We keep ours in the garage, but we have a garbage disposal that takes most of the stinky stuff. We're past diapers, though-- there's not much to do about the smell if you're dealing with that.

We don't take the garbage out more than about twice a week, and we've got 3 kids too. Maybe you could rethink the habits that lead to so much garbage?

By remote, do you at all mean country? We have a Large dumpatwr rather than the two trash cans. Our pickup is twice a month, although we did have a.weekly option. The trash company put the large dumpster wherever we wanted on our property. Cats are a bit of a problem, but we have been successful when we used bungee cords.

Ours is in the garage, and it is rarely stinky. Like Zone4, we use a garbage disposal. If I have something I know might stink (form the kitchen) I'll put it in the freezer until trash pickup day.

The only time we ever have trouble is summer time and not that often. The main culprit would be watermelon and muskmelon rinds as they get stinky fast! That and any raw meat that I pitch when trimming it. Like annkh I also throw bags of that type of stuff in the freezer until trash day. The other thing I do if I can help it is try to cut up the fruit the day before trash day so it's not sitting.

Our town provides large garbage and recycling totes. More and more areas are now going with this system. The covers are heavy. Garbage is never thrown directly in but are in tied bags. I have never noticed a smell. I also use a garbage disposal.

I do not want people coming through the garage in our new home. Right now they have to come through the garage or the laundry room (if they don't come to the front door).

But, the garbage cans do indeed live in the garage. I can't say that I have really ever noticed a foul odor if the lids are secure.

Our cans are in the garage also. It gets hot here in the summer also. It's very rare that we notice the smell from the cans unless the lid is off. (There was a very gross exception involving an animal stuck in a can one time) In the summer the pick-up company leaves the lids off after pick-up so they get some sun and air. I also rinse them out sometimes with bleach and water when I notice a smell. I let them sit in the sun for awhile with the bleach/water solution.

I'm not sure why metal cans would be more secure than some of the rubber types.

We live on a few acres, and our garbage can (the big wheeled thing provided by the waste company) lives in a separate shed that also houses rakes, shovels, the small mower, etc. The shed is about 30' from the house, in front of the outdoor parking area. It looks kind of like a changing room for a lake house.

If you've got the room (and it sounds like you do) this could be an ideal solution for you. It means a bit more of a trek each time you take out a bag, but it eliminates the smell.

Our garbage rarely stinks... no babies, no kids, no cats.

Most of the year, except when the ground is frozen, we compost so the veggies and such rot outside in the ground. All cans and bottles and plastic containers are rinsed and recycled weekly. Paper and junk mail and newspapers are also recycled, as are plastic bags. So we make very little actual trash. The stinky stuff like meat wrappers and milk cartons get rinsed before being tossed so they are less likely to smell.

When the ground is frozen, we don't compost, but then the garbage which is in the garage is also very cold so less likely to smell. Should there be something stinky in there, we fold the plastic bag over to one side to cover it and minimize the odor until the bag is full and can be tied up.

So for the most part, it's not an issue.

Well, we're in a different mind set and circumstance than most here. First, we don't have a garbage disposal so there is always detritus in our kitchen waste. Second, I don't use plastic bags, so our kitchen receptacle is lined with a paper grocery bag and removed from the kitchen each night to our outside container which sits between the side of our detached garage and our fence. When raccoons are active, we secure the lid with a bungee (they are the only critters that seem to mess with our garbage) and for the most part it works. Until you get a persistent fellow that likes to lift the lid the 2 inches the bungee allows and let it bang shut. Over and Over. At 2 in the morning :-/ Since it's outside, the only time the smell is an issue is when you open the lid to put something in, and then it depends on temperature and the contents at that particular moment, but yes it can be unpleasant. I hose out the can in the warmer months but it's the contents that smell, not the can. In our plans for a new house, I still want an outside space for the can(s) and don't want any in the garage - I hope to build a shed-type containment area.

The problem in our area is bears. The cans need to be secured inside a shed or garage. We're not at that point yet, but we'll probably use the garage. I might build a mini-shed lean-to off the side of the garage, with access both inside and out. With some ventilation to the outside, I think it will keep the smell within reason.

I've found that the real trouble-makers in garbage are meat products, particularly seafood and poultry. I often freeze such waste until trash day.

So pretty much everyone here thinks there trash don't stink! Just kidding thanks for all the replies; MushCreek I think your onto something with a mini-with inside/outside access. Our freezer alreadys too full to put trash in it plus it'll just confuse me. Garbage disposal will be a new feature for us and sounds like it'll be great. Thanks for all the help everyone.

