie®

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Deep clean your Diaper Genie® whenever it smells or looks dirty. To do so, take the Diaper Genie® apart and spray the inside and outside with a bleach-based cleaner. Let it soak for at least 1 hour, rinse it off with water from your tub or shower, then wipe it down with paper towels or a soft cleaning cloth. Dry it by hand or let it air dry before using it again.^{[12]
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- To prevent having to deep clean, clean the pail with an anti-bacterial cleaning wipe several times throughout the week.

Expert Q&A

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Question

The lid came unhinged. Is there a trick to getting it back in without breaking it?

Catherine Palomino, MS
Master's Degree, Elementary Education, CUNY Brooklyn College
Catherine Palomino is a former Childcare Center Director in New York. She received her MS in Elementary Education from CUNY Brooklyn College in 2010.

Catherine Palomino, MS

Master's Degree, Elementary Education, CUNY Brooklyn College

Expert Answer

While holding the top at a 45-degree angle, place the bar from piece B into the hinge and press down until they click together. If this cannot be done with ease, then do not force it and instead contact the manufacturer for assistance.

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Question

Does it take batteries?

EpcotMagic

Top Answerer

Diaper Genies neither needs nor uses batteries. It is a manual push that will propel the diaper into the bag inside the machine.

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How do you know when it is full?

JoannaISR

Community Answer

It is full when you cannot comfortably fit more diapers into it.

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Tips

The red line on the liner roll indicates when your roll is getting low, so you know you'll need to replace it soon.

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If you notice an odor and the pail isn't full, double-check that you tied the bottom of the liner into a knot. If you forget to tie a knot, the liner won't contain the odor from your baby’s dirty diapers effectively.

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