How often should you clean your wheelie bin?

Most people never clean their wheelie bin. It gets emptied every fortnight, so it feels clean enough. But emptying a bin does not clean it. Liquid from rubbish bags, food scraps that miss the bag, and sticky residue stay in the bottom and on the sides, and they build up every collection.

Every 4 weeks for most homes

For a typical household, cleaning each bin every 4 weeks keeps smells and flies under control all year. That lines up with council collections in Buckinghamshire, where general waste and recycling are collected on alternate weeks, so each bin gets cleaned every second time it is emptied.

More often in summer

Between May and September, flies can lay eggs in a dirty bin and maggots can hatch within a day. If you put food waste, nappies or pet waste in your general waste bin, 4 weeks is the longest you should leave it. Some households book an extra one-off clean in a heatwave.

Which bins need it most?

• General waste: the worst for smells, because it holds food and nappies.
• Food caddies: small but sour quickly. Rinse after every collection.
• Garden waste: grass cuttings ferment and go slimy in warm weather.
• Recycling: usually the cleanest, but drink and food residue still builds up.

Can you clean a wheelie bin yourself?

You can, with a hose, a long brush, hot water and disinfectant. The difficult part is the dirty water: it is full of food residue and bacteria, and it should not go down a surface drain, which often leads straight to a stream or river. Tipping the bin to clean the bottom is also hard work.

A professional bin cleaning service uses hot water to shift the grime and captures the wastewater so it can be disposed of properly.

Tips to keep your bin fresher between cleans

1. Double-bag food waste and nappies.
2. Keep the lid shut so flies cannot get in.
3. Put the bin in the shade in summer.
4. Do not pour liquids into the bin.
5. Sprinkle a little bicarbonate of soda in the bottom after it is emptied.

Questions