I found these posts funny...no one wants to admit it apparently, but we are in tx and ours stinks too!!! My sister and BIL who recycle and compost most everything have a garage smell in their upper midwestern garage that makes me dry heave. We have 2x/week trash pickup here which helps. Our town requests bags on the curb vs a can because here the trash trucks are still staffed by people, not mechanized arms. In our build we'll just keep it on the far side of the garage away from the house entry, and continue to plug our noses the night before trash day.

We live in the south, SC, it gets hot. I hate trash in the house. We take it outside to the cans every night/day...whenever the plastic grocery bag is full. We buy almost no actual trash bags. My kitchen is too small to fill with a trashcan.

We put our waste bin in the garage. It stinks, except when it's freezing cold outside. It's the worst during summer time, and I hate to open the lid to toss in more kitchen trash bags. I always feel bad for whoever picks up our trash.

Freeze the kitchen trash before trash day? That's an ingenious idea, LOL. I will see if I can convince husband to put a chest freezer in the garage for storing trash. :)

This post was edited by ILoveCookie on Fri, Nov 8, 13 at 10:27

dlm2000

What a bunch of wussy raccoons you've got there!

Writing from just north of Raccoon City*, unless you've got your mandatory Green Bin jerry-rigged with a padlock (or Semtex) nothing edible or even smelling edible is safe from their adorable paws. Certainly no mere bungee cord will do the job. I swore one night someone was trying to smash their way into our home. Turned out it was Ricky and friends throwing the bins repeatedly at the garage walls to open them. Now, everything is double plastic bagged and relatively safe in the garage.

*"[Resident Evil] was shot in Ontario, Canada, with Toronto and its surrounding suburbs being a stand-in for Raccoon City. Toronto City Hall and Exhibition Place (namely the National Trade Centre) were used as Umbrella's worldwide headquarters, while the logos of Canada's largest banks feature prominently in the skyline shots of the city, and the Prince Edward Viaduct was used to represent Ravens' Gate. WIKI

This post was edited by worthy on Fri, Nov 8, 13 at 12:59

LOL Worthy! What can I say..... our raccoons are the genteel sort ;-) But seriously, my husband uses a bungee that is about 2 sizes too small. If I have to throw something out after he's set it, I don't have the hand strength to undo it and I wait for him. Time and tide wait for no man but around here the garbage waits for my husband!

We have a small building where we keep our trash in cans until I load it up and take it to the landfill. No trash service in our rural area.

This is a funny thread, but it has a very practical and pragmatic aspect to it that, as it turns out, is one wonderful way to evaluate floor plans.

That is, when looking at a floor plan, ask yourself 1) "where does the garbage and trash reside in the house"; 2) "where does the same reside outside before being picked up and taken away"; 3) (here's the really important part) "How do I get from Point 1 to Point 2, while carrying the garbage and trash"?

It's amazing to me how many plans require the home owner to carry trash and garbage through major rooms in the house to get outside! If that's the case with a plan, it's a BAD PLAN!

Another criterion for evaluating plans is the designed space for mechanical equipment. If there's no designated space for HVAC and WH, chances are it's not a very thoughtful plan, no matter how large the kitchen island and how many people can fit in the master bathroom tub!

Good luck on your project.

This is why our garbage tote doesn't smell.

Almost all food scraps go down the disposal. So what is in our kitchen garbage? Packaging that is non recyclable, dirty paper towels, cat litter (in its own bag). I can't think of anything else. Everything that is recyclable goes in the recycling tote. Food goes in the disposal. What is left usually doesn't smell. Sometimes bones are loose. All of that is in a pull tie bag. That gets put in the big garbage tote which sits on our driveway in the shade. Its not pretty there but at the moment there is no room in the garage.

I'm not joking when I say that there are never any odors coming from the garbage bin. Why? There is very little actual food in the garbage. All the garage is tied in bags inside the tote. The bin has a very heavy cover and sits in the shade. Its in the shade only because there is no where else to put it. It don't know if the shade actually makes a difference.

Raw chicken is just horrible if it sits in the garbage can during the summer. When I cut up a chicken, I put the pieces I don't cook in a bag or newspaper and sprinkle VERY generously with salt - like 3-4 tablespoons and then throw in the kitchen trash. Salt inhibits the growth of bacteria which is what causes the chicken to stink. This works well to keep the odor under control between garbage days.