A woman has shared her simple trick for keeping maggots away from your bin – and all you need is a 27p household item. It came after a desperate plea for help online
We’ve all had that stomach-churning moment – you’re about to chuck something in the wheelie bin and are greeted by a swarm of flies, not to mention the wriggling maggots inside.
It’s enough to make your skin crawl, and it’s an ordeal many of us have faced at one time or another. Before you think about relocating or torching your bin, experts have shared a much simpler and less extreme solution.
A savvy woman has let slip a nifty trick using a common kitchen item likely sitting in your cupboard right now, which can banish those pesky maggots and flies for good – and it won’t break the bank if you need to buy some.
In a Facebook group dedicated to Mrs Hinch cleaning enthusiasts, the woman revealed that all you need is a bit of table salt, a staple in most homes, but just 27p at Tesco or 30p from ASDA if you’re out.
She came forward with her tip after a group member posted a plea for help: “My outdoor bin has just been emptied by the bin men and there are maggots in the bottom. Does anyone know, once I’ve cleaned it out, what I can use to deter the flies from my bin?”
The woman replied with her tried-and-tested method: “My mum had this problem. We put table salt into the bottom of the bin and left it for a couple of days. Went down today and just tipped the salt out along with the dead maggots.”
An army of homeowners have rallied to share their ultimate bin bug-battling tricks online, with one lady’s salt solution stirring up a heap of support. Delighted with her critter-free trash can, one user penned: “I jet wash my bin out then put salt in the bottom then buy the bags – never had a problem.”
Echoing the sentiment, another shared: “Sprinkle a generous amount of salt in the bin each time you put something new in it.” The tips didn’t stop at sodium chloride; bleach was also on the menu for some waste warriors.
A savvy solver said: “We scrub ours out with hot water and bleach, then empty the liquid away and pour some Jeyes Fluid around the inside of it. Works for me, I even put a drop of fly killer in it once it’s dry.” There were those who preferred to keep things fresh, as one individual recommended: “I just leave a little bleach in the bottom of the bin no problem since.”
Others subscribed to a sprinkle of baking soda strategy, with a commenter advising: “Sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of the bin every time it’s emptied.”