The thought of cleaning the kitchen trash can often comes to our mind every time we use it but then we instantly forget it. And we keep forgetting it until the kitchen garbage bin starts to spread pesky odor. And that’s when we all rush to clean the garbage can.
Even though you follow a good habit of emptying your kitchen trash on time, a few particles are always left behind. And these attract bacteria and then eventually stink. So it is important to clean your pull-out trash can after every few days especially when you keep one in the kitchen.
How Often You Should Clean Your Kitchen Garbage Can
Having a kitchen trash can is a must for any household, especially if you cook every day at home. From egg shells to coffee pods, there’s a lot of kitchen waste.
So you might have noticed that the kitchen garbage bin fills faster than any other bins in your home. And thus, it needs proper cleaning after a certain time.
But the real question is, how often you should clean your kitchen garbage bin?
It depends on how large your family is. It is obvious that waste produced by a large family will be more than a micro family.
Also, there will be a lot of vegetable peels, egg shells, chicken bones, etc, if you prefer cooking at home. Therefore, your kitchen bin will fill at double the speed.
It takes about 20-30 days for a large kitchen garbage can to fill. So you will get a chance clean your kitchen garbage can once every month.
How To Clean Kitchen Trash Can
Things You Need
- Rubber Gloves
- A long handle, soft bristle brush
- A garden hose(if you have outdoor space) or bathtub
- All-purpose cleaner
- Disinfectant spray
- Old towel or a few paper towels
Step-By-Step Guide
- Empty the Trash Can: The first step is to empty your trash can before you start cleaning. Take out the old trash and pick up any large food particles on the bottom of the can.
- Put on your Rubber Gloves: Now it’s time to do the actual work but before that, wear a clean pair of rubber gloves. After all, you don’t want to touch a garbage bin with bare hands.
- Wash the Can: Take your kitchen garbage bin outdoors to wash it with a hose or put it in the bathtub for proper cleaning. Make sure to spray the water both on the inside and outside of the bin. This will remove dirt and dust from garbage can walls. Pat dry with paper towels or old cloth.
- Spray Disinfectant: Take your favorite disinfectant and generously spray on the outside, inside, top, and bottom of the garbage bin. Let the spray sit for 5 minutes.
- Scrub, Scrub, Scrub: Here comes the actual cleaning part. Grab the long-handle soft-bristle brush and start scrubbing the bin. You can use a little water or baking soda to get rid of tough spots. Don’t forget to scrub the garbage can from outside as well.
- Rinse and Dry: Once the scrubbing is done, simply spray clean water all over the bin again. Give a good rinse and pat dry the bin with an old cloth or paper towel. Or you can also keep the kitchen can outside in a sunny area for 10-15 minutes for natural deodorizing of the garbage can.
How do I keep my kitchen trash can from smelling?
Stinky trash cans are a huge problem for any kitchen. While you can’t magically turn bad smells into a garden smelling of roses, there are some effective ways to prevent trash can odors. And following the below practices will require less frequent deep cleaning of the kitchen garbage bin.
- Use of Scented kitchen trash bags: It might sound new to some people but there are actually pretty good scented garbage bags available online. Lining these bags into your kitchen bin will surely help contain bad smells for a long time.
- Baking Soda: When you’re out of all the deodorizing spray in your home then it’s time to go back into the kitchen again and look for baking soda. Sprinkling a generous amount of baking soda on the bottom helps to absorb the strong stinky smell coming from garbage cans. Also, baking soda acts as a natural deodorizer.
- Mini Cleaning: Whenever you take out your kitchen trash, wipe the interior walls with paper towels. You can also use an all-purpose cleaner for better results. This little habit will keep the inside of the trash can clean and free from strong odors.
- Cat Litter: Okay this sounds strange but cat litter actually keeps garbage from smelling up. This is because cat litter absorbs moisture that is a super spreader of bad smell. Add a thin layer of cat litter on your kitchen can’s bottom and change it when it gets damp.
Also Read:
Conclusion
We often procrastinate when it comes to cleaning smelly kitchen trash cans, but deep down we know it is necessary. A smelly, dirty dual-compartment trash can is a perfect thriving zone for bacteria and molds. And you don’t want these things to thrive in your home as they can potentially trigger allergies.
Deep cleaning your kitchen trash can once a month is enough to keep bad smells at bay. Also, make a habit of using a good deodorizer inside the can to contain a strong smell.
If you don’t like to use artificial odor eliminators then it is always a good idea to use baking soda. Baking soda is a popular kitchen ingredient that works as a wonderful natural deodorizer.
I hope the above tips will help you face a less stinky situation in your kitchen in the future.
