Nobody expects their trash cans to smell like good cologne, but that doesn’t mean that the smell should take over our house, does it? You might have noticed that trash can odors move from one room to another pretty quickly and it takes quite a while to find the source of the smell. Usually, your nose will take you right to the trash, which, if left for too long, can make the whole house smell really badly. A garbage bin that has a bad smell will not only annoy you, but can also attract all kinds of rats, raccoons, mice, flies, or bugs. So how can you successfully keep the trash can smell in check and keep a nice and clean garbage bin? Here are just a few ways:
Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets are one of the better ways to prevent odors from getting out of your trash. You can make stinky odors part of the past by simply throwing a dryer sheet inside the trash can. If you don’t have a new dryer sheet, you can even use an older one. Used dryer sheets can do almost as good of a job as new ones up to a point. The only issue is that if you use them inside the can, right between the bag and the can, they will usually get wet, stick to the inside of the can, and then, once they dry, they will be pretty difficult to remove. You should avoid using old dryer sheets and go for an unused one if the smell of the trash is really bad. You will almost instantly feel the bad smell get replaced by a fresh, clean one.
Placing cat litter at the bottom of a trash can helps remove moisture and bad odors from the can, and ultimately, keeps the smell from roaming inside your home. The cat litter has properties that enable it to absorb liquids and bad smells, and depending on the type, can replace the bad odor with a fresh scent. You should dump out the cat litter and replace it with a new one as soon as it gets damp with moisture and it can’t keep the bad odor inside the trash can anymore. Most of the time, there isn’t a considerable difference between more costly cat litters and cheaper ones, so it would be a good idea to use the cheaper type inside the trash can and keep the more expensive cat litter for your cat.
Bleach
There are some instances in which easier methods won’t work and you will have to use strong disinfectant to remove the germs from inside the trash can. Even though bleach has an insupportable odor, it can easily get rid of most of the germs that cause your trash can to be stinky. When using bleach, you should be very careful, because it is strong enough to damage most of the cans’ materials. You should also make sure the room in which you are working with bleach is ventilated properly because the concentration of fumes can be bad for you. If you have issues with the strong smell of bleach you should know that you can always dilute it heavily in water and it will still work just as well. You can add two gallons of warm water to just 1/4 cup of bleach and the resulting liquid will still be strong enough to clean spills, tough trash, and remove bad smells.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is also great at preventing any bad smells from your trash can. If you sprinkle it at the bottom of the can or even directly into the trash, will do a great job of absorbing bad smells. You can even use baking soda to scrub out the trash from the inside of the can, which will remove any bad smells that just won’t go away. This is a trick used by a lot of people to keep the trash cans fresh.
All you have to do is to add just 1/4 of a cup of baking soda to your trash can each morning. You will notice that the can won’t give out any bad smell in the evening when it is time o take the trash out. To give the can a proper clean, you can leave a cum of baking soda inside the can after you washed and dried it. This will keep the bad smells away and absorb all the moisture for about a week until you can clean the cans again.
Charcoal Filter
Activated charcoal is a porous carbon that has been treated with oxygen and is considered one of the better solutions for getting rid of any stringent smells. You can use store-brand deodorizers infused with charcoal, that can be attached inside cabinets and pantry doors or to the underside of the trash can lid. These filters are very effective and safe, and will naturally absorb any smells caused by food, mildew, pets, or any other bad odors.
