Young House Love

DIY Home Decorating Projects, Tutorials, & Shenanigans

  • Our Current House
  • Our Previous Homes
    • Our Richmond House
    • Our Beach House
    • Our Duplex
  • Before & Afters
    • Our Current House
    • Our Richmond House
    • Our Beach House
    • Our Duplex
    • Our First House
    • Our Second House
    • Our Showhouse
  • DIY & Decorating Tips
    • Most Popular
    • Home Improvement
    • Painting
    • Cleaning & Organizing
    • Crafting & Art
    • More . . .
  • Podcast
    • Getting Started
    • Show Notes
  • Shop
    • Our Fav Home Finds
    • Our Lighting Line
    • Our Books
    • Book Club Picks
    • Black-Owned Businesses

| By John Petersik | May 5, 2011 | 270 Comments

Garbage Pail Kid

When Clara discovered crawling almost two months ago, she discovered more rooms to play in. And when she made the kitchen her new favorite play area, she made our garbage can her new favorite toy. In a word: yuck.

See, our new house garbage solution over the past five months has been embarrassingly “interim.” The cabinet under the sink is too small for even our tiny garbage pail, so it landed in a random corner. Completely out in the open and waiting for little hands to find their way to it. Sooooo… we moved it into the nearby laundry room (which Clara has yet to turn into her playground).

Not our proudest housekeeping moment, but then again this whole laundry room has been living in neglect ever since the new washer & dryer arrived months ago (note the mess of shoes in the foreground). So at least the garbage can fit right in with the whole not-good vibe.

But on a recent trip to HomeGoods we chose to upgrade our trash situation, courtesy of this larger enclosed can.

I’ve always been a bit wary of the durability of these flip-toppin’ foot-pedallin’ garbage cans, and I was even more so when I saw the price tag. It took just about everything in me to pay $60 for it, so thank goodness it wasn’t still priced at over $100 (Sherry googled around for OXO reviews and said they were a great brand that sold many over-a-hundred-dolla cans, so the $60 deal was in fact legit). Maybe I’m just not up to speed on the garbage containment industry, but when did these things get so darn expensive? Did they start making waffles and changing diapers too and I just missed the memo?

Then again my sister does own (and love) an $100+ SimpleHuman trash can that calls for custom bags. So at nearly half that and without a need for custom bags we decided this guy was the can for the job. Har har. See what I did there? I replaced man with can. Oh the hilarity.

In the end, sixty beans is well worth this scene: Clara being able to play without us having to worry about little fingers fishing out an old teabag or clumps of lint. Instead, she can focus on practicing her gang signs (apparently she’s sending big ups to her homies on the west side).

And once we give the kitchen a much needed overhaul with sleeker appliances and more updated looking cabinets it should fit right in. Plus Clara doesn’t seem to have any affinity for the can’s step-lever on the bottom (something we initially worried about) so it’s nice to know that she’s kind of over the idea of playing with the trash now that it’s tucked out of sight.

Our new can also earned bonus points from me for this little feature – which we didn’t even notice when buying it: a bag lock that helps keep any old grocery store garbage bag taut around the can. It actually seems to work too (there’s a bag in it in the pic above and we love that it doesn’t flop out and look messy – or collapse into the depths of the can when we toss things in).

And not only does it look neat and keep our baby out of trouble. It might help her learn something too thanks to its magnetized sides which are compatible with Clara’s magnetic letters (which are a fun Etsy purchase – more info here). She discovered that herself – isn’t she smart?

As for me, I’m just happy not to have to do laundry next to an open garbage bag. Moving it out of this room even inspired us to tidy up our shoe mess with a basket that we already had around.

Not a big improvement, but at least it’s a step in the right direction, right? Booyah. Pun wholeheartedly intended.

Psst- We weren’t paid or perked for this post, we just dig our new trash containment device.

More posts from Young House Love

Filed Under: Cleaning, Organizing, & Eco, Our Second House

How To Install A Paver Patio: Digging, Prepping, & Leveling
Fixing A Broken Pendant Light

Comments

  1. Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:10 am

    I can’t believe how expensive trash cans are! We actually bought ours at Home Depot and love it. It’s not a pedal kind (although it is a flip top), but it gets the job done and has a mechanism to keep bags from falling down.

