How To Keep Compost In The Kitchen With No Smell – Tips To Avoid Stinky Green Waste
Reusing food scraps has several positive benefits, however, keeping your green waste indoors can cause irritating smells from time to time. Cooking in an area with unpleasant odors can be challenging and raise hygienic questions. Therefore, you will need to figure out how to stop kitchen compost bin from smelling. This post shares tips on how to reduce the smell of your indoor compost bin so that you can keep your kitchen odor-free!
What Makes My Compost Smell So Bad?
Ideally, the smell from your compost bin should have only a dirt-like smell since a properly balanced green waste pile does not stink. The bad smell could form due to improper decomposition of food waste. Kitchen composts are decomposed by microorganisms that require oxygen (this is called aerobic composting).
However, without the right conditions, anaerobic conditions take over creating methane and undesirable smells in return.
Besides this, also keep in mind that microbes need air to compost wastes properly, so compost smells can also be caused by too much water since it can lead to inadequate air supply in the food waste bin. Additionally, large pieces of waste are unlikely to decompose easily compared to smaller pieces which can also be responsible for bad smells.
Tips To Stop Kitchen Compost Bin From Smelling
Even if you don’t have an outdoor area and collect your green waste indoors, you can keep your kitchen clean and fresh-smelling by taking the right steps. Employ the following tactics to eliminate the compost smell in the kitchen!
Tip: Looking for a quick solution to stop smells? Get a compost bin deodorizer! I recommend the ODOREZE Natural Compost Smell Eliminator Spray which is a 100% natural plant-based biodegradable formula, a safe and effective way to keep your compost odor-free without the use of chemicals!
Use Waste Bins That Have Charcoal Filter
If your green bin is placed indoors, get one with a high-quality charcoal filter. The filter will trap any unpleasant smell and consequently, it helps to keep compost in the kitchen without smelling. Thanks to the odorless design, such kitchen compost bins can sit conveniently on your countertop.
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Regularly Replace Your Filters
Compost bin filters are prone to wear and tear if used for a long time. Thus, you must regularly clean them with soap and water. Additionally, in case the filters become ineffective (usually after four-six months of constant use), replace them immediately.
Put Compostable Bags In The Bin For Easy Emptying
You do not need a fancy compost bin to collect your green waste indoors, a small waste container will do the trick too! In this case, using compostable bags is crucial so the bin won’t get dirty and stinky. Like this, you won’t have to clean out the bin every time you empty it. Just tie off the bag when it’s full or when you feel like it’s time to take the waste out and start another one; the bags will degrade with the waste.
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Empty Your Compost Bin After Every 3-4 Days
The best tactic to keep the compost bin from smelling is regularly emptying it. Wastes usually decompose after 2-3 days, causing a horrible odor. To prevent such situations and avoid garbage smell in the kitchen, empty the indoor waste bins into your outdoor container regularly.
Add Brown Waste to Your Compost Bin
Ideally, your compost bin should have a proper mixture of browns and greens, but an inadequate ratio can also make your green waste stink. Browns are wastes full of carbon, such as old papers, whereas greens refer to vegetable wastes and kitchen peelings.
Brown materials help maintain desirable moisture levels. Excessive moisture in your waste bin facilitates mold growth, leading to a stench-like smell. Therefore, maintaining the right ratio will consequently help to stop your compost from smelling and avoid bad smells in the kitchen.
Regularly Wash the Compost Bin Liner
To keep it odor-free and clean, wash the compost bin liner properly after every use with a little bleach or soapy water. This will eliminate that unpleasant compost bin smell no one wants to linger in the kitchen. From time to time, you can sanitize the liner by running it through the dishwasher too.
Dry the Bin’s Liner
Although constantly cleaning your compost bin liner will help reduce moldy and rotten food waste odors, using it wet will amplify the smell. To avoid this, ensure that the bin’s liner is completely dry before use. This prevents the growth of mold, especially in dark containers.
Add Little Amount of Soil
Food wastes need bacteria to decompose. Ordinarily, bacteria find their way into your kitchen compost bin. However, mixing a handful of soil into your compost bin adds some extra bacteria to speed up the process, this helps to keep compost in the kitchen with no smell.
Conclusion
The smells emanating from your kitchen compost result from improper food waste decomposition. It will take trial and error to stop your compost bin from smelling. However, the above tips will help you eliminate the unpleasant smells from your food waste container so you can maintain a hygienic and fresh-smelling environment in your kitchen!
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