Prevent Garbage Can Odor

Written by Amy Gordon (last updated October 22, 2018)

Garbage cans and rubbish bins are called such because of the junk that they hold inside until someone finally decides to take it all away. While it is great that the garbage does not have to sit around the house during that time period, all the junk stored together over a period of time has a horrible tendency: it will make the garbage can stink. This smell, if strong enough, can leak out of the garbage can and permeate your home. No one likes the smell of garbage. Even if you use fragrance sprays, candles, or other great smelling methods that have been discussed in other articles, the garbage can will still stink.

The odor that comes from the garbage comes from two sources. These sources are odor-causing bacteria and molds. Neither one of these things is particularly pleasant. The molds and bacteria can be caused by food that goes in the garbage, so removing that food will help, but sometimes the bacteria and mold grow just because of the dark, damp conditions where garbage is stored. When the smell comes from this source, it is much more difficult to remove. Even professional cleaners will sometimes fail to remove that smell.

If you want to make that odor a thing of the past, the first thing you will want to do is clean out the garbage or rubbish bin as often as you can. The easiest way to do this is get a hose out, preferably with a high powered tip, and just blast all the muck and gunk away from the inside of the bin. This will at least clear out the food, though it may not completely get rid of the smell.

To make that smell go away, every month you should sprinkle just a small amount of borax in the bottom of your garbage can. Borax can be extremely toxic, so be very careful when applying it. Follow any instructions on the packaging. The advantage of the toxicity of borax is that it will kill the molds and bacteria that cause odor.

Using these two simple steps, even though your garbage can holds garbage, it will no longer smell awful.

Author Bio

Amy Gordon

Amy Gordon loves keeping things simple, natural, and safe so she can spend more time having fun. Every day she learns new things about making life at home easier and she loves to share it with you! ...

MORE FROM AMY

Indoor Gardening

Indoor plants can be used to brighten the inside of your house just like the outside. Be sure that your plant gets ...

Discover More

How to Make Compost

Composting is a great way to nourish your plants with things you already have around your house. Keep your compost ...

Discover More

Get Rid of Slugs and Snails

This tip includes a few easy ways to gather snails and remove them from your garden. You can give snails a nice place to ...

Discover More

Remove Stubborn Stains Quickly Get everything looking clean again: Walls, floors, baseboards, counters, blinds, appliances, and more. Micro-scrubbers easily reach into surface grooves, lifting dirt away. This low-cost 8-pack is great for stubborn stains and touble areas. Check out Mr. Clean Magic Eraser 8-Pack today!

More Cleaning Tips

Cleaning Garbage Cans

Garbage in general is pretty disgusting, and the filth from your garbage will undoubtedly affect your garbage can. You ...

Discover More

Garage Storage Shelving

It is never too early or too late to Spring-clean your garage. If you never installed shelves, peg board storage, hung ...

Discover More

Cleaning Your Garage

Many garages are a mess because they accumulate stacks of things that just aren't used often. To clear up space, organize ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is five more than 3?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.