    Also, love the picture of Clara. Too bad she didn’t make the East side sign.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:12 am

      I know right? Maybe she’ll represent for the East coasters next time.

      xo,
      s

  2. Becky Jo says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:10 am

    I guess a good kitchen trash can is hard to find! My mom got a really nice, sleek looking one years ago, and has yet to divulge the price of it to a single person! We have to admit, though, the bags are locked in tight, the stink never escapes from the can, and the looks of it don’t stick out like a sore thumb in a pretty kitchen. Gotta do whatcha gotta do, right?

    Reply
  3. Jessica D. says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:11 am

    Clara and her gang signs are definitely the highlight of this post. Not that I don’t love the new can, I just thought that picture was hilarious!

    Reply
    • Monica says

      May 6, 2011 at 11:48 am

      Silent laugh-snorting at the office here over the gang signs…and, actually, silent laugh-snorting kinda hurts! Too funny! LOVE. it.

  4. Jenna says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:12 am

    Isn’t it CRAZY the things we have to change once we have little ones????!!!! My son has figured out the step lever…and since Clara is a smart girl I’m sure it’s only time…. :)

    Reply
  5. Angie @ The Country Chic Cottage says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:12 am

    My hand would shake when turning over the credit card for a $60 trash can. But that does looks so much better. Makes me think that my garbage can looks like…well…trash…

    Reply
  6. Jason says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:13 am

    I like it – it looks like something well made from the 50s.

    Reply
  7. Rebecca @ the lil house that could says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:13 am

    Crazy people who paid over $100 for a garbage can??

    ::Raises hand::

    I also have the Simple Human stainless steel can, but mine works with any bag since it tucks in like yours does. It’s against my kitchen island, so I felt like I needed a pretty one since there was no logical corner to put it in. We got it at Bed, Bath & Beyond with a 20% of coupon and some gift cards, so I felt totally justified :) And to further justify I’ll just have to show you! http://thelilhousethatcould.com/2010/10/08/recycling-pretty/

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:16 am

      Oooh, she’s a purty girl. Love it.

      xo,
      s

    • Ashley @ DesignBuildLove.co says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:28 am

      oohhh awww… that IS sleek and pretty! Nice job!

    • Rebecca @ the lil house that could says

      May 5, 2011 at 11:08 am

      Thanks guys! I consider her to be more like an appliance… she isn’t trashy and is worth the $100 :)

    • Katie says

      May 5, 2011 at 12:00 pm

      I also have a simple human can… It was crazy expensive but takes any bags, and also has a separate section for recycling inside the can. Worth every penny! We use it constantly and it’s sitting out in my kitchen… I seriously LOVE my simple human can and would buy one again in a heartbeat.

  8. Jessica C. says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:13 am

    Speaking of garbage pail kids (which I was obsessed with when I was younger), did you look up Clara’s name?

    It’s Off-Color Clara… http://i20.ebayimg.com/08/i/001/17/4b/cc68_35.JPG

    Have you done any painting projects with her yet? lol

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:17 am

      Noooo way!!!! We’ve never seen that. Well, since grade school I guess. Amazing and hilarious.

      xo,
      s

  9. Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:14 am

    Oh yeah, that would be gross. We have a trash compacter and I hate it! We refuse to buy the special bags and standard sized bags are either way too big or just a smidge too small, so I have to stretch the bag out to get it to fit. Then it usually falls down. I can’t wait to get rid of that thing when we get around to renovating our kitchen. Have you thought about making a designated trash pull out cabinet? Also, have you seen this: http://pinterest.com/pin/19151730/ Seems like a cool idea, no?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:20 am

      Wow-that is amazing! Seriously, I’m in love. I’d live to upgrade to that someday…

      xo,
      s

    • Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:28 am

      I know! Now I just have to convince Ben that it’s a great idea. Though I think I’d stick with a simple cutting board, not the drawer due to a lack of space. Just thought you’d like it. :)

    • Em says

      May 5, 2011 at 11:25 am

      When we replaced our island we opted for a cabinet that opens like a drawer (the whole thing slides out, not just a cabinet that opens and you have to pull out the trash) and the trash can is hidden in there. It’s sleek and slim and the garbage fits perfectly. Absolutely worth it.

