This Bathroom Tool Makes Cleaning Your Kitchen Trash Can Way Easier

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If you've ever noticed a foul smell in your kitchen and have not been able to find the source, there could be a few culprits. Smells can often linger in ovens and garbage disposals, making the kitchen putrid even when you think it's clean. There could be an even simpler explanation, though: your trash can. Even if you've taken out the actual garbage itself, smelly liquids can leak into the can and continue stinking up your kitchen. All you need to do to remedy this is give it a little scrub, but reaching into the trash can with a sponge can be annoying and strain your arm. Instead, consider using a toilet cleaning wand.

In a TikTok video with over 765,000 likes, user Niki (@operation_niki) cleaned a few places in her kitchen, including scrubbing the interior of her trash can with soap using a toilet cleaning wand. As seen in the video, the wand's extra reach allows you to get all the way down to the bottom of the can without having to reach your entire arm in. She both uses a sponge-like attachment to scrub the soap into the sides of the can, then takes it off and props a paper towel on the end of it to wipe everything out. While it isn't clear exactly what brush she's using, it looks like the Clorox Toilet Wand, which you can find for about $12 on Amazon alongside refills for the sponge attachment. When it comes to the paper towels used to finish the job, consider buying slightly more expensive ones that won't crumble under pressure.

Besides scrubbing it with a toilet cleaning wand, there are lots of tips you can use to keep your trash can clean. For instance, to clean the thin top of the can where the lid rests, Niki uses a small brush rather than the toilet wand, since the wand is too wide and would not easily fit in this space. You could easily do this with a toothbrush, a helpful item that's also a great tool to clean your oven. Niki also places a lavender Febreze Small Spaces air freshener in the can underneath the trash bag to help absorb odors, which you can purchase in a two-pack on Amazon for $5.49.

To help prevent odors in the first place, consider purchasing a stainless steel trash can, which doesn't trap smells as easily as a plastic can since the material is less porous. Certain pantry staples, like baking soda, can help absorb trash can odors, and combined with the Febreze air fresheners, would likely eliminate a great deal of trash can smell. These efforts will turn an item that's usually a stinky detriment to the cleanliness of your kitchen into a pleasant-smelling fixture that's easy to clean.