Cleaning and disinfecting the kitchen trash can be a messy, but necessary task. It’s important that you clean, disinfect and deodorize it regularly. Make it part of your regular cleaning routine. The more often that you clean it…the better things will be. I personally clean mine once every 2 weeks (deep clean) and spray the inside every time I remove the bag with Lysol spray disinfectant.
* This post contains affiliate links.
Outside Cleaning:
If possible take the trash can outside for cleaning. Use a garden hose to spray it down (inside and out). Fill it up with about 6″ of water. Pour in 1/2 to 1 cup of white distilled vinegar. Let it sit for 1-2 hours. Put on rubber cleaning gloves and use a sponge to wipe down the inside of the can with the vinegar & water solution. If you’re not a fan of cleaning with vinegar you can certainly use liquid dish washing soap. Dump out the solution. I don’t dump it near the house, garden or flower beds. I take it to a weedy area and dump it out. Use the garden hose to rinse it out.
Follow-up the cleaning process by using a disinfecting wipe to wipe down the outside and lid of your can. I typically will use two wipes to get the coverage that I need. Let air dry. Don’t add your trash bag until the can has completely dried.
Inside Cleaning:
Pour 1/2 cup to 1 cup of white vinegar into your trash can. I use the kitchen sink sprayer to add water. Shut the lid and let it sit for 1-2 hours. Let it sit for 1-2 hours. Put on cleaning gloves and use a sponge to wipe down the inside of the can with the vinegar & water solution. Dump the water down your sink drain. Use your sink sprayer to add clean water and rinse out 2-3 times. I like to turn it upside down and sit it over my double kitchen sink to let the water drain out.
While it’s sitting upside down and at a higher level I use 1-2 disinfecting cleaning wipes to wipe down the outside of the can. Let it air dry (completely) before re-bagging.
Deodorizing:
If you have stinky odors that don’t seem to go away here are a few things you can try:
Baking Soda: Sprinkle baking soda into the can and let it sit overnight. Rinse out the following day.
Lemon Juice: Pour 1/4 cup of bottled lemon juice into the bottom of the can and let it sit overnight. Rinse out the following day.
Orange Essential Oil: Mix 2 teaspoons of orange essential oil with 2 cups of water. Pour into the can. Shut the lid and let it sit overnight. Rinse out the following day.
Febreze: Febreze is great at removing household odors. Spray it in your can, close the lid and let it sit overnight before re-bagging.
Cleaning Stubborn Stains:
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser: I’ve often used the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to remove light stains from the inside of our trash can.
Comet Cleanser: I’ve been able to remove some touch stains by sprinkling Comet Cleanser onto the stain & letting it sit for an hour. I then go back and scrub with my brush or sponge. Rinse with water once you’re done.
Additional Tips:
I keep old tooth brushes and a few bottle brushes in my cleaning kit. An old tooth brush is great for removing debris around the hinges and a bottle brush can get into those nooks and crannies (where the bottom of the can meets the walls) to remove debris.
Buy an inexpensive toilet bowl cleaning brush and use it to scrub the bottom of your trash can. It’s great for those hard-to-reach areas!
* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!
This reminds me I need to do this to the kitchen garbage can. Thank you for sharing these great tips especially the deodorizing tips. Never know about the orange oil I have to try that one.