How Cleaning Your Trash Bins Can Improve Property Value
What does a dirty trash bin have to do with the value of your home?
Guest Contributor: Richard Roberts, Schambs Property Management
You see photos and videos of a charming house on the internet, and you are eager to see it in person. But the day you visit, the first thing that catches your eye is a dirty trash bin sitting in front of the home.
Of course, the dirty trash bin does not affect the paint on the house’s exterior. It does not diminish the greenness of the lawn. It does not make the lighting and attractive front door different from what you saw online. Yet, for some reason, that dirty trash bin spoils the entire setting because it stands in complete contrast to the rest of the home.
Because of the contradiction between the home’s beauty and the ugliness of the trash bin, the unattractiveness of the trash bin is stronger. Since it is the first thing you see when you drive up, it becomes the image of the home that you always recall. Even after seeing the rest of the property, you may still associate the house with that dirty trash bin.
As a buyer, how would this experience affect your property’s valuation? The fact is, although it makes no logical sense, the displeasure caused by that ugly trash bin could cause you to make a lower offer for the home. That’s because you subconsciously start to think that the house may not be as good as you were led to believe.
Now, what if that beautiful home with the ugly trash can standing in front of it was your home?
As a homeowner, the one thing you don’t want is for your home to lose value. Your home provides shelter and is an emblem of your social status. But more importantly, that building is probably the most expensive thing you have ever bought. Whatever affects the value of your home will touch your life deeply.
That is why it is vital to make sure your trash bin does not tarnish the image of your home.
reasons to clean your trash bins
A clean trash bin is not just about the curb appeal of your home. There are good reasons to keep trash bins clean, disinfected, and deodorized.
Dirty bins become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria
Household waste inside a trash bin provides the perfect place for harmful microorganisms to flourish. Even when you empty the trash, it does not rid the bacteria in the bins. Your trash bin can become your enemy by serving as the source where bacteria gets into your home. That can happen when you, a family member, or your pets touch the bacteria-laden bin. The longer a trash bin has gone without a good cleaning, the greater its ability to spread germs and illnesses.
Dirty trash bins attract pests to your home
The sight and smell of a dirty trash bin can make your home a magnet for annoying or even dangerous pests. The dirty bin signals to roaches, rats, raccoons and other kinds of vermin that there is a free meal to be had on your property. These creatures will invade your trash bin if it is dirty and help spread the bad odors and bacteria from the bin even further. Keeping your trash bin clean can help you reduce the probability of this happening.
Dirty trash bins harm your community
When you don’t keep your trash bin as clean as it could be, it is not just your family who suffers. By letting that trash bin devalue your home, you can be indirectly deflating the value of the other homes in your neighborhood.
How do you clean, deodorize and disinfect your trash bin?
Remove the trash bag and any loose trash. Do this after emptying the bin on your garbage pickup day.
Remove pieces of trash stuck to the sides of the bin.
Spray the bin with water to remove stuck trash that is hard to remove and prepare the bin for scrubbing.
Fill ¼ of the can with water, add dish soap or distilled vinegar and wash the bin inside and outside.
Spray the bin’s surfaces with undiluted distilled vinegar to disinfect and deodorize them.
Let the trash bin dry thoroughly, preferably upside down, to let all the water drain out.
Do this at least once a month.
If this seems like a lot of work, that’s because it is, but it’s also necessary work. However, you have options to get your bins cleaned by professionals.
About TriStar Bin Cleaning
TriStar Bin Cleaning is the first to offer professional trash can cleaning services throughout the Nashville area. Our state-of-the art system eliminates the foul smell as well as the harmful germs in your dirty trash can using only hot water. We steam clean dirty trash cans!
Learn more about our amazing service and schedule a bin cleaning appointment by clicking Get Started.
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