How to Keep Your Trash Can Clean

Jun 13

Guest Contributor: Jamie Xu, STROBIGO

Keeping your trash can clean and fresh is a great way to avoid unpleasant smells around your home and garage. By following these simple tips you can keep your trash can clean and smelling great.

Rinse the trash can with soap and water after each use

The trash can is one of the filthiest, most germ-ridden things on your property. Imagine how many disgusting things are crawling around in there! To keep it clean and to keep your family safe, rinse the trash can with soap and water after it’s emptied. If you regularly throw food scraps in your bin, don't let nasty stuff build up on the bottom of the can. Remember that it's your home and your family's health that's at risk.

Spray the trash can with a disinfectant

Spraying the inside of your outdoor trash can with a disinfectant after each use is an easy way to ensure that you're not inviting outside pests and diseases into your home.

Many household disinfectants are available in spray form, making it easy to put these three simple steps into action:

1. Spray the inside of your trash can with a disinfectant after each use.

2. Wait for the surface to dry completely before adding another bag of garbage.

3. Empty the trash regularly, and refill your can with clean bags.

Sprinkle baking soda in the trash can to absorb odors

Sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of your trash can so that when you put your garbage in it, the odors are absorbed by the baking soda.

Clean the outside of the trash can

In order to avoid unsightly buildup on the outside of your trash can, which can attract flies, rinse and wipe down the outside surfaces every week. This will keep the trash can clean and prevents unwanted critters from setting up camp.

Use Heavy Duty liners in the trash can to catch leaks and spills

Regular garbage bags often leak and make a big mess. Here is a great way to solve that problem: In conjunction with kitchen trash bags, use bin liners in your outdoor bins. Bin liners are made with heavy-duty plastic material which will help trap leaks and prevent them from seeping out into your garage or yard. “Bagging the bagged trash” adds a layer of protection that individual bags do not.

Store the trash can in a dry, well-ventilated area

It is important to make sure your outdoor bin is not stored in damp conditions. Your trash will get wet if water gets inside, attracting flies and it will make it smell awful. If you have to store it outside, try to put it in either a sheltered area or against a building that provides some protection from precipitation.

You also need to make sure there is good ventilation for the can so that moisture cannot collect on the inside of the lid. This could lead to an increase in microbial activity, which will produce unpleasant odors inside your trash can even if it doesn’t seem moist on the outside.

Keep pests (and pets) away from the trash can

When storing trash cans outdoors, animals will be attracted to scraps of food. There are several ways to keep wild animals and pets away from your trash cans. If your backyard doesn't have a fence, consider purchasing a critter-resistant lid for your bin.

You may also want to use available yard features such as landscaping to deter unwanted animal behavior. This is especially true if you’ve moved near an area with wildlife or in an area that is more rural than urban, as wildlife can be attracted by routine human activity. Trash is one of the most common reasons wildlife enters inhabited spaces.

Leave cleaning your trash can to the professionals!

If you don’t have the time to do these things, but you’re tired of dealing with the pests, bugs and smell of your dirty garbage can, book an appointment at TriStar Bin Cleaning. We offer affordable and flexible cleaning options for any schedule.

Schedule your cleaning now!

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