How to Clean a Trash Can

Trash cans can get dirty and nasty even if you try hard to keep them clean. No one wants to clean a stinky, nasty trash can, but doing so keeps smells and disease away. You can keep the cans clean without dirtying your hands or straining your back by following a few easy steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Take the trash can outside or to the bathtub.
   
   Kitchen trash cans can easily be cleaned in the bathtub if it is too hard to drag them outside to the hose or if it is too cold to be outside using water.

2. Spray it down with a garden hose or shower head.

3. Apply dish soap or cleanser.
   
   Liquid dishwasher machine soap is quite powerful and get out stains that other cleaners cannot.

4. Scrub with a plastic bristled broom.
   
   You don't want to use a straw broom for this. The broom lets you clean the bottom without getting your hands dirty and without hurting your back. When you are done you can just rinse out the broom.

5. Rinse.

6. Turn upside down and leave to dry in the tub or turn it back to right side up to dry in the sun. The sun naturally inhibits mold growth.

[lydia1970]

on 8/19/2009 How do you say to clean the outside cans. I try to clean it 2 times a year, but I had a hard time cleaning everything out this last time.
Lydia

[mikes197131]

on 8/5/2009 Thanks for the advice.

[skyedanzer]

on 7/10/2009 Great cleaning tip!