How clean is your kitchen? Even if your counters, floors, and appliances are sparkling, if your trash can smells bad, the whole space can feel dirtier than it actually is. Luckily, a stinky trash can is easy to remedy — and there are so many effective ways to do it with pantry staples you probably already have on hand.

Over on Instagram, lifestyle influencer Elnaz Hamai recently shared some of her go-to steps for deodorizing trash cans, and they sound super easy to try. First, she recommends washing out your trash can regularly with odor-neutralizing vinegar. If the odor is super strong, simply leave the vinegar in the trash bin overnight, then dump and rinse. Good as new by the time you put the next trash bag in!

A post shared by Elnaz Hamai (@elnazhamai)

You can also use baking soda to eliminate odors — just never pour it directly into a metal trash can, because it can be corrosive. Instead, pour the baking soda into a coffee filter and set it at the bottom of the can. (Bonus: This also prevents having to clean up stuck-on baking soda later!)

Lastly, Hamai recommends splashing a generous amount of vanilla extract on a few cotton balls, then dropping it inside of an empty trash can. Allow it to sit overnight, and by the next day, it’ll smell mildly of vanilla! If you like essential oils, you can also add a bit of peppermint essential oil onto a felt pad and set it in the bottom of your bin!

Related: You Should Put a Cotton Ball in Your Trash Can Right Now

Of course, it’s easier to prevent trash smells in the first place, which is why Hamai suggests always taking your trash out every night (especially if you threw away something potentially smelly, like dinner leftovers). If your trash isn’t ready to go out, then just throw away the smelly stuff outside — easy-peasy!

What’s your favorite way to prevent or deal with trash can smells? Let us know your go-to hacks in the comments below!

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