How To Clean A Garbage Can That Smells

4 Garbage Can Tricks Everyone Should Try for a Better-Smelling Kitchen

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The kitchen garbage is most likely the smelliest thing in your household. (If it's not, there might be a bigger problem at hand.) And that makes total sense when you think about what's in there. "Even something as innocent as leftover veggie trimmings can surprise you with a stench in the morning!" says Becky Rapinchuk, the blogger behind Clean Mama.

Ideally you're taking out the full—or close-to-full—bag every few days for garbage pickup or general safe-keeping, but smells can still find a way to permeate the air in the days between.

Your garbage is never gonna smell like roses, but it doesn't have to be totally offensive. Here are some things you can do for a better-smelling kitchen trash.

1. Divert the worst offenders.

Fish and seafood are by far the stinkiest, so Becca Napelbaum, a cleaning expert at Handy, an on-demand home service app, recommends bagging waste from these dishes separately and taking out that bag as soon as you've finished your meal. Same with any fruits or vegetables that have passed their prime: Bag them up separately and take them out ASAP (or compost them). Both Napelbaum and Rapinchuk agree that your first line of defense is to cut down on the stuff that causes the most stink.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

2. Add baking soda.

If bagging and tossing scraps right away isn't realistic (I know my big hurdle is having to head down two flights of stairs to get outside to my building's garbage area!), you can try adding an odor-absorbing material. There's a laundry list of things that can help—coffee beans, cat litter, charcoal, etc.—but Napelbaum suggests baking soda. Sprinkle it in the bottom of the bin and it will help prevent and absorb smells.

Rapinchuk makes her own odor-absorbing tablets by mixing 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/3 cup Epsom salt, 1/4 cup of water, and 10 drops of lemon essential oil, and then pouring it into ice cube trays to harden. She drops one or two tablets into stinky trash cans (between the can and the liner) and replaces them when they stop working.

(Image credit: Kelli Foster)

3. Add lemon peels too.

Lemon peels are your friend. Instead of actually throwing them away, put them between the can and the liner. "They'll do a good job disguising some or all of the odor," says Napelbaum, who suggests using the peels in conjunction with the baking soda idea mentioned above.

4. Clean the trash can regularly.

Even with best intentions, juices and other waste can get between the can and the garbage bag, so you should wipe the inside of the can regularly—about every two weeks, or whenever you notice a spill or smell. Then aim to give the can a proper clean at least a few times a year (of course, no one will be mad at you if you do it more often!).

Ayn-Monique Klahre

Contributor

Ayn-Monique is a lifestyle editor and writer who's worked for Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, FamilyFun and more. She loves lattes, jogging and hanging out at the playground with her husband and daughters.

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