Taking out the garbage is an unavoidable chore, but who says it has to be so unpleasant? If you’re wondering, “How do I get the smell out of my trash can?”, you’ve come to the right place!

Maybe your trash bags have leaked or you threw something in the trash that’s now rotted. Regardless of how the smell got in, a stinky garbage can waft its stench right into your home or even make your neighbors go ‘Yuck!’

Whether you’ve tried cleaning it already or the smells come back too soon, we’ve got some tips to help you blast those foul odors and keep them away for longer. Here are some tips that are sure to work when battling smelly cans.

How Do I Get the Smell Out of My Trash Can For Good?

First off, you need to start fresh with a clean can if you want the stench to go away.

An environmentally friendly (and cheaper!) alternative to harsh chemicals is mixing a solution of hot water and vinegar. Keep the ratio around 4 parts water to 1 part vinegar.

Allow the cleaning solution to sit for several minutes before scrubbing with a brush or broom. Remove the solution and let the garbage can sit in the sun until it’s dried.  

Most people jump right to the cleaning solutions, thinking to themselves, “Get the smell out of my trash can already”.   If you use bleach or another chemical cleaner to clean the inside of your can, make sure you have a plan to get rid of the waste water once you’re done cleaning.  Aside from the obvious environmental impact of dumping chemicals down a storm drain, most towns and HOAs have laws or regulations prohibiting this…which could result in hefty fines!

Prevent and Neutralize Odors

To help prevent odors from coming back, baking soda is your friend! It works for your garbage can the same way it works for unpleasant smells in your fridge.

Simply sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of your can or even on top of garbage to absorb the funky smells.

Charcoal also works well for absorbing unwanted stench. Simply take some charcoal, crush it up, and put it in your can to help prevent odors.

Mask the Stink

If you’re still smelling something funky, try covering it up with dryer sheets. You don’t have to use new ones but can repurpose your used dryer sheets. You were gonna throw them away anyway, why not give them a second job?

Some people may prefer a lighter scent, so you can add dried citrus peels to help mask the stench. Citrus is pleasant on the nostrils and powerful enough to cover foul odors.

Absorb Stray Liquids

After you’ve cleaned your can, it’s a good idea to safeguard against future odors so you don’t have to scrub it out as often.

Line your trash can with old newspapers, which absorb stray liquids and easily replace them once they’re soiled.

Another useful alternative is using cat litter. No need to get fancy, the cheap stuff works well for this purpose. Just throw some in the bottom of your can

What else can I do to get the smell out of my trash can?

Aside from these useful tips on keeping your can clean, there is a much easier alternative!  If the idea of handling your smelly trash can on a regular basis sounds like too much of a hassle, save yourself the headache and hire a trash can cleaning company!

For just a few dollars a month (less than the cost of a few lattes!) you can have a company like Clean Cans come out and blast away the bacteria and smells lingering in your trash can.  The best part, aside from you not having to clean the cans yourself, is that the process is self contained and all of the waste water is collected and safely disposed of.  No harsh chemicals, no mess, no smells!

Check out this video to see how the can cleaning process works to get rid the smells and odors out of your trash can!