How To Really Eliminate Foul Smells From Your Trash Can (Indoors And Outdoors!)

Trash cans aren’t supposed to smell pleasant, but they can get to a point where the smell is unbearable. Most of the time, the best way to eliminate the smell is by deep cleaning your trash can, and here you’ll learn how to do it!

Step #1. Prepare your trash can

Before anything else, take your trash can outside (unless it’s outdoors already) to handle it without problems. If you can’t take it out, a bathroom is a good alternative where you can clean it.

You need to empty your trash can, but taking out the bag is not enough. You’ll have to drain any liquids the bin could have and scrape off the stuck-on gunk. Otherwise, they’ll get in your way in the washing step.

Step #2. Get (or make) a cleaner

Using an all-purpose cleaner will be enough to remove the grime and stench from your trash can. However, if you don’t have one handy and don’t want to spend money, you can make a homemade cleaner: mix two cups of water, two tablespoons of baking soda, and a trickle of dish soap. 

Step #3. Pour the solution

Once ready, pour a generous amount of your cleaner into the bin and use an extended brush to spread the solution. Be sure to cover all the walls and pay attention to crevices and corners. Let the solution sit for about 15 minutes.

Step #4. Scrub and rinse it out

After 15 minutes, use the long brush again to scrub the inside and outside of your trash can thoroughly. As before, focus on crevices and corners, as they are the perfect spots for bacteria to thrive (bacteria is the most common cause of foul odors).

Trash cans are usually easy to wash unless they have some icky gunk stuck on their walls. If so, spray degreaser on the troublesome area, let it sit for five minutes, and scrub again. After removing all the stains or residue, use a hose or a bucket with water to rinse the bin.

Step #5. Dry and disinfect

Once you’ve removed all the stains and grime, tip the can over to drain the water—leave it to drip for a couple of minutes.

Then, wrap a clean and dry cloth around your extended brush to dry the can thoroughly. This way, you’ll prevent mold growth in the near future (mold can also cause musty odors). Finally, spray rubbing alcohol all over the bin to kill remaining germs and bacteria.

Effective deodorizers for your trash can

You can keep your trash can from smelling too bad with the following tips. The best thing is they don’t mask bad odors as most air fresheners but counteract them directly!

Disclaimer: Although these tips work to keep your trash can from smelling too bad, they won’t stop germs and bacteria. Remember to wash your garbage can regularly.

Baking soda

Besides being a powerful natural cleaner, baking soda is an excellent deodorizer—and it’s very easy to use! Just sprinkle a thin layer in the bottom of your trash bin, and it will quickly absorb foul odors.

Warning: If you have a metal trash can, put the baking soda on a plate at the bottom. Otherwise, your can will rust.

Sturdy odor-absorbing trash bags

Odor-absorbing bags neutralize odors without adding anything else to your trash can. Just be sure to get well-built ones to avoid rips and leaks.

We can help you with more cleaning tips!

Custom Cleaning Of The Palm Beaches knows that cleaning tasks can sometimes be challenging. That’s why we provide you with the best tips so you can carry out your chores quickly and easily. Visit our blog now!