MAINTENANCE : Keeping a Lid on Garbage Can Woes
It’s easy to keep garbage cans odor-free, in good repair and safe from animals who love our leftovers.
Keep metal or plastic garbage cans under cover in a shed or garage and away from moisture to extend their life.
To keep exposed metal garbage cans free from corrosion, coat their insides and bottoms with asphalt roof cement, available at building supply centers.
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Hygiene
* To prevent odors, keep garbage cans clean. Frequently blast out loose soil and rubbish with a garden hose.
* Then wash with a gallon of hot sudsy water with one-half cup of ammonia added.
* To disinfect a garbage can, substitute three-fourths cup of chlorine bleach for the ammonia. Don’t mix ammonia with bleach.
Let stand five minutes, then use a broom to scrub the can thoroughly. Rinse. When possible, let the can dry in the sun, or at least in fresh air.
* To fight mold and bacteria, sprinkle a half-cup of borax in each can.
Care and Repair
* Line the can with a plastic bag. Drain all garbage before throwing it in the bag.
* To remove unpleasant odors, sprinkle cat litter in the can.
* You can also kill garbage odors by dropping a couple of mothballs between the plastic bag and inside of the can.
* Patch small holes in metal trash cans with epoxy-based mending compound available in hardware stores.
* Repair larger holes with light-gauge (20- to 24-gauge) galvanized sheet steel, available at building supply stores. Fasten the patch in place with epoxy compound. Use stainless steel pop rivets to permanently fasten the patch to the can.
* Repair a split in a plastic garbage can by sandwiching the split between strips of aluminum roof flashing from a building supply center. Use aluminum pop rivets to fasten the patches in place.
Preventing Animal Raids
* To deter raids by dogs or raccoons, keep garbage cans tightly closed. Never put garbage out in unprotected plastic bags.
* Set your garbage cans out as close to pickup time as possible.
* Pour bleach over the garbage to eliminate the odor of food.
* A few mothballs in the can will discourage animal invaders.
* To secure the lid to the can, stretch elastic bungee cords across the lid, hooking them onto the handles of the can. Bungee cords in varying lengths are available from auto supply and hardware stores.
* Some plastic garbage cans have molded grips. Cut a groove in a short block of wood, going across its narrow width. Run a length of rope or a bungee cord through the groove and bolt the block, groove side down, to the center of the lid. Fasten the cord ends to the grips.
* Strap or tie the garbage can to a sturdy fence or post. Be sure the can is easily untied for dumping.
* Slip broom handles or stakes through the can handles and drive them into the ground.
* Tie two cans together--they’ll be harder to tip over.
* Put the can in a box that has a lid closed with a hasp.
* Suspend the garbage can from a frame so that it is 18 inches above the ground. If an animal tries to break in, the can will swing away.
