If You're Not Doing This One Thing For Your Kitchen, It Will Always Be A Little Smelly

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Nothing is worse than a smelly kitchen. Considering all the cooking that goes on in there and the food scraps that are generated, a kitchen can quickly become the dirtiest room in the house. However, there are many solutions to prevent a smelly kitchen. Overall, this leads to one primary factor, which is your kitchen trash can.

Whether you live in a spacious eight bedroom house or a cramped studio apartment, you're going to need a trash can — ideally one that keeps the smell in. The size and a lid to contain the odor are the two major things to consider when selecting a trash can that keeps out flies and smells for good. As you've likely seen before, many people opt for a tiny seven gallon trash can to put underneath the kitchen sink. This is ideal when living by yourself in a small studio since it saves space. For those who like to cook or live with a roommate or two, however, it's best to get something between 12 and 16 gallons. There are many options on the market with attractive features, such as a foot latch to open the lid. Bear in mind, clever dogs know how to use the foot latch to get into the garbage, so factor that in.

For homes with five or more people, consider a 20 to 30 gallon trash can. These cans are usually placed in the pantry or kitchen island. In addition to buying a proper garbage can, you can give yourself a bit of added insurance with scented trash bags and a classic kitchen cleaner.

A proper garbage can with a lid will take you a long way. However, unpleasant odors can be elusive and escape to ruin the pleasant aroma you've worked so hard to diffuse in your home. Using a scented trash bag is the perfect fix. Bags such as the Glad OdorShield tall kitchen drawstring ones eliminate protruding odors to keep your kitchen smelling fresh and come in scents such as lavender. Be sure to match the trash bag size to the size of your bin. Alternatively, you can also use baking soda to eliminate the kitchen trash odor by sprinkling it in the bottom of the trash bag or can.

Now, if an unpleasant odor is still present in your kitchen even with a proper trash can and scented bags, you can assume that your bin needs to be wiped down at this point. When doing this, be sure to check the bottom of the bin for any liquid. If it's wet at the bottom, you can use a paper towel or old newspaper to absorb the stinky liquid. The best way to clean a smelly kitchen trash can from there is to use a mixture of water, soap, and bleach. Simply let it sit, then scrub and wipe down the can and that will do the trick. 

Whether you're using bleach to thoroughly clean your trash can or taking the help of baking soda and scented trash bags, a smelly trash can is something no one wants. Fortunately, there are solutions available on the market.