Cleaning the kitchen trash can is a household to-do that no-one likes, that’s easily overlooked, but things get nasty in there fast. If you take a closer look you’ll be surprised by the coffee grounds, chips crumbs from emptying the bag and liquids make it past the bag inside of your trash can. A sweet, sour or rotten smell is an obvious sign that it’s time to clean the trash can, so grab your gloves and lets get to work!

Grab some gloves, a brush, microfiber or paper towels and a disinfectant spray of your choice. I like to work on this project outside and utilize my water hose but you could also work on this project inside and use your shower or tub. Thoroughly rinse the trash can with water, spray it with your cleaner/disinfectant of your choice, let it sit for a few mins, then scrub and rinse again. When finished dry your trash can with a microfiber towel or paper towels and let it sit for a few more hours until it’s fully dry.

You should perform this kind of deep cleaning of your trash can at least once a month, ideally more often. Tons of bacteria can thrive in your trash can, however the most common ones are Salmonella, E. Coli, and Listeria. Salmonella is bacteria usually found in eggs, uncooked poultry or raw meat. Certainly not the kind of guests you’d like to welcome to your home!