Trash can odor

Night_Sprite · September 2009

This past weekend we made Mexican food, but I didn't use all the spice packet, which I then threw away. I came home yesterday and my whole apartment stunk. I took garbage out, checked the fridge, ran soap the sink and upon smelling some more figured out the trash can itself stinks. It is like the smell has bonded with the plastic. I washed it thoroughly with soap and let it dry out. I put a candle in it to try and leech out the smell, but it still has a funk this morning. Is there a way to fix it or do I need a new trash can?

TheSaltyPeanut · September 2009

I had the same problem with a cooler. I can't remember who told me this, but I soaked 2 or 3 cotton balls with vanilla extract and left them in (lid down). I washed everything out really well first. It worked perfectly!

mandapanda78 · September 2009

Spray that sucker down with Lysol. When we first bought our house in April we took out the trash four or five days before trash day, totally not thinking about the fact that it was going to sit in the hot garage and rot. It was unbearable. Once it was gone, we absolutely soaked the bin itself in Lysol and it was good as new.