GROSS trash bucket question

[r&kmommy]

We put our trash into a 100 (or so) gallon bucket with a flip top lid, as required by the city. In the summer it gets RAUNCHY smelling, and there are often maggots in the bottom, even if nothing spills and no bags rip open. I find myself bleaching/rinsing every week. Not only is this bad use of the bleach, but it's a HUGE time suck for me, as the bucket is so tall it comes up to my chest so it takes me an hour to clean from start to finish...

My question is, can anything be done to avoid maggots in the bucket? We use good trash bags (the thick Kirkland ones), and the doggy "business" bags get double grocery-plastic-bagged. It is rare that anything spills into the bucket.

TIA for any suggestions.

 

[Duckiedee]

We have a green bin recycling program here... all organic goes into it.

You can wrap meat in newspaper etc... even better is if you wrap it and freeze it and then put it in the night before or the day of removal.

I know - it sucks. Try a pressure washer to clean it.

 

[Duckiedee]

Also keep it in the shade or if you have room, in the garage.

 

[r&kmommy]

LOL duckiedee... my 2nd biggest home "problem" is my teeny tiny freezer!! We have a side by side 10 year old fridge/freezer and I can't justify getting a new one since it works fine.

Hmmm... I usually put all scraps into a grocery bag before putting into the trash bag. I bet I could find a shadier spot inside the gate, I'd rather the extra steps needed to take the bags out if it meant no washing the bucket!!

Thanks!!

 

[pamjb]

We have a similar size can. After it is emptied, we leave the lid open until we put trash in. It seems to kill the smell.

 

[cglaura]

Not so much for the smell, but I spray my cans with Ortho Home Defense (as well as my home). No maggots, no ants. I just give a quick spray on trash day when they get emptied.

There is still a slight odor of trash in general, but not an overwhelming smack you in the face gross smell.

 

[Duckiedee]

We aren't allowed any plastic in ours - it goes to an organic landfill. I think the idea of the newspaper is that is absorbs the odor - you could try wrapping meat/fish/egg shells etc in that or flyers, old computer paper or even used papertowel before bagging it. I know some people will put it inside used boxed board (old cereal boxes etc) first.

If you can put it where it gets some circulation vs jammed in with other bins that can help too... mind you in a garage or maybe a shaded shed it won't get as hot either - and will cut down on the smell.

Good idea on leaving the lid open for awhile.

BTW I have a very small chest freezer - maybe you could get a used one? We got one for about $75 used and in excellent condition over 4 years ago - still going really strong!

Cheers!

 

[torinsmom]

Mine is stinky like that too, especially in the heat of the summer. I just hold my breath when I open it up I don't smell it when its closed. When the winter comes, the stink will freeze and no more stink until next summer.

Marsha

 

[acourtwdw]

After it is empty, throw some charcoal briquettes into it and they will help the smell disappear.

 

[happily single]

I just purchased two new trash barrels and spend some extra money to buy the biggest contractor bags I could find. I line each of the trash barrels with the contractor bags and when its trash day I "unwrap" the bag and it gets thown out with the rest of the trash. No smell, no maggots

 

[Duckyiam71]

I would not put it in the garage. If the odor is still present, the garage will start to smell as well. We had ours in the garage with the dog poop and man the smell was overwhelming. The shade really helps. I workat a coffee shop and we have a huge trash can. The trash bags we use are the cheap ones. Even with leaky bags of milk and coffee, we dont have an odor problem. We rinse the trash can out everyday and spray down with bug killer and lysol. This seems to help.

 

[newtodcl]

http://www.100gallonbags.com/


These work, they are not cheap, but they are effective!

 

[TaraPA]

We have the EXACT same problem. I'm only 4'11" so bleaching & dumping after they take the trash is very difficult - my neighbors must love to watch me wrestling & struggling with that dumpster!

I'm going to try the Ortho spray - I have some here. Garbage went this morning so it's empty with the lid open at the moment - and still there are some maggots squirming around in there.

Someone old me once to put used coffee grounds in the bottom of the dumpster - haven't tried that one yet but I'm willing to try anything.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

My mom keeps a ziplock bag in the freezer where she puts meat trimmings, chicken skin, etc. Then she puts it in the garbage can the night before pick-up. It seems to keep the smell down and the bugs away.

 

[C.Ann]

I'm trying to figure out just what it is that you're putting in there that you're ending up with maggots.. Ewwwwww..

I put all kinds of food in my garbage: dairy; meats; old potatoes; etc. - and it can sit there from one Monday until the next without ever getting maggots in the trash can.. I do double-bag my garbage, but that's it..

The only other thing I do is throw a dryer softener sheet on top of the bag before I put the lid on - because I was told that keeps "critters" from getting into the garbage and so far, so good..

 

[mum4jenn]

Ours does the same thing. I figure that since we are in the deep south and the temps get up so high and out can sits in that hot sun that is why it happens.

 

[princessmom29]

I'm trying to figure out just what it is that you're putting in there that you're ending up with maggots.. Ewwwwww..

I put all kinds of food in my garbage: dairy; meats; old potatoes; etc. - and it can sit there from one Monday until the next without ever getting maggots in the trash can.. I do double-bag my garbage, but that's it..

The only other thing I do is throw a dryer softener sheet on top of the bag before I put the lid on - because I was told that keeps "critters" from getting into the garbage and so far, so good..

It really depends on where you live and the time of year. It the deep south, if you put any meat at all in the trash and it sits more than a day you WILL get them. Sometimes even in just dairy and veg. The only thing that I have ever seen prevent it totally is a pesticide like the ortho a PP suggested b/c the maggots will not hatch if they come into contact with it.

 

[happily single]

I get maggots/flies in the Spring and summer. I put trash, food, food wrappers, small pieces of paper, etc in my trash.

 

[torinsmom]

I'm trying to figure out just what it is that you're putting in there that you're ending up with maggots.. Ewwwwww..

I put all kinds of food in my garbage: dairy; meats; old potatoes; etc. - and it can sit there from one Monday until the next without ever getting maggots in the trash can.. I do double-bag my garbage, but that's it..

The only other thing I do is throw a dryer softener sheet on top of the bag before I put the lid on - because I was told that keeps "critters" from getting into the garbage and so far, so good..

If you have any kind of food in a bag and a fly can get in there, you will end up with maggots. The fly lays eggs and it takes less than a day in hot water for them to hatch. Once they hatch, they crawl out of the bag and into the trash can(some stay in the bag too) Of course, if food leaks into the can or is on the outside of the bag, same deal. I guess the flies get in through cracks in the lid. Maggots have to be one of the nastiest things around, YUCK!

Maybe you don't get them because you double bag, or maybe the top of your trash can has no cracks?

 

[r&kmommy]

OMG thanks everyone for the replies, commiseration and suggestions!

I am going to look on ebay for those 100 gallon liners!! Although I almost think that $63.00 for a 6 month supply would totally be worth it (we're only wicked smelly april-september, then it cools off and no bugs or smell)

I can assure you that there is nothing out of the ordinary in my trash. Like I said it is VERY rare for anything to leak out of our bags becuase we use the super strong kirkland ones. Usually after the trash is picked up and I look in there it's bone dry, but still one or two maggots in there! Once in a blue moon ds may nick the edge of the bag on the way out the door, making a hole, and there have been a few instances where the lid was ajar just a bit and a raccoon or other thing got in and chewed up a bit. The doggy business is double bagged and thrown in there, and there is no "loose" trash, it's all inside trash bags.

For now I have raid in the shed, I'm going to spray the bucket tomorrow after rinsing/bleaching. I'll post back if I find any deals on those liners!!