I Tried This TikTok Hack to Keep My Trash Can from Stinking — And It’s the Best Thing to Ever Happen to My Kitchen
One thing is for sure when it comes to kitchens: No one likes a stinky garbage can. And have you noticed? Warmer temperatures tend to make kitchen odors even stronger.
We’re always sniffing out solutions at Kitchn, and we stumbled on a smart TikTok hack to deodorize any smelly grossness. And guess what? This garbage trick actually works — and requires little effort. Let us show you how!
The tip comes from Hailey, aka @thehouseforhosting, who is all about DIY projects on a budget. In this TikTok video, Hailey shows two key items: felt pads (like the ones you stick on the bottom of your chair legs so that they won’t scratch up your floor) and essential oil in a scent of your choosing.
Just be sure to think about your household and which essential oils might work best. Many botanical oils, such as peppermint, eucalyptus, and tea tree, are toxic to pets. If you have a sensitive nose, purchase the essential oil in a store where you can sniff a tester bottle before you buy.
Once you have your two items, place a few drops of the essential oil onto the felt furniture pads, then stick the pads to the interior of your garbage can. Yes, it’s that easy!
While the video doesn’t specify how much essential oil to use, we used about five to eight drops for each felt pad, with two felt pads per garbage can.
So, how exactly did it turn out? The scent of the essential oil on the felt pad was nice, but not overpowering. Best of all? No yucky garbage smells!
The pleasant scent will last about a month, according to the TikTok video, so be sure to keep the extra felt pads and essential oil on hand when it’s time to replace them.
How do you keep your kitchen trash from getting stinky? Tell us your tips and product suggestions in the comments below.