The bin no longer smells like one.

Bin interior hot-water pressure washed at 60°C — hot enough to melt fat and food residue, but not so hot it warps the plastic. High pressure (150 bar) jet removes stuck-on residue from the bin bottom and corners. Bin exterior pressure washed — handles, lid, wheels (on wheelie bins), base. Pressure washing is the foundation — it removes the physical residue that harbours bacteria and smells. The wash water is collected (we use a bin-cleaning vehicle with a reclaim system, or we contain it for businesses without vehicle access). The bin is genuinely clean after pressure washing — not just 'looks clean'.

After pressure washing, the bin interior is disinfected with EN 14476 virucidal chemistry (proven effective against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses, bacteria, fungi — including E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Norovirus). Chemistry applied by sprayer for full coverage. Contact time per manufacturer (typically 5 minutes). Bin lid (top and underside — the highest-touch surface) disinfected. Bin handle disinfected. Bin exterior disinfected. The disinfectant is the public-health defence — it kills the pathogens that pressure washing alone can't remove. Particularly important for food waste caddies (the smelliest, germiest bin in the house).

After disinfection, a citrus-based deodoriser is applied. The deodoriser neutralises odour molecules at the chemical level (vs air fresheners that just mask the smell with perfume). Light citrus scent (not overpowering — we don't want your bin to smell like a perfume counter, we want it to not smell at all). Deodoriser applied to bin interior, lid, and exterior. For particularly smelly bins (food waste caddies, commercial kitchen bins), we may apply a second dose and leave it to work. The deodoriser is the finishing touch — your bin will smell neutral, not 'binny'.

In summer (May-September), maggots in the bin are common — fly eggs hatch in 8-24 hours in warm weather. If we find maggots, we remove them (pressure wash flushes them out), disinfect the bin (kills any remaining eggs), and provide prevention advice: keep the bin lid closed, rinse food packaging before binning, freeze meat/fish scraps until bin day, use a bin liner (never put loose food in the bin), consider a food waste caddy with a sealed lid for indoor food scraps. Maggot removal is included at no extra charge — it's a summer reality and we handle it. Prevention advice is genuinely useful.

Every part of the bin cleaned — not just the interior. Lid: top and underside disinfected (the underside is the highest-touch surface — you lift it every time you use the bin). Handle: disinfected (high-touch, especially on wheelie bins you wheel to the kerb). Wheels (on wheelie bins): cleaned and lubricated (sticky wheels make bin-day harder). Wheelie bin axle: wiped. Bin exterior: pressure washed and disinfected. Bin base (the part that sits on the ground): cleaned. For sensor bins (kitchen bins with motion sensors), the sensor is wiped gently (no liquid near the electronics). For step-on bins, the pedal mechanism is wiped.

Bin dried thoroughly after cleaning — either air-dried (in summer, 30-60 minutes) or towel-dried (we use microfibre cloths, year-round). Drying matters: a wet bin makes the new liner slip and bunch, and a damp bin smells musty. Once dry, a fresh liner is fitted (we'll fit it, or you can — your preference). For wheelie bins, the lid is left slightly open for 30 minutes after cleaning to allow final air-drying. The bin is ready to use — clean, dry, deodorised, lined. The difference is immediate — the next time you lift the lid, you'll notice the absence of smell.