Weird question- how to clean big outdoor trash cans

[Anonymous]

You know the kind that the city gives you for trash and recycling? After the storm we threw out a lot of food and it must have simmered and leaked in there- smells horrid now. In Alexandria, is anyone aware of a sanitation service for trash cans ( a friend of mine does this in another county and I always thought it sounded ridiculous) or a good way to do this ourselves.

[Anonymous]

Soap and a hose.

[Anonymous]

I do it myself twice a year -- long hose, lots of clorox, gloves, long pants and sleeves. We are the only ones in our block who do this. In Europe, it is quite common to do it regularly.

[Anonymous]

Get hose
Tip over trashcan, spray off all interior sides and let it drain into the street
Set trashcan upright
Pour 1/4 gallon of bleach into trashcan
Fill up trashcan with water and let it sit for a few hours
Tip over trashcan and dump water into the street
Flip over trashcan with opening facing the ground and prop up one edge to allow air dry
After a day check for smell, if there is a smell repeat

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/04/how-to-clean-those-smelly-outdoor-trash-cans.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get hose
Tip over trashcan, spray off all interior sides and let it drain into the street
Set trashcan upright
Pour 1/4 gallon of bleach into trashcanFill up trashcan with water and let it sit for a few hours
Tip over trashcan and dump water into the streetFlip over trashcan with opening facing the ground and prop up one edge to allow air dry
After a day check for smell, if there is a smell repeat

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/04/how-to-clean-those-smelly-outdoor-trash-cans.html

Please do not put bleach in the can and dump. The water would go into a storm drain. Not good for the water ways in our area.

[Anonymous]

you don't necessarily need bleach, but you do need a hose, and to do it in the morning or to leave it outside with the lid open on a sunny day for a day with nothing in it after you hose it off so the sun can kill the smell/germs.

it's a dirty job, need about 10-15 minutes in clothes you will tehn take off after you hose everything off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:you don't necessarily need bleach, but you do need a hose, and to do it in the morning or to leave it outside with the lid open on a sunny day for a day with nothing in it after you hose it off so the sun can kill the smell/germs.

it's a dirty job, need about 10-15 minutes in clothes you will tehn take off after you hose everything off.

I was the one asking that people not put bleach in the cans and dump. I agree with you as I periodically clean my cans. I put the water pressure on the hose at it's highest level and spray and dump and spray and dump. I then put on gloves and wipe it down with a rag and some dawn soap (just a bit). Let it air dry and the smell goes away.

[Anonymous]

Wet it down, then spray it with Resolve carpet cleaner or some other bathroom foaming cleaner. Use a brush (I use a toilet bowl brush) or dish sponge and scrub it down.

Rinse with hose, turn it upside down for 30min or so to let water drain out, and leave it outside in sun right side up. It'll be dry in a day or so.

[Anonymous]

BLEACH + HOSE +WATER.

[Anonymous]

If you only use dish soap it will not disinfect the trash can. This is what the bleach is for. You can just dump the bleach into a bucket and pour the bucket into the toilet if you have a problem with poisening the environment.

[Anonymous]

Use Simple Green if you have to use a detergent. It is safe for the environment.

Use vinegar to take out the smell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you only use dish soap it will not disinfect the trash can. This is what the bleach is for. You can just dump the bleach into a bucket and pour the bucket into the toilet if you have a problem with poisening the environment.

Are you for real? Does anyone feel ok about poisoning the environment? Wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you only use dish soap it will not disinfect the trash can. This is what the bleach is for. You can just dump the bleach into a bucket and pour the bucket into the toilet if you have a problem with poisening the environment.

Are you for real? Does anyone feel ok about poisoning the environment? Wow.

I think the point that the poster was trying to make is that the point of the bleach is to disinfect. If you are not using the bleach you are not actually disinfecting. So if you arent going to use bleach or some other bleach like agent to disinfect there is no point in going through the motions and acting like you are cleaning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you don't necessarily need bleach, but you do need a hose, and to do it in the morning or to leave it outside with the lid open on a sunny day for a day with nothing in it after you hose it off so the sun can kill the smell/germs.

it's a dirty job, need about 10-15 minutes in clothes you will tehn take off after you hose everything off.

I was the one asking that people not put bleach in the cans and dump. I agree with you as I periodically clean my cans. I put the water pressure on the hose at it's highest level and spray and dump and spray and dump. I then put on gloves and wipe it down with a rag and some dawn soap (just a bit). Let it air dry and the smell goes away.

I put dishwasher detergent and some pine sol or chlorox on the sides. Get an old broom and put somwe water in it. Use the broom to swish on the sides like a bottle brush. Hose it and dump it. Leave lid open in the sun. I don't touch the insides.

[Anonymous]

Why would you need to disinfect an outdoor garbage can?
Just rinse it out and be done with it. What am I missing here?