Introducing: The Germs That Could Live on (or in!) Your Trash Cans
Spring cleaning fun fact: One of the reasons spring cleaning is a time-tested tradition lies in simple biology. The lack of sunlight that accompanies the onset of winter triggers our bodies to produce more melatonin, a hormone associated with sleepiness. Come spring and more sunlight, our melatonin levels drop — giving us an energy surplus.
The combination of bright light, sudden energy bonus, and longer days that arrive with spring, humankind has (year after year) noticed that their homes were musty from a winter inside and decided to do something about it. For centuries, communities have spent the beginning of spring cleaning out every nook and cranny of their homes in pursuit of that gorgeous spring-clean fresh feeling.
This year, we challenge you to make sure you hit every corner and crevice of your home — check out our guide for spring cleaning – including the most insidious germ collectors lurking in plain sight.
One such germ collector is your trash can. As it turns out, this humble container can be a source of a long list of potentially harmful pathogens.
The Types of Germs that Congregate on Trash Cans
At the end of the day, even on places that we think of as approved locations for unclean materials, it’s vital to clean, disinfect and kill germs. You’d be surprised at how often the things that are on your trash cans get back into your atmosphere! Targeting your trash cans for comprehensive cleaning is a great habit to take on during this year’s spring cleaning.
Here are the three most insidious unwanted visitors that could be growing in your trash can, causing unpleasant smells and unsafe home conditions:
- Salmonella: This tiny germ is a microbe that generally contaminates people through exposure to food or food prep surfaces. These microbes live in mammalian intestines, and, after contamination, can cause severe gastrointestinal distress. Salmonella enterica is a subspecies of the Salmonella genus — a sub-species that is specifically responsible for many nasty foodborne illnesses.
- Pseudomonas Aeruginosa: This environmental pathogen tends to congregate in healthcare settings, causing contamination to ravage easily from person to person in hospitals, care facilities and other such institutions. However, it can exist anywhere. Unfortunately, it tends to be highly drug-resistant, and has recently been associated with high levels of fatality among infected patients.
- Staphylococcus aureus: Strangely enough, this airborne pathogen tends to exist in large numbers in human noses! The majority of the time, it’s harmless — but when it strikes, it causes infections that range from annoying to very harmful. A Staph infection can consist of a simple skin rash, or it can spread to your blood, bones, lungs or heart to wreak lots of painful internal havoc.
At the end of the day, each of these microbes is definitely a force to be avoided.
In addition to germs, there could also be bugs, molds and even maggots in your trash can. This is a place in your home that you need to target with the most comprehensive cleaning regimens for your peace of mind.
Cleaning Your Trash Can — and Killing Future Germ Growth — in Three Simple Steps
To ensure that your trash can is clean both now and later, you need to use more than just soap and water for the most effective results. We recommend an all-purpose cleaner to go in for a first sweep to remove as many germs as possible. This clears the way for an antimicrobial disinfectant to come in for an effective second step towards comprehensive cleanliness.
Use an effective disinfectant for a chemical kill; use an antimicrobial surface coating for a more long-term mechanical kill. This two-step process ensures that there are no germs on your trash can immediately after you’re done and makes it difficult for any germs to grow there for some time afterward.
When you’re done, make sure to wash your hands with an effective, gentle cleanser to reduce any possibility of cross-contamination.
Clean, Disinfect and Protect Every Corner of Your Home Flawlessly with Our MicroGold® Products
With a trusted antimicrobial disinfectant, an all-purpose cleaner to help you make your trash can safe and clean, and a gentle, moisturizing waterless hand soap for clean hands afterward, the MicroGold® suite of cleaning agents has you covered.
The list of germs that could fester on your trash can sounds scary. You’ll find MicroGold® Multi-Action Disinfectant Antimicrobial Spray and the All-Purpose Cleaner have you covered. When used as directed, the Multi-Action Disinfectant Antimicrobial Spray kills 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, including the virus that causes the COVID-19 virus; the All-Purpose Cleaner kills 99.9% of bacteria and cold and flu viruses, and it’s on the EPA’s “List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).” From your trash cans to your counters and beyond, rely on MicroGold® products for a comprehensive, long-lasting clean.