  10. Melissa says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:17 am

    Haha, it was just a couple months ago I insisted on buying a nice stainless flip-top trash can at Costco. It was also around $60 and my husband nearly had a stroke over the pricetag. Doesn’t do much to keep our toddler out though, while he hasn’t figured out the press-step thingie he just lifts the lid up. LOL
    We just adopted a doggie last week and the fancy trash can has already proven it’s worth with him around. :)

    Reply
  11. Robin @ our semi organic life says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:17 am

    I managed to find a nice silver, sleek pop-top one at goodwill a few years ago (probably my best goodwill find) for $3. Granted it still often sucks the bags down when you throw a large item in but it works. We have a dual system with 2 equal sized trash cans – 1 for trash, 1 for recycling. It always makes me wonder why high end, fancy designer kitchens don’t have more a good trash system/area built in.

    Reply
  12. Erin says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:17 am

    If you think trashcans are expensive, have you checked out laundry baskets recently?? I can’t find a decent one for under $85! For dirty clothing!

    Also, the shot of Clara throwing gang signs accompanied by this line “big ups to her homies on the west side” made me snort my morning tea all over my desk!

    Reply
  13. Cait @ Hernando House says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:17 am

    I was about to upgrade our $7 Target trash can to an an under the counter one when my mom gifted us a Simple Human trash can with a recycling bin in the same can for my birthday. It even has a bag gathering slot/hole so that we can use bags we buy in bulk from BJ’s. Maybe it’s trashy (see what I did there?) or weird to love a garbage can, but at least our dog doesn’t try to steal the recycling anymore!

    Reply
  14. Kat says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:18 am

    I can’t imagine buying custom garbage bags like your sister! That Simple Human garbage can must sing show tunes or something…

    One of the first “arguments” my husband and I had after we were married was about garbage bags. I couldn’t believe he wanted to BUY garbage bags. I had always grown up using leftover grocery plastic bags. I ended up conceding on that one. : )

    Reply
    • tarynkay says

      May 5, 2011 at 1:06 pm

      My husband and I had the same argument when we first got married! But he ended up conceding instead, and to this day, we still use grocery store plastic bags rather than purchasing garbage bags.

  15. Cara says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:19 am

    We have a stainless flip top simple human trash can from Bed Bath and Beyond. We had it on our wedding registry but ended up buying it ourselves. It was over $150! Good thing BBB has those 20% off coupons. It still works and looks perfect though 3 years later so I guess it was worth it.

    Reply
  16. Jessica says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:20 am

    I couldn’t help but notice your laundry detergent in all the pictures… Are you no longer using Charlie’s Soap? For some reason I thought you switched over to using Charlie’s for everything after trying it on Clara’s cloth dipes.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:22 am

      It’s hard to find out here so we use Seventh Generation too (we sort of alternate depending on what’s available). Thankfully Clara and the cloth diapers seem compatible with both.

      xo,
      s

    • Amanda says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:35 am

      You can actually buy Charlie’s Soap at amazon. If you bought 2 containers at a time (or use Amazon mom) shipping would be free.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:54 am

      Thanks for the tip! We’ve been meaning to check out a site like amazon for it. Sometimes we run into it in small eco shops, so we love to support them whenever we can.

      xo,
      s

    • heather says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:44 am

      Have you guys ever tried soapnuts? They are suppose to be fabulous for cloth diapers. We use them for regular laundry (though every now and again I alternate with regular detergent). I love them…and you compost when done!

    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:52 am

      We’ve heard they’re amazing and would love to try them (just haven’t seen them yet)!

      xo,
      s

    • Heather says

      May 5, 2011 at 12:11 pm

      I have a TON of them, including “trial” bags that I sell on through my handcrafted soap company. I can send you some trial sizes if you want, they were of almost no cost to me (and I give them away a lot to friends haha, I get excited about it). There are about 5 and they come in the muslin bag you need. You should be able to get about 5 washes out of them. Hot water makes them deteriorate faster so maybe 3 on hot? I only ever wash in cold myself. Once you’re done – throw em in the woods or compost them!

    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 12:19 pm

      You’re so sweet! Wow. We have a no-freebie policy (we just like to pay for stuff to keep it real) but thanks so much for the kind offer! We hope to run into them soon around town (or on a road trip, which is actually where we got our first container of Charlie’s!).

      xo,
      s

    • Heather says

      May 5, 2011 at 12:20 pm

      This is the site, if you want to take a look at them. Just look under “all soaps”.

      http://www.greenbarnsoaps.com/

      Sorry for the layout right now, I’m in the process of making a new (kickbutt) website with a whole customer account area, super easy check out, coupon codes, etc. This is still secure, but I don’t have time until after my wedding to set up my secure domain, etc. for the way the other ecommerce stuff has to run. So for now – enjoy as is!

