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The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Irish Sun
I tried 3 hacks to stop my bins from smelling – a £1.50 trick made a total mess but a 55p buy was a total game changer
IF your bins are kicking up a nasty smell, fear not, you've come to the right place. With summer right around the corner, the warm weather can cause your bins to emit 8 With the weather heating up, if you've noticed your bins kicking up a grim odour, we've got you covered Credit: Getty 8 Here, Abby Wilson tests out three hacks to not only clean her bin, but to banish nasty smells too Credit: Abigail Wilson 8 One trick made a total mess, but another left Abby's bin sparkling Credit: Supplied 8 Her bin was quite grubby at first Credit: Supplied But to stop your dirty recycling from marinating in the heat and causing your neighbours to squirm, experts have revealed a variety of simple tips and tricks to According to Michael Bogoyavlenskiy, CEO of And while it's important to empty your bin every couple of days and make sure to dispose of anything "particularly pungent", there's also a variety of cleaning hacks that can banish grim smells. On a mission to ensure my recycling bin smells fresh this season, I, Abby Wilson, tested three simple hacks. Read more Fabulous stories You probably already have at least two of these buys in your cupboards already, but don't worry if your purse is feeling tighter than ever before, as all three are super affordable. While the cheapest hack will cost you just 49p, your bin will be so Wash this According to those at 8 Washing-up liquid got rid of strong smells, but needed a bit of elbow grease Credit: Getty So, I got my Marigolds on and dived headfirst into the bin - and yes, it was as grim as you could imagine. Most read in Fabulous In between holding back gags and wiping my watering eyes, I scrubbed the interior of the recycling bin with the purse-friendly two-ingredient solution. I then gave the bin a quick rinse with a hose and I have to say, it looked pretty good. Top 6 spring cleaning hacks Whilst it wasn't great at getting rid of the It looked pretty good too and thanks to this cheap trick, your bins are sure to shine in no time. While I used proper Fairy Liquid, if you're on a budget and are looking to pocket pennies where possible, you'll be thrilled to know that you can nab cheaper dish soap from just 49p from Rating: 3/5 Powerful paste After a couple of weeks, it appeared