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Get your gloves ready because it’s time to clean bins and disinfect your kitchen bin. In this article, we’re exploring the best ways to keep your bin clean.
How to Clean a Kitchen Bin
Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to follow to get rid of odours and food residue in your kitchen bin.
Step 1: Wear Rubber Gloves
When cleaning your kitchen bin, you’ll likely come into contact with food particles and odours that you wouldn’t want to get on your hands. Therefore, we recommend wearing rubber gloves every time to prevent nasty odours and particles from touching your hands and protect your skin.
Step 2: Empty the Bin
You can’t clean your bin if there’s a bin bag or debris inside of it. It’s obvious to remove the bin bag from your bin, but you’ll also need to check for any food particles that are lingering at the bottom of the bin. Inspect the base to see if there’s any visible gunk stuck in the bin.
Step 3: Rinse the Bin With a Hose
Ideally, take your bin outside and rinse it with a hose. This is a lot easier than having to place the bin into your bathtub and use the shower head, but if that’s your only option, then you can’t complain. But, if you’re executing a deep clean in your backyard, you might want to position the bin near a drain to allow for debris and gunk to easily go down the drain, rather than then having to hose off your patio.
Once you’ve rinsed the bin, use paper towels or an old town to pat it down and dry it off.
Step 4: Use a Disinfectant Spray/Bicarbonate of Soda
It’s now time to use a disinfectant spray that’s powerful enough to kill any germs and bacteria living inside your bin. Spray the solution generously on the inside and outside of your bin. Follow the instructions for the recommended leave-on time. Don’t forget to apply the spray to the bottom of the bin, too.
Alternatively, you may wish to use bicarbonate of soda for bin cleaning. In this case, simply sprinkle one tablespoon of baking soda into the bin and add a few drops of essential oil of your choice along with hot water (not boiling because this could burn you). Pick the bin up and swirl it around to allow the solution to spread evenly in the bin, as well as remove any bad smell or stuck-on dirt.
Step 5: Scrub the Inside
Using a bristle brush or a toilet brush to scrub the inside of the bin vigorously. For hard-to-reach dirt stuck in the corners of the bin, you can use an old toothbrush to reach into the corners. After you’ve scrubbed the inside of the bin, allow the solution to sit for up to 10 minutes. At this point, you should still have the solution inside of the bin to help remove any stubborn dirt.
Step 6: Rinse the Bin
Once this time has passed, you can pour this solution down the drain. Then, clean the inside of the kitchen bin with water from the hose or bathtub. You may even want to use a jet setting for a final flush and to ensure that you’ve gotten rid of any bad-smelling food.
Once you’ve poured out any remaining water from the bin, allow it to dry in the sun. Alternatively, use paper towels to ensure to keep the bin dry.
How Often Should You Clean Your Bin?
Prevention is better than cure, so we suggest cleaning your kitchen bin once every two weeks to keep any bad smells away. Alternatively, if you don’t use your kitchen bin that often or regularly put the rubbish in the outside wheelie bin, then once every month will suffice. Cleaning your kitchen bin every few weeks will keep bacteria and smells away, thus improving your comfort levels in your home.
Ways to Keep Your Kitchen Bins Smelling Fresh
Below are some general tips for keeping your household bin fresh and clean.
Use a Compost Bin
Instead of throwing away food scraps in your kitchen bin, invest in a compost bin for storing used tea bags, meal scraps, food peels, etc.
Keep the Lid Closed
Out of sight, out of mind. Ensure that you always close your bin lid after placing rubbish instead. Otherwise, you won’t experience a fresh smell when you’re walking around the house.
Empty Bins Regularly
Get into the habit of taking out rubbish to the outside bin. Do this more often than once a week, if required. In fact, we recommend that you don’t allow the bin to get too full before you decide to empty the trash.
Wipe Away Mess Straight Away
Your bin won’t smell clean if there are bits of food and sauce dribbling down its exterior. Each time you accidentally spill some sauce down the bin, wash it straight away with a cloth and soapy to prevent any smells from forming and discourage any oil or residue from sticking to the outside of the bin.
Use Thick Bin Bags
You need to regularly wash your bin because of thin bin bags that rip open and enable loose food and debris to fall into the bin. Instead, invest in high-quality, thick alternatives that won’t tear open when you place leftovers or materials instead.
You may also want to prevent adding heavy items to the kitchen bin that would cause the bag to snap and rip open. Additionally, ensure that you secure the big to prevent it from slipping down.
Disinfect Your Bin
Now you know the steps on how to clean a kitchen bin, it’s time to head into the kitchen and wipe it down. Also, take note of our tips for keeping bins smelling fresh.
If you have a recommended disinfectant that you use, share your recommendations, along with any cleaning tips, in the comments.
Amy is a U.K.-based writer and editor with a penchant for helping consumers find the best home products for their needs, as well as providing easily digestible guides for living better at home. Her dedication to her work means she can usually be found elbow-deep in research or hunting down samples of the latest and greatest on behalf of her readers.
An avid DIYer herself, Amy’s passion lies in teaching others how they too can achieve their dream homes by tackling some of those pesky projects themselves! Whether it’s building furniture from scratch or turning an old dresser into a coffee table, Amy is always happy to share what she knows about making your house feel like home without spending a fortune.