    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 12:28 pm

      Thanks so much! We can’t wait to check ’em out!

      xo,
      s

    • Amanda says

      May 5, 2011 at 2:12 pm

      Don’t know if these are the soap nuts talked about above but one of the daily deal sites has them on sale today for 50% off

      http://www.greenbabybargains.com/

    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 2:27 pm

      Sweeeet! Thanks so much for sharing.

      xo,
      s

    • gk says

      May 5, 2011 at 2:26 pm

      you can also buy charlie’s soap on their website – http://charliesoap.com/ . looks like it’s cheaper than at amazon, plus i feel like they’re constantly sending out special offers.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 2:28 pm

      So good to know. Thanks for all the suggestions guys!

      xo,
      s

    • heather says

      May 5, 2011 at 2:47 pm

      Hahaha looks like this turned into a soapnuts discussion. Ok, last item them I’m outie on this one.

      I don’t have the smaller bags for any reason other than exposing people to their awesomeness. My favorite and suggested place is here:

      http://stores.buysoapnuts.com/-strse-1/1-kg-Greener-Living/Detail.bok

      They are certifying their stuff fair-trade and are fabulous.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 2:51 pm

      Love it!

      xo,
      s

  17. Shawna says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:20 am

    Kids always find the grossest things to get into!

    I really love the classic white look of your garbage can.

    Reply
  18. Lisa says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:23 am

    Just curious – since I know y’all recycle, where do you put your recyclables? Directly outside each time you have an item?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 11:05 am

      We have a large tupperware bin in the pantry cabinet (we have a large cabinet across from the sink that swings open kind of like a huge armoire and the recycling bin sits on the bottom of that little cabinet). Since our carport is right off of the kitchen we walk the tupperware bin and its contents out to the larger recycle bin about once every few days. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  19. Shannon says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:23 am

    Booyah.

    Reply
  20. Alyssa @ Perpetual Blind Date says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:25 am

    It amazes me at how expensive garbage cans are! When I received one for graduation last year, I can’t say it was the most thrilling gift I received! But now I know how expensive they are!

    Reply
  21. Ashley @ DesignBuildLove.co says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:26 am

    Wow! That’s a spendy trash can… BUT… it seems totally worth a safe, secure, and effective closure to keep little hands out and clean (and contain any bad kitchen smells)! Yay for Home Goods! That store literally has everything!!!

    (PS- you guys should totally leave the “yuck” on the can, cuz it’s giving it some major character!)

    Reply
  22. Corinne says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:27 am

    When I finally upgrade the appliances in my kitchen to stainless, I’ll upgrade my grubby old plastic trash can too. One of my friends has this spiffy one that only opens when you wave your hand in front of it. Thank goodness you two found one that Clara isn’t too terribly interested in!

    I used to have a teeny tiny step can that was previously in the bathroom, back when I lived in a rinky dink apartment. My boyfriend at the time HATED how small it was though, so for Christmas a couple years ago, my “big, awesome, amazing present” (his words, not mine) was a cheapo trash can from Walmart. Seriously. Didn’t get anything else for the holiday. I even got a car battery for my birthday the next month. That’s a romantic man right there.

    Reply
  23. hazel says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:30 am

    Actually, we have a Simple Human can (bought for much less than regular price at Ross) and don’t use the special trash bags…just regular tall kitchen bags (its a tall can). Its great! Definitely worth the price, and I have learned the hard way that the cheapo Target one for $30 won’t last. The step-open-lid function stopped working after about 3 months.

    Reply
  24. Krysta @ Domestic for Dummies says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:30 am

    How were you guys living with such a tiny can for so long? And Clara is the cutest gangsta eva!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 11:18 am

      I know right? It would get so full that we would pull up the sides of the garbage bag like a foot higher than the can to try to balance it so it continued to contain stuff that we shoved in. All in all, it was an awful method. Haha.

      xo,
      s

  25. Kit says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:31 am

    Bahahah! I love the gang sign! LOL.

