Wheelie Bin Care During the Summer

Through our nationwide private home wheelie bin collection service, we know all about what’s best when it comes to wheelie bin care.

Neglecting the state of your bin can lead to an influx of mould and bacteria. This can not only leave you with an unpleasant smell in your bin, but also in the surrounding area of wherever you store it. That’s bad news for your garden or your garage! It might even mean you could end up needing to order a replacement bin from your local council.

With that heightened smell comes the increased attraction to pests, from flies and maggots to birds and foxes. Once they gain a foothold, they can be very difficult to deter. As you may have heard before, prevention is better than a cure so let’s take a look at some tips on how to clean a wheelie bin. It’s also worth keeping in mind that an overfilled bin is much more susceptible to spills and split bags. If your wheelie bin is filling up and you miles away from your council collection day you can book an on-demand Clearabee bin collection.

How to clean a wheelie bin

What you’ll need:

Cleaning pole

Bleach solution in a spray bottle or mould remover

Washing up liquid

Mask and gloves

Cleaning cloth

We can break down cleaning a bin into two main stages: degreasing and disinfecting. For degreasing, you can use a bottle of washing up liquid which everyone should have handy in their kitchen. As for disinfectant you can create a cheap one by mixing 100ml of bleach with 300 ml of water and then putting the mixture into a spray bottle. This is particularly useful as the bleach will kill any mould that has built up inside your bin. Alternatively, you can use your own bottle of mould remover if you have one already. When using lots of mould remover or a bleach solution, you should use gloves and a mask to protect your skin and prevent you from breathing in any chemicals.

In terms of cleaning utensils, you will want something with a long reach so you don’t have to crawl inside the bin yourself. Ideally, you will want two cleaning utensils, a soft one for degreasing and getting into all the corners and a hard brush to dislodge the grime and for scrubbing stains. Finally, a cloth will be handy to wipe the exteriors and lid of the bin after a spray of your disinfectant.

Step 1: Getting ready

Take your empty wheelie bin to somewhere you can pour water into and out of it. Remember, you want to avoid pouring this water onto any grass or plants as it will be mixed with washing up liquid or disinfectant which will kill them. Performing this job by a hose and garden drain is an ideal location.

Step 2: Let the grime soak

Add some water into the bottom of your bin while it is still upright. Then, add some washing up liquid and create a soapy mixture. Apply this mixture to all four interior sides of your bin and let it sit for 10 minutes. This will allow the soap to soak into any grease and grime.

Step 3: Degreasing your bin

After 10 minutes, pour out the water and then reapply washing up liquid to the inside of your bin. Then use your soft cleaning utensil to wipe the inside of your bin. Apply force and wipe into the corners, any grooves, or anywhere else where grime may be hiding.

Step 4: Removing mould

After you’ve degreased the bin, pour out the soapy water and then apply your mould remover/disinfectant and use your hard brush to scrub off any remaining stains. Some stains are very difficult to remove so do your best job but don’t worry if you can’t get it off. The mould remover/disinfectant will kill any germs and you’ll only be left with some discolouration. After scrubbing you can rinse your bin until there are no more suds left inside.

Step 5: Leave you bin to dry

After you’ve rinsed your bin, leave it to dry. You want your bin to be bone dry as wet and damp places are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and bacteria will make your bin smell again. This will be particularly counterproductive after you’ve just gone to all the effort of cleaning your bin

Step 6: Bin freshener

An additional step you can perform is to purchase bin powders. These will absorb moisture, kill bacteria and are strongly scented so will keep your bin smelling fresher for longer.

How to clean a kitchen bin

You can clean a kitchen bin by following the same steps for a wheelie bin showcased above. You may want to scale things back as your kitchen bin may be a faction of the size.

Keeping your bin clean – top tips

Keep out of the sunlight

The first one’s an easy fix that not many people think of, but just like the summer itself, when the weather gets hotter, your bin gets smellier. If you have the option of moving your bin to a shadier area of your yard, garden or bin enclosure, you’ll no doubt notice a difference straight away.

If that’s not a possibility, there are a number of wheelie bin storage solutions that are commonly available now, from plastic mini-shed style containers to DIY wooden flat-pack options. Or if you’re really handy with your tools, you could always make your own. Not only do they shield your bin from the sun, but they also make your bin area less of an eyesore and more secure against pests who want to try and get in.

Bag up your rubbish

Bagging your rubbish sounds obvious and perhaps it is, but many people (us included) have been guilty of simply “chucking it in the bin” at one time or another. Even if it’s the remnants at the bottom of a coffee cup or the leftover packaging of a meal deal, the chances are there’s enough food waste there to breed bacteria and result in the dreaded bin smell.

To reduce the chances of the smell developing, you should clean your non-recyclable and recyclable food packaging as you would do your plates and crockery. Wipe out food tubs and lids and rinse out glass jars and plastic tubs as best as you can. It may sound like hard work, but it’s still easier than cleaning out your wheelie bin. This reduces the chance of bacteria breeding and attracting the aforementioned pests.

Of course, you should recycle the above examples as much as your area allows but we’ve included them for the sake of argument. Follow this link to learn more about our environmental credentials and sustainable services.

Clean inside and out regularly

Of course, there are some companies who will offer a bin cleaning service for a charge, but should you have the time, it’s a relatively simple process without the need for specialist wheelie bin cleaning equipment. Using anti-bacterial spray or diluted anti-bacterial solution along with a long-handled brush or mop, you can clean down to bottom of the bin, removing anything attached to dispose of in a bin bag once the bin is clean.

Make sure that you pour any remaining solution from the bottom of the bin into an outdoor drain and leave the bin out in the sun to dry before you start using it again. You can also buy bin deodorisers from most supermarkets for around £2 to keep the odour at bay in between cleans and once it’s cleaned, it’s easier to keep on top of.

Keep your lid closed

It can always be tempting to try and fit another bin bag into your wheelie bin before your collection day. The trouble is, failing to close the lid is an open invitation to foxes and cats who would love to have a good look through your leftovers.

There’s a certain amount of good you can do by compacting your rubbish and flattening down the non-recyclable packing in your bin. This tends to create more space in your wheelie bin but is only a limited solution. If you’re constantly overfilling your bin or finding yourself with more waste than your wheelie bin can contain, then it might be time to start thinking about other rubbish removal options. And that’s where Clearabee can offer our 5-star rated services.

Private Home Wheelie Bin Collection Service

If overfilling your bin is a problem, then we have a solution. We offer affordable, rapid-reaction private home wheelie bin collections no matter where you are in the UK. There are slight variations due to locations, but generally speaking, Clearabee can empty your bins for the following prices:

120l Bin Collection – £29.99

240l Bin Collection – £34.99

360l Bin Collection – £39.99

Simply place your order online before 10pm and we’ll make sure to collect your rubbish during the very next day – just make sure that you’ve left your bin out by 8am. We’ll send you an SMS when we’re on our way and you’ll also receive a tracking link so you’re able to follow our progress no matter where you are. We also offer discounted services if you book regular collections and join our Beeloyal customer programme, so you can get even more rubbish removal for your money.

Even if you’ve been keeping up with your wheelie bin care during the summer, everyone needs a private home wheelie bin collection every once in a while. Book yours today or get in touch with Clearabee and we’ll give you a buzz back.

Removing rubbish. It’s what we do.

All prices featured in this article were correct at the time of publishing.