Your kitchen bin probably takes the crown for filling up the fastest. From dirty wrappers to used napkins to food scraps, it’s known for housing a wide variety of waste. In addition to emptying your bin once full, it’s also essential to clean it at least a few times a year.

To find out more about how to clean your kitchen bin, check out our article below.

Do You Need to Clean Your Kitchen Bin?

Understandably, some may overlook the need to clean their kitchen bin due to the simple fact that it stores rubbish. Unfortunately, this logic doesn't run true, as even your bin needs cleaning.

If you don’t clean your bin, you risk attracting foul smells, flies, bacteria, fungus, and even rats. Although emptying the bin regularly outside may minimise these issues, there’s still a chance that some food has been left behind. In this instance, the food will begin to rot, causing a yuck odour, bacteria, and possibly pests. Plus, even without food scraps, the moisture and bacteria in your bin will eventually build up over time and need to be cleaned.

Can Mould and Mildew Grow in Your Kitchen Bin?

As mentioned above, not cleaning your bin can lead to many nasties, including fungus. The most common fungi you’ll find inside your home is mould and mildew. Mould and mildew thrive in warm areas with high moisture levels, which explains why you’ll often find it growing in a dirty bin. Mould can be identified as black or green fluff/slime. While, mildew generally is a grey, yellow, or white powder/fluff.

Can Mould and Mildew Effect Your Health?

Both mould and mildew not only look nasty but can impact yours and your loved one’s health. And, with the kitchen being a very popular room in the house, it’s important that if spotted, you aim to remove the fungus as soon as possible.

Potential Health Effects of Mould and Mildew:

Although both can cause health damage, mildew tends to have less serious effects in the long-run. Mildew exposure can cause a cough, headache, or slight trouble breathing.

Mould, on the other hand, can be even more severe as certain types of mould produce ‘mycotoxins’ which make them toxic. If this mould is inhaled over an extended period, it can cause long-term health problems such as joint pain, heart problems, migraines, or respiratory issues. Short-term exposure to any mould can cause temporary problems such as severe allergies, cold-like symptoms, rashes, eye irritation, sinus inflammation, or asthma – which is particularly worrisome for those who already have existing respiratory conditions.

How Do You Clean a Kitchen Bin?

Now, that we’ve covered the importance of a mould-free kitchen bin, let’s get into the cleaning process using Wet & Forget Indoor.

1. Empty the bin

Before you start cleaning, you’ll want to empty the bin and ensure that no food scraps are lingering at the bottom. As this step could get a little nasty (depending what’s down there), you may want to chuck on some rubber gloves. Otherwise, be sure to give your hands a good wash afterwards.

2. Rinse with water

Once the bin is food-scrap free, it’s time for a rinse it with water. If you have access to a garden hose, you’ll want to take your bin outside and give it a spray. Alternatively, if you’re living somewhere like a CBD apartment, take your bin to the shower or bath and rinse it there. After the bin has been rinsed, pat it dry with a paper towel. 

3. Spray with Wet & Forget Indoor to kill all the nasties

For your final step, you’ll need to generously spray the inside and exterior (including any lids) with
Wet & Forget Indoor. Let the spray sit for at least 10 minutes before wiping it down. Wet & Forget Indoor will kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses.

How Does Wet & Forget Indoor Work?

Wet & Forget Indoor comes as a 2L ‘Ready To Use’ bottle designed to disinfect your home and remove mould and mildew from indoor surfaces. Its trigger sprayer makes cleaning your bin a breeze.

Like all other Wet & Forget products, the formula is non-acidic, non-caustic, and bleach-free, which means no harsh chemicals or scrubbing involved.

Rather than risking harsh chemicals damaging your bin or your irritating your airways, Wet & Forget Indoor uses a gentle, neutral solution to remove bacteria and fungus, as well as eliminate any nasty smells. Instead, of just masking the odour with an air freshener, Wet & Forget Indoor actually tackles the problem.

For more information about using Wet & Forget Indoor, read our article,
“Sanitising Your Home with Wet & Forget Indoor”.

How Often Should You Clean Your Kitchen Bin?

If you’re following the steps above to clean your bin correctly, you’ll only need to “deep clean” it every two-four months. That said if it starts to smell slightly go ahead and give it a clean.   It’s helpful to take note of when you last cleaned your bin to ensure that it’s thoroughly cleaned at least three times a year. 

How Do You Keep Your Kitchen Bin Clean? 

There are several ways that you can help your kitchen bin stay cleaner and odour-free for longer.
Top tips include:

• Empty your bin outside as soon as it’s full.
• If your bin has a lid, make sure that it’s kept shut to contain any potential smells.
• Rinse all food packaging before placing it inside the bin.
• Line the bottom of your bin with newspaper to absorb any moisture. Each time you empty the bin, replace the paper.
• Make sure to deep clean your bin every two-four months (or sooner if it starts to smell).
• When throwing out rubbish, consider if it can be recycled instead. For more information about what can be recycled, visit Recycle NZ Identifying Recyclable Resources.

 Ready to Clean?

We hope this article has provided you with some tips for cleaning your bin and keeping it clean. If you have any more questions, you can contact us today, or if you’re ready to clean, you can buy Wet & Forget Indoor online today.