Why your wheelie bins smell worse in summer and what you can do about it
There are plenty of things to enjoy about summer. Longer evenings, meals outdoors and finally being able to sit in the garden without three jumpers.
Then there's bin day. As temperatures rise, wheelie bins can quickly become a bit smelly. Warm weather speeds up the breakdown of food waste, encourages bacteria to multiply and turns even a well-behaved bin into something you'd rather avoid.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to keep unpleasant smells under control.
Wrap food waste properly
Loose food scraps are far more likely to cause unpleasant smells.
Before putting food waste into your outside bin:
- Tie food waste bags securely
- Wrap particularly messy leftovers
- Drain excess liquids where possible
- Avoid throwing loose food directly into the wheelie bin
Your nose will thank you.
Give your bin a quick clean
Bin cleaning rarely makes it onto anyone's favourite weekend jobs list, but an occasional rinse can stop smells building up.
A quick wash with warm water and a mild disinfectant every few weeks helps remove residue that would otherwise bake nicely in the sunshine.
Not exactly glamorous, but definitely worthwhile.
Keep it out of direct sun
A wheelie bin sitting in full sun all day acts a bit like a slow cooker.
Keeping bins shaded helps reduce heat build-up and can noticeably cut down on unpleasant odours.
This is one reason many homeowners choose to use a bin store. Not only does it tidy away the less attractive side of garden life, but it also provides shelter from direct sunlight.
If your bin store has a living/green roof, there are even more benefits.
The layer of planting helps create natural insulation, reducing how much the structure heats up throughout the day. That means bins stay a little cooler than they would sitting out in full sun.
As an added bonus, living roofs also:
- Support bees and pollinators
- Absorb rainwater
- Add greenery to practical spaces
- Help storage blend naturally into the garden
It is proof that practical can still be pretty.
Do not forget the surrounding area
Sometimes the smell is not coming from the bin itself. Spilled food, leaking bags or residue around the base can all contribute to unpleasant odours.
A quick sweep and rinse every now and then helps keep the whole area feeling fresher and far more inviting.
Wheelie bins may never become the highlight of your garden, but they also do not have to dominate it. With a few simple habits and somewhere sensible to keep them, you can spend less time holding your breath and more time enjoying your outdoor space.