    Reply
  26. Carolyn says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:31 am

    On a completely unrelated note, how do you like your washer and dryer stacked? We have the same ones and want to stack them to get some extra space in our laundry room, but I’m skeptical…mainly because I’ve never had a front load washer before and have never been able to stack! Every had any problems?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 11:03 am

      No problems so far. We did like the folding space we had from our old set up (with our front loaders next to each other with a counter over the top of them) but there’s no more bending than we used to have before (since they were both low before so we bent down with the old set up too).

      xo,
      s

  27. kara says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:32 am

    You guys are a riot. A post about trash cans and gang signs including puns? I love it.
    I love both of your writing styles, but John’s is definitely right up my alley. Ever since I finally figured out puns (oh, in about 11th grade) I’ve tried to incorporate them into daily conversations.

    Reply
  28. e.p. says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:33 am

    Haha! Too cute with the “YUCK.” I really never understood why garbage cans are so expensive! Even the “dollar store” ones are about 20/30 bucks. WHY? Garbage goes into it. So odd.

    Reply
  29. Amber says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:34 am

    Investing in a good quality garbage bin is smart. When we moved into our apartment we got a cheap-o kind from Target and the lid on it broke a mere 6 months later :(

    Reply
  30. Meredith says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:35 am

    The BEST trash decision I ever made was to purchase this Rev-a-Shelf trash can slide out for our kitchen cabinet.

    http://www.lowes.com/pd_278250-1214-RV-18PBC-5_0__?productId=1078999&Ntt=rev-a-shelf&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Drev-a-shelf

    AND then to purchase the cabinet door mount kit so the whole shebang slides out.
    http://www.lowes.com/pd_272559-1214-RV+DM17+KIT_0__?productId=3107259&Ntt=rev-a-shelf&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Drev-a-shelf

    This is definitely WAY better than a trash can sitting out. Ever. It was worth every cabinet content jockeying/relocation of items to give up a cabinet dedicated for the trash.

    Reply
    • Keri Beth says

      May 5, 2011 at 3:13 pm

      Thanks for these links! I wished we had pull-out trashcans like this in our kitchen, and had no idea it would be so easier to add them. How I love Lowes. :)

    • Keri Beth says

      May 5, 2011 at 3:18 pm

      “So easy to add them,” that is. I do speak English, honest.

    • Meredith says

      May 5, 2011 at 5:31 pm

      Glad to help!!! My kitchen isn’t especially huge and I hated it under the sink anyway. It is near the sink and the best part is I can brush crumbs and debri straight into the trash!! Yay!! Best $100 I ever spent.

  31. Kim @ girlevolving says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:37 am

    We have a Simple Human can (non-custom bags) and I initially balked at the price, too. Big time. But my husband won out and I do love it – it keeps smells in – and with our first baby coming in August, I’m sure having a lid will be REALLY nice.

    Reply
  32. SingleMama says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:39 am

    Where did you get the magnetic letters at? They are so cute!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:59 am

      Those are from etsy. Here’s more info for ya: http://blogs.babycenter.com/life_and_home/not-your-mothers-magnetic-letters/

      xo,
      s

  33. Michele says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:40 am

    I also couldn’t believe how expensive garbage cans are (and I would add teapots to the same OMG category). A very smart friend told me that part of the reason they are so pricey is because you don’t replace them all that often so over the long haul a $60 can doesn’t seem so bad for 5-10 years of usage!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:54 am

      That’s a good way to think about it! I think growing up we had the same stainless trash can the entire time. So maybe ours will break down to pennies a day. Haha.

      xo,
      s

  34. rachael says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:40 am

    I’ve seen under the sink ones priced from anywhere between $75.00 and $175.00. Its unreal, it holds garbage for petes sake!

    Reply
  35. Melissa @ HOUSEography says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:40 am

    We had a similar can in our pre-renovated kitchen and liked it. My daughter never showed an interest in opening it with the step-lever. Alex, on the other hand, wants to do anything remotely mechanical and is working like crazy on the step-lever can we have in our master bathroom. So far, he isn’t heavy enough to open it but it’s only a matter of time!

    Reply
  36. Mandie says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:40 am

    WHen we remodeled our kitchen in January, I had them make a built in – pull out drawer for the trash can. I hated seeing it in the room- an evil necessity!

