Is it a trash can or garbage can? Regardless of what we call them, we all know that they smell! In this blog post we are going to focus on cleaning both your indoor and outdoor garbage cans in no time with our quick guide.
Cleaning Your Indoor Garbage Can:
- Start off by taking out the trash so that your garbage can is empty. After all, you cannot clean a full can!
- Spray an all-purpose cleaner on the outside surface of the garbage can. (We recommend a homemade all-purpose cleaner consisting of 1 tablespoon of dish soap and plenty of warm water.)
- Spray down the inside of the garbage can with the same all-purpose cleaner. Be sure that every inch of that interior surface is absolutely soaked. Focus on any areas with stuck-on garbage stains.
- Next up: deodorize! Take about ½ cup of baking soda and sprinkle it into the inside of the garbage can. Make sure to coat the walls and bottom completely. Leave this mixture of deodorizing and grease tackling agents to do their work for around 5-10 minutes.
- While the interior is soaking, take a dry, clean rag or cloth and wipe down the outside of the garbage can in an “S” pattern.
- After you have let the interior soak, take a durable sponge and scrub the inside of the garbage can from top to bottom. This is also a good time to scrub the lid of your garbage can too. Pay extra close attention to stubborn bits of residue. Rinse your sponge as needed.
- When everything has been scrubbed, it is time to rinse off the soap and baking soda – a garden hose is a good choice for this part.
- Dry your garbage can thoroughly using an absorbent cloth. If you have a stainless steel can, pay extra attention to the outside to ensure a streak-free shine.
Bonus Tips:
Tip#1: Before you replace the bag, crumple up newspaper and throw it into the bottom of the can. This will help actively deodorize your garbage can on a daily basis and soak up any garbage juices that leak out.
Tip#2: We recommend cleaning out your garbage can at least twice per year – once in the spring and once in the fall.
Cleaning Your Outdoor Garbage Can:
- Right after garbage day is the best time to clean out your outdoor garbage cans. You will get things started by making up a homemade deodorizing and degreasing solution of dish soap and vinegar in a spray bottle.
- Using a 3 phase system, spray down your garbage can, inside and out.
- Apply coat #1, let it soak in for 5 minutes and repeat the process 2 more times.
- After the 15 minutes of soaking has passed, fill up a bucket with warm soapy water, grab your sponge or a heavy brush and get scrubbing.
- Finally, hose it down and leave it out to dry.
Love these tips? Go over them again by watching our video version of this blog post!
We want to know, when was the last time you cleaned your garbage can?
