Last Updated on February 23, 2023
A kitchen bin is an essential item that every household needs. It provides a convenient waste disposal method without going outside your wheelie bin. However, kitchen bins also have their issues. The main issue is, as you might expect, their potential smell. In this guide, we look at how to stop a kitchen bin from smelling!
Position the Bins Correctly
Did you know that where you position your bin can make a difference? The number one rule is not to place your containers in direct sunlight.
This rule applies to both kitchen bins and outside wheelie bins. If you place your wheelie bin or interior bin in sunlight, it will heat up more quickly. This will speed up the fermentation and rotting of food and create a smelly bin.
As a result, make sure your bins are in as much shade as possible. Moreover, if it’s possible, put them where fresh air can flow. This will help remove any lingering odours.
Always Use Bin Liners
Using a bin liner, especially one that is scented is an easy method to keep your trash can fresh. You can secure bin liners inside your bin, and instead of placing waste directly into the interior compartment, you place waste into the liner.
The liner should partially trap any foul smell. Also, it means that waste and things like cat litter do not stain your bin and make for difficult bin cleaning.
Always take care when using a new trash bag, however. These plastic bags are not environmentally friendly, so try to get as much use out of one bag as possible.
If it is possible, try and use the bag several times too. This will reduce the overall number of liners you use and thus reduce your environmental impact a little.
Take Care When Emptying Items Into Your Bin
We are often clumsy and take little care when emptying items into our bins. For example, we may toss the excess into the bin when preparing food. This is a prime way that a nasty odour can build up. Throwing items carelessly into the bin could mean stains, food, and grime splashback and hit your bin’s sides, lid, and interior.
You may not notice these splashes, and they will create unpleasant smells over time. Therefore, always take care and place waste into your bin carefully. Ensure that non of the waste touches the sides and that there is no splashback. This precaution will save you cleaning time and help prevent your bin from smelling.
Empty Regularly
Bad smells usually occur when food waste has been sitting in the bottom of the bin for several days. The fermentation process starts, and discarded food items like meat and vegetables will soon rot and produce a nasty smell.
Therefore, if you have a smaller bin inside, you must empty it regularly. To save bin bags, you could empty the contents of your bin into a large trash bag inside your main outdoor bin.
By doing this, you are reducing the chance of nasty smells building up inside your kitchen. Regularly removing the recycled refuse bag is also likely to attract flies less.
Give Your Bin a Quick Clean Daily
To keep your bins clean, you must clean them regularly. You don’t have to give them a thorough clean each time – a quick wipe regularly will suffice.
Each day, or alternative days, spend a few minutes cleaning your bin. Use a damp cloth and some antibacterial spray, and wipe the lid and exterior of your bin.
Make sure that you wipe the underside of the lid and the interior rim. By wiping these areas regularly, you can remove any food particles and splashes of spilt rubbish. This can be done a few times per week and will help reduce bacteria build-up and smells.
Periodically Give Your Kitchen Bin a Thorough Clean
While wiping your bin a few times per week will reduce smells, you should periodically give the bin a thorough clean.
First, remove any trash bags.
Secondly, create a mixture of soapy water and baking soda or bicarbonate of soda and fill the inside of your bin (or the removable bin insert that sits inside it). Let this soak for 30 minutes or longer. The baking soda will help loosen any grime and dirt but also help neutralize any smell.
Once the inside has soaked, empty the water.
Next, rinse the bin completely to remove any excess solution. It would help wipe the entire bin using a damp cloth and an antibacterial spray. Clean all areas, including the bin’s base, the lid, and the underside.
Lastly, wipe the bin with a dry cloth to remove excess liquids.
Extra Tips for the Freshest of Bins
Consider adding some non-used cat litter to the bottom of the bin, as this is designed to absorb odours and bad smells. Alternatively, place a few layers of an old newspaper at the bottom of your bin to soak up any excess liquids — you can also add a few drops of your favourite essential oil for extra freshness. We can assure you that these tricks will help your kitchen and compost bin stay fresh for longer!
Kitchen Bin FAQs
How Often Should You Deep Clean Your Food Waste Bin?
There should be no set schedule for this. It would help if you deep cleaned your bin when it is needed. Ideally, if you have a regular cleaning schedule, you should not have to give your kitchen bin a thorough clean anyway.
Should You Pay Someone to Clean Your Outside Wheelie Bin?
This depends! You can easily clean your outside bin manually if you have a jet washer.
Please give it a blast with the jet washer periodically and make sure the water is completely drained. However, if you do not have access to a power wash, paying someone to clean your outside bins once per month could be beneficial.
Regularly Clean Your Kitchen Bin!
We hope you have found this guide on kitchen bin maintenance helpful! Learning how to stop a kitchen bin from smelling is essential for a hygienic kitchen. Having horrible bin odours lingering around is primarily unpleasant and can make your entire house smell. This can also be a potential health risk as it could mean your kitchen waste is heading towards rotting food and, therefore, a generation of fertile ground for bacteria build-up.
But with regular cleaning and appropriate use of your kitchen bins, one can easily avoid bad odours.
Paul is the type of person who never met a problem he couldn’t fix. He can always be found tinkering with something in his house, even if it isn’t broken! His tips and tricks are often shared on our site. He’s the one you call when something breaks because he has been known to improvise fixes for everything from leaky faucets to malfunctioning dryers.