    I see a weekend project/redo of the laundry room in your future with some wall racks etc :)

    Reply
  37. heather says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:40 am

    BEST CLARA PICTURE EVER. Hahahahaha. Loving the gang signs. Next thing you know she’ll have a gold chain hanging from her pacifier and she’ll be wearing colors. Watch out world. Gettin’ dirty dirty in the souutth.

    Reply
  38. S says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:41 am

    We recently upgraded our plastic Ikea garbage can to a brushed metal one from Overstock that has a motion-sensored lid, but not before doing research and also being shocked at the price of garbage cans these days! I think we ended up spending around $80, but it was well worth the price. Plus we use less plastic bags (only one kitchen trash bag a week instead of several small grocery bags).

    Reply
  39. laura says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:42 am

    Looks good! I am in the same boat as my almost two year old little guy is amazed at the swinging lid of our kitchen trash can. And we don’t make it any easier for him to keep his hands out of there because I usually say, “Don’t touch…yucky!” But then when I am parked on the couch and am too lazy to get up I say, “Here, go throw this in the garbage.” Haha…nothing like confusing the boy. But anyway….I really, really, really need to find a solution to a place to hide my garbage and 2-3 containers of recycling….still searching. I would love the slide out ones in the cabinets but I don’t have any cabinets to spare! Oh, the troubles in life. :)

    Reply
  40. Lauren says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:42 am

    Just be glad that Burger isnt big enough to get into the trash! Our German Shepherd has figured out how to open our flip-top-foot-pedal trash can. Luckily he doesnt nose around in it all the time, but if he smells something tasty (cold cut deli wrappers, left-overs) he goes straight for it. My poor husband has definitely come home a few times to a not so fun trash-tastic scene and we now keep a brick near the trash…

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:53 am

      He used to stick his nose into our open trash can in the laundry room! Haha. It was just a short enough bin for him to get a good sniff. So gross. That system had to go!

      xo,
      s

    • Keri Beth says

      May 5, 2011 at 3:16 pm

      This is our issue! My beagle gets into our foot-pedal-operated trashcan on a regular basis, and it drives me crazy to come home to coffee grounds strewn over the kitchen floor. I’m thinking of installing trashcans inside the cabinets.

  41. Sarah says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:43 am

    We had a regular step can until my son was a toddler, when he started helpfully throwing things away for us. Right around this time our TV remote disappeared, presumably right into the trash, and we realized we needed something more kid-proof. It took some searching but I found a SimpleHuman step can with a locking mechanism that was narrow enough to fit in our small kitchen. It was also inexpensive enough that I was able to get one for the recycling too. I got it at BB&B but you can see it here at The Container Store: http://t.co/CerPmZj

    Reply
  42. Nette @ This Dusty House says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:44 am

    We have one of those cheapies from Ikea and at the moment, it’s just sitting in a corner of the kitchen. Mocha — our precious cockapoo — loves to dig through it to find all our discarded tasty and not-so-tasty things. Our solution is much less expensive than your $60 solution though… all we have to do is get our butts in gear and put the hardware — which we have! — on the sink cabinet so it’s actually easy to open the door, thereby making a convenient home for our boring garbage can.

    Yeah, that’s probably not happening for another few weeks…

    Reply
  43. lara says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:44 am

    our simplehuman can use regular bags. since the liner comes out, gather the extra at the back and “just cinch it” when sliding the liner back down. works great for us!

    Reply
  44. Suzanne says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:44 am

    Did you consider one of those pull out trash bins that go inside the cabinet? They are really easy to install.

    http://www.homedepot.com/buy/kitchen/storage-
    organization/closetmaid/17-5-in-h-24-qt-pullout-trash-bin-51046.html

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:52 am

      Yup, we had one of those in our last house and loved it. But as we mentioned in the post, this house’s sink cabinet base is extremely tiny and narrow. So even our small original trash can couldn’t fit under there. So any pull out system (if they even make them that small) wouldn’t have been the best solution for us since we like to be able to toss out a good amount of trash before removing the bag and starting all over again. Bummer!

      xo,
      s

    • Suzanne says

      May 5, 2011 at 11:06 am

      I have mine in my island, so perhaps John can build a place for the pullout trash to be added then. Just an idea.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 11:08 am

      OOh that would be fun! I love imagining all the fun stuff I want to squeeze into our island someday!

      xo,
      s

  45. Stephanie says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:44 am

    If that one doesn’t end up working out (but I hope it does!) check this one out at BB&B. With a soon-to-be crawling baby and 2 large dogs the locking lid as really come in handy! http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=17096702&RN=1020&

    Reply
  46. Jennifer says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:46 am

    I know you frequent IKEA occasionally, and if you decide to go that route with your kitchen, they actually have the pull-out cabinet/drawer for trash. My husband and I recently renovated a house, and used IKEA cabinets. We have one drawer for trash and one for recycling. And there are also small drawers built-in for storing trash bags. Works great, we love it! Also the slow-close cabinets means no slamming!

