Dealing with invisible odors in your trash can? Use these three ingredients to eliminate the smell.
The scoop
TikToker Elnaz Hamai (@elnazhamai) shared a quick and easy way to remove odors from your trash can using water, vinegar, and baking soda.
@elnazhamai How To Deodorize Your Trashcan! #deoderize #trashcan #homehacks #cleaningtips #deoderizer #nomorebadsmells #cleaninghacks #allnautralcleaner #bakingsodahack #elnazhamaitip ♬ Pretty Girls Walk - Big Boss Vette
"[Here's] how to deodorize your trash can," she says.
These are Elnaz's steps to a clean and fresh trash can:
1. Make sure your trash can is empty — if your trash can is visibly dirty, you may have to repeat the first few steps. This hack is for removing invisible odors, rather than built-up grime.
2. Add one cup of vinegar, then fill your trash can halfway with warm water.
3. Let the can sit for 30 minutes before dumping and rinsing. If your can is dirty, you may have to give it a good scrub.
4. Make sure to dry the can well — leftover moisture can result in mold.
5. Add half of a cup of baking soda to a coffee filter. Tie the end up (so you don't spill baking soda in the can) and place it at the bottom of your trash can.
6. This step is entirely optional and unnecessary, as it does not clean your can. Elnaz adds drops of vanilla extract to cotton balls for fragrance purposes. Vanilla is an extremely popular flavor, but extensive harvesting has a detrimental impact on the environment, according to Tripper.
How it's working
You can buy deodorizers — balls, powders, gels, and more — at the store, but removing odors only takes three ingredients: warm water, vinegar, and baking soda. Avoid excess chemicals and fragrances and save money by following Elnaz's steps.
Many store-bought products contain harsh and unnecessary chemicals and fragrances. They're also packaged in single-use plastic containers that take hundreds or even thousands of years to break down, depending on thickness. And even then, they break down into microplastics.
These products can be made at home using natural ingredients that still get the job done well. Whether you're trying to clean your counters, your floors, your mirrors, or your stovetop, there's a sustainable DIY cleaning product for that.
Get creative with your cleaning — check out our guide to using natural cleaning products.
What people are saying
Commenters planned to use the hack themselves.
"Thanks," one user said. "I am going to do it just now."
"Wow! These are brilliant hacks. I'll try them," another commented.
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