Coming home after a long day, all you want to do is relax and enjoy some downtime but just as you go to take your shoes off, you get a strange unpleasant whiff in the hallway. Is it a dead animal? Is it yesterday’s lunch? No…it’s the bin. It reeks!
Despite emptying your bin regularly, bins can often create a less than desirable pong, which spreads around the house. Fear not. Here we have 8 fool-proof tips for properly removing the dreaded stink of your bin!
1. Recycle your newspapers
Did you know that even though you change your bin bag daily, the bin can still collect a mysterious brown-grey layer of dirt at the bottom. Not only is this nasty to look at but the smell can be quite potent too. Try putting a few layers of newspaper on the bottom of your bin. The paper will soak up any liquids and stop the stink from lingering. Any strong smelling foods such as onions or meat can be wrapped in newspaper before discarding. The best bit? This can go directly from the newspaper onto the compost meaning there is no waste.
2. Budget conscious? No problem.
Baking soda is not only suitable for baking. The little white powder can do so much more – such as absorbing odours. All you have to do is: sprinkle some baking soda on the bottom of your bin and place a new trash bag into it – that’s it!
3. Cat litter. Not just for cats!
Cat litter not only removes unpleasant smells our four-legged feline friends leave behind. It is just as good at destroying rancid smells coming from your bin. It’s as easy as sprinkling a little cat litter over the base of the bin. Any nasty smells will be absorbed in a flash.
4. Coffee ‘super’ beans
Australia is a
coffee loving nation, but did you know the beans that make this little pick-me-up so delicious, have a gazillion other uses apart from keeping the nation alert? The properties of the coffee beans are particularly well suited to neutralizing odours. Our tip: Fill
coffee beans in a small bowl and put it on the bottom of the trash can.
5. Lemon. Sunshine for your bin
The
lemon, one of the best natural cleaning ingredients you can have in your kitchen. It’s the ideal tool to cover up bad smells. All you have to do is: Put a few lemon slices on the floor of your bin, finished!
6. Bleach
Bleach is not only effective for banishing bin odours. It can do a lot more! Namely, it kills all the strains of
bacteria that create the smell in the first place. So it’s a good idea, for your bin to be completely cleaned with bleach every now and then. Mix 3 cups of bleach to 4 liters of water. Next just scrub, let it dry and voila, you have a beautiful fresh smelling bin.
7. Universal Cleaner vinegar
We can’t forget about trusty vinegar. If it’s time to declare war on your stinky bin, try this. Boil a full kettle of water, pour it into the bin when ready and simply add a good dash of vinegar. Close the lid of the bin (the steam will help remove stubborn dirt) and wait for half an hour. Then pour out and wipe dry.
8. A place in the shade
Rubbish should not be exposed to direct sunlight, or heat from the stove. Heat promotes the fermentation process of waste and the spread of bacteria and germs.
If you have bin cleaning tips of your own, we’d love to hear your comments below!
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