Taking out the trash is one of the least pleasant house chores there is. One common annoyance is when you try to quickly get the trash out but the full, heavy bag of garbage vacuum seals itself onto the bin. Wiggling it out until it finally slips free is time-consuming and requires a bit of effort, but pulling the bag out will just rip it and you will end up with a mess of garbage all over the floor.
And on top of it, the smell becomes more and more unbearable with every passing moment. None of this sounds very appealing. Luckily, the two simple tricks we’re about to share with you will prevent these problems, to begin with, and subsequently, make your life much easier!
“When a trash bag fits tightly around the rim of the trashcan, it forms a seal. This leaves a new bag bubbled up and hard to fill, and makes a full bag hard to remove. A few 1/4 inch holes drilled into my plastic trash cans solves both problems”, explained Jim Manning of the Family Handyman website.
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Drilling a few ¼ inch holes into the side of the bin allows air to enter the garbage can beneath the seal of the bag, making it impossible for the vacuum to form. You should always be able to easily slide the bag out, whenever you want to remove it. The easiest way to so do would be using a power drill, but of course, it depends on the material your garbage can is made of. A metal trash can will require specialized tools, and possibly a professional’s assistance.
When it comes to the issue of smell, all you need is a simple cotton ball, like the ones used to remove makeup and nail polish, and some kind of essential oil. Simply soak a cotton ball in essential oil (five to fifteen drops) and toss it into your trash can before putting in a new liner. This will keep the inside of your trash can—and your entire kitchen—smelling clean.
Because cotton is an extremely absorbent and durable material, it soaks up the liquid without falling apart. As a result the smell of the essential oil sticks around. For best results, replace the cotton ball every week or so, as the cotton will start to absorb the other odors as well.
These two simple adjustments to your garbage routine are sure to make this chore much less of a hassle.
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