Keeping Clean Around Trash & Recycling Bins at Home

January 31, 2022 by Mulberry Maids

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Do you struggle with keeping clean around trash cans and recycling bins in your home? These areas can be tricky to keep clean, but with a few tips and some small changes, you can enjoy a much cleaner space in your home. 

Keeping our homes clean is always important, and all the little details really add up to a much more enjoyable and serene space. That is why the most dependable cleaners in Fort Collins are here to help you with keeping all areas in your home clean. Read on for tips and tricks to keep things clean and tidy around your trash and recycling bins.  

What are some simple tips to help keep clean around trash cans and recycling bins?

Chances are the trash cans and recycling bins that are causing the most mess are located in one area of your home, likely either your kitchen or laundry room. While other trash cans in your home are usually pretty clean, such as in bedrooms or bathrooms, the kitchen trash gets much heavier use, usually with messier trash. Just like staging your home for sale, keeping these areas clean is critical to creating and maintaining a serene living space. And now that we are in the new year, keeping these areas consistently clean can be a goal for 2022!

Don’t Forget to Take out the Trash!

Before any cleaning tips are discussed, one of the most important things you can do to keep your garbage area clean is to not forget to take out the trash! The longer the trash sits around in your home, or in the curbside trash bin, the dirtier everything will become. This gives more time for odors to develop and linger, and gives the trash bags lining the bins more chance to get overloaded and leak. 

If you chronically forget to get the trash out, set a reminder on your phone the day before trash day to make sure that it gets taken care of. 

Organize Better

Not all trash cans are created equal, and not all places in the home are the best for a trash can. If you have a space for it, consider installing a slide out trash can rack. This will not only help to keep the trash out of the way, but it will make it easier to actually get the trash into the bin. Small trash cans that are hidden away underneath the counter in cabinet space are great to get it out of the way, but it is too easy to not actually get your trash into the bin. 

When the trash can is hard to see, you will not only run the possibility of missing the can, but this will also build up so much more mess, which can not only create more odor, but can attract more insects and mice. 

For trash cans that are left out in the open, the biggest issues will usually be the splatter around the area from throwing away wet things and food items, and the can itself getting dirty if you need to manually lift or flip a lid. Depending on your budget, one solution for this is to get an automatic lid lifting trash can. This will help to keep things clean, as you won’t have to physically touch anything on the can. 

Be Conscious of Cleaning 

Whether your trash and recycling is hidden away or out in the open, chances are you will have more mess and splatter around them than you think. If you are just starting out on your journey towards consistent cleaning, or are a seasoned pro, take a good look at the area around these bins. Look at the floor and adjacent walls or cabinets. They will likely be dirtier than you want them, and it is a good time to perform a solid deep cleaning and scrub. 

Depending on the state of things, you may be able to just get away with a mild all purpose spray and a microfiber cloth. If it is really dirty, you may need to use a stronger degreaser, or a special sponge, such as a magic eraser to help get the trash splatter cleaned up. Do a good cleanup or the whole area, and keep in mind how much can splatter around when throwing out trash. 

Once those areas are cleaned up, start to think about what caused so much mess to be made. It is usually throwing away food and food containers. Take some extra time going forward to clean these things out in the sink, so you are throwing away cleaner and drier things in the first place. Not only will this help with the splatter around the bins, it will keep odors, moisture, and liquid down in the bin, making taking out the trash bag much cleaner, as well as keeping the actual garbage can or recycling bin in better shape. 

What are some other options to help?

Even if you start being more conscious of what is making the trash and recycling area messy, there are other steps that you can take to further help the situation.  

Start Composting

If you have the ability or access to compost bins in your city, this is one of the best steps to take to reduce your trash footprint and keep your bins much cleaner. Composting will eliminate a ton of food waste going into your trash can. This will keep it lighter, drier, fresher, and overall much cleaner. 

Designating a compost bucket will be key to successful composting. You want the bucket close to where you prepare food, so that you can put food scraps directly into it. Just like getting trash cans messy, the closer it is to where you are working, and the easier it is to get your scraps right into it, the overall cleaner things will be. Just like the trash and recycling bins, the compost area can become dirty fast. 

If you keep the bin on your counter, pay attention to the area around it. Even if you are really careful, and empty it frequently, there will be more food splatter near the bin that will inevitably require more frequent cleaning to keep it from getting out of hand. 

Reduce Your Waste

In addition to composting, reducing your overall waste will go a long way to keeping your trash and recycling areas cleaner. This can include using reusable bags at the grocery store, not only for your groceries, but any produce that you pick up at the store. Reusable mesh bags are great because they can be washed in the washing machine, and don’t pick up as much water and moisture from produce. Individual produce bags are wasteful, but also get really wet, making your trash that much messier. 

While recycling is great, it is still best to reduce your use. Be alert about what you are buying in regards to packaging. Even recyclable packaging is wasteful, and it will continue to fill up your recycling bins that much faster. 

The most dependable cleaners in Fort Collins to solve all your cleaning troubles! 

Customer satisfaction is the main objective here at Mulberry Maids. Whether you are looking for regular recurring home cleaning or just need a move out cleaning before renting out your home, we are here for you! Our robust hiring process and meticulous training ensure top cleaning results, combined with fantastic and friendly customer service.  

So why wait any longer? Take time away from chores, so you can hang out with friends at Old Town Putt, getting drinks and playing some mini-golf! 

Give us a call today at (970) 460-4298, or book your cleaning online in less than 60 seconds! We can’t wait to help you out with all your cleaning needs!