How do I stop my bin smelling?

A bin with a fresh bag that still smells is telling you the smell isn't in the bag. Liquid leaks past the bag edges, collects in the base and under the rim, and stays there through every bag change. Cleaning the bin itself is a five-minute job that most people have never done.

What you'll need

• Washing-up liquid or disinfectant
• Bicarbonate of soda
• Cloths
• Old newspaper
• Outdoor hose (optional)

Step by step

1. Take the bag out and wash the bin inside and out with hot soapy water.Outside too — the base and the area behind it collect drips.
2. Clean the lid, including the underside and the hinge.The underside of the lid is directly above the waste and rarely gets touched. It's a major source.
3. Dry it completely before putting a new bag in.A damp bin grows bacteria immediately, so drying is as important as washing.
4. Put a folded sheet of newspaper or a sprinkle of bicarbonate of soda in the base.It absorbs any liquid that leaks past the bag, which is what was causing the problem.
5. Freeze strong-smelling waste — fish skins, prawn shells, meat trimmings — until bin day.A bag in the freezer. It removes the worst offenders from the bin entirely.
6. Drain and wrap wet waste before binning it.Liquid is what carries smell and what leaks past the bag.
7. Use bags that fit properly and tie them.An oversized bag folded over the rim leaves a channel for liquid to run into the bin.
8. Wash the bin monthly as routine.Once it's a habit it takes two minutes and the problem doesn't recur.

Tips

• A few drops of essential oil on a cotton pad taped inside the lid masks residual smell — but only do this after cleaning, not instead.
• Compost or food-waste caddies need the same treatment and more often. A caddy liner plus regular washing makes a big difference.
• In hot weather, everything moves faster. Emptying more often in summer is easier than dealing with the consequences.
• Check behind and under the bin. Drips run down the outside and pool on the floor, and that's often the smell people can't locate.

Common mistakes

• Only changing the bag — The smell is usually in the bin itself, under the bag and on the lid.
• Putting a new bag into a wet bin — Bacteria multiply immediately in the residual moisture.
• Binning wet waste undrained — Liquid leaks past the bag and is the main carrier of the smell.
• Masking without cleaning — You get two smells instead of one, and the source keeps producing.

Questions people ask