The Kitchen Essential Everyone Forgets To Clean (& It's Not The Sink)

The last thing anyone wants is a funky smell in the kitchen. The worst part is there are so many potential sources of bad odors in one room — from the sink to the fridge, to the hard-to-reach spots that seem impossible to clean. Not to pile more onto your plate, but we have to remind you of one more thing that you're probably forgetting to clean: the trash can. And not the trash in it, but the can itself.

But how can this be if you are using a trash bag? Over time, trash finds a way into the bin itself. There can be little tears in the bag or bits of food stuck to the lid, or maybe the bag isn't fully wrapped over the edges. Little bits and pieces will build up in the container and, thanks to the warmth and lack of air flow, grow bacteria and become pretty nasty. The kind of gnarly that not even boiling fresh rosemary can counteract. This is why we recommend you clean it out once a week to once a month, depending on the state of your container, while taking out the garbage.

We'll be honest: if it's been a while since you cleaned your trash can, this might be difficult. You may have to really get in there to scrub out some caked-on who-knows-what with a scrub brush. The first thing to do is hold it over a dumpster and knock out any of the bigger bits that need to go; then rinse it out with a hard spray from a garden hose in your yard or some hot water in the bathtub.

Now, start scrubbing. Use hot water and dish soap to get any substances that are sticking around the interior and lid. A brush with a soft bristle will help you get the harder to reach areas. Once you're done, it's time to disinfect. Spray the inside of the container with a disinfectant like diluted bleach (½ cup of bleach added to a gallon of water). Let that sit for around 10 minutes to kill off anything planning to come back once you start using the trash can again. Then just rinse again and air dry completely with the lid open to prevent mildew.

Before you put another liner in your garbage can, sprinkle some baking soda in the can to help deodorize throughout the month. It also helps to spend on high quality trash bags if you can, in order to prevent future leaks.