Ever walk by your outdoor trash can and just about lose your lunch? Ugh. Those cans take a lot of abuse and hold a lot of undesirable stuff, so it’s no wonder they get smelly. If you’re ready to clean yours up and remove that horrible aroma — plus keep it cleaner, longer — here’s how to do it. But you might wanna grab that mask first. 😉
1. Pay Attention to Your Bags
If you overstuff your garbage bags, they’re not only going to stink, but they’ll be harder to close. And that releases the lovely scent you were trying to banish from the house, right? Don’t overstuff your bags, and you’ll be able to keep more of those odors in. And that leads to the second part of this step…sealing your bags. A bag that isn’t overstuffed can actually be tied off to seal in the stink. Paying more attention to your bags can keep your cans from getting so smelly. You can also buy scented trash bags that claim to control odors, but it’s not really necessary if you do the other two things.
2. Keep it Together
When your kitchen garbage bag is getting full (see tip #1), it’s tempting — at least for me — to take stuff right out to the outdoor can instead of changing out the indoor bag. But try to resist doing that, as loose garbage inside the can will only serve to stink it up even more. On top of that, try to avoid throwing food packaging like meat trays or fast food bags into your outdoor can without putting them in a plastic bag first. Try re-using those plastic grocery sacks for that stuff.
3. Rinse and Repeat
I know it sounds like a pain, but if you can, rinse your outdoor garbage can with the garden hose after every trash pickup. Then, let it sit with the lid open until it’s dry. The rinse will keep odors at bay, but you might need to thoroughly wash your outdoor trash can initially, to start with a clean slate.
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