The Simple TikTok Hack That Will Keep Your Trash Cans Smelling Fresh

One quick bathroom cleaning product could be the answer to all your stinky trash troubles. If you've dealt with annoying odors from your kitchen or bathroom trash cans, you're probably not to blame, but millions of tiny microbes are. Even if you take out the trash regularly, you might notice that a persistent odor lingers in your trash can. Bacteria thrive off of decaying organic matter like banana peels, spoiled food, and wet napkins, and colonies can double their population numbers every few minutes. Changing trash bags, and washing and sanitizing your bins regularly will help to keep the stink under control, but is there anything else you can do to neutralize odors from old food and budding bacteria?

While keeping the stink at a minimum will always require some good cleaning habits, it seems like there's a handy new TikTok hack for everything these days, including your trash can funk. This simple hack posted by TikTok user @the_spin_cycle gets creative with toilet bowl gel pods to neutralize garbage odors and prolong the time between necessary cleanings. Here's why you should pick up a pack and try this hack.

In the video posted to their page, @the_spin_cycle shows a box of "Brand New Day" scented Lysol Click Gels. These convenient, bleach-free gels are intended to stick to the side of your toilet bowl, prevent toilet rings, and neutralize odors for up to two weeks. If they can block odors in your toilet, it makes sense that they could also work wonders in other places throughout your home. The TikTok user unwraps one gel pod from the box and presses it to the inside wall of her tall kitchen trash can. She then stretches a trash bag over the edges, closes the lid, and she's done!

For smaller trash cans, it may help to stick the Click Gel at the bottom of the bin or the lid. You can also apply the Click Gels to recycling bins and outdoor garbage cans on your property, but they may not last long under extremely hot or cold weather. It's also important to note that cleaning the garbage can is still necessary with this hack. Lysol Click Gels contain polyquaternium-78, which may have some antibacterial properties, but the product mostly just offers fragrance and deodorizing benefits. 

All things considered, this is one viral TikTok hack that seems to work pretty well! Of course, like many ideas from the internet, it's not for everyone. One of the tricky things about this hack is that the Lysol Click Gels may stick to the plastic bag liner in your trash bin. Even if that doesn't make a mess, they'll still need to be removed and replaced when the scent dries out after a few weeks. The scent itself may be a deterrent for some people; not everyone wants their kitchen to smell like "Brand New Day" scented toilet bowl cleaner. On their website, Lysol lists some other available fragrances including "Mango Hibiscus" and "Lavender Fields." We don't know about you, but either of those sound better than Eau de Garbage!

If you aren't interested in trying the Click Gels, commenters on the original TikTok video shared some other ideas. One claimed that they place scented cat litter at the bottom of their bin to absorb moisture and reduce odors. Another suggested hanging car air fresheners in the bin, while a third said to try laundry scent booster beads. For a more natural alternative, an adhesive felt pad soaked with essential oils can work wonders. No matter which hack you try, there's no need to put up with stinky trash in the modern age.