    Reply
  47. Susan says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:46 am

    Important question here – is the lid easy to open? Why do I ask? We have a 16 month old and we have a foot lever/top lifting garbage can (cheap $25 Rubbermaid from Target) and she can easily open the lid and, if the can’s full, stroll about the house with whatever nastiness she finds in there. It’s a nightmare and now my can lives up on my kitchen counter when she’s mobile (not in an area where I prepare food lest you just threw up a bit there). If this one “sticks” a bit or is hard for little hands to open, I’ll pay $100 for it!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:49 am

      Hmm, the lid doesn’t seem super easy to flip back or anything (it’s not particularly light weight). But it doesn’t stick or anything. You just have to grab it the right way to flip it open, so I’m hoping little hands might not be able to figure it out very easily. I guess it’s going to be one of those things that we just play by ear to see if it’s something Clara’s going to begin to show interest in again as she grows. But so far so good!

      xo,
      s

    • Angela says

      May 5, 2011 at 12:21 pm

      Susan – we have the same problem. Disgusting, isn’t it? I can’t vouch for it yet since I just ordered it, but this one from Crate & Barrel cost $50. Good luck!
      http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kitchen-and-food/trash-cans/simplehuman-13-gallon-semi-round-trash-can/s686461

  48. Celia says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:48 am

    I had to buy a locking Simple Human garbage can (this one http://www.kent.ca/kbs/en/product.jsp?skuId=5494092&navAction=jump&prdId=5494092&catalogId=864) so that my daughter would stop garbage diving every chance she got. Best $50 I ever spent!

    Reply
  49. Jessica says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:49 am

    OK….so for the 2nd time today, I literally spit coffee all over my desk. The gang sign reference was TOO MUCH for me…..soooo funny! Thanks for the laugh.

    My first “spit coffee out of my nose” moment was when the hubby called to tell me that our little 1 year old popped up right between his legs while he was shaving this morning and “headed” him right where it counts…..you see, my hubby’s allergies have caused his hearing to be totally out of commission and he never heard her coming. hahahaha!!!

    The sun is shining and I’ve had two great laughs today….it’s going to be a good one, I have a feeling! :-)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:57 am

      Haha, now you have us laughing. Poor hubby!

      xo,
      s

  50. Lori and Ethne at wom-mom.com says

    May 5, 2011 at 10:49 am

    Love the garbage, but love the letters even more. Who made those adorable letters?

    Lori
    http://www.wom-mom.com

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      May 5, 2011 at 10:58 am

      They’re an etsy find. More info here: http://blogs.babycenter.com/life_and_home/not-your-mothers-magnetic-letters/

      xo,
      s

Newer Comments »

Stuff We Love

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

John and Sherry smiling against pink backgroundHey, we’re John & Sherry. We’ve fixed up 7 homes, written books, designed products, started a podcast, and then downsized & moved to the beach! Here you’ll find over 3,000 DIY projects & home updates. More about us…

Latest Finds

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

SHOP OUR LIGHTING

SHOP OUR LIGHTING

GET POSTS BY EMAIL

We’re Digging

White Small Scale Subway
Small-Scale Subway
Treasure & Bond Jeans
Favorite Jeans
Current Sheets
Current Sheets (Love!)
Patterned Turkish Rug
Patterned Turkish Rug
Our Kitchen Hardware
Our Kitchen Hardware
Silver Chevron Rug
Silver Rug
Our Kitchen Stools
Our Kitchen Stools
Soft Striped Rug
Soft Striped Rug
SEE MORE OF OUR FAVORITE FINDS > >
**This sidebar contains ads and affiliate links**
Click to view our disclaimer & privacy policy
  • About
  • FAQs
  • Press
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • :)

© 2021 Young House Love ® · Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · A Fun Wordpress theme on Genesis Framework · Hosted by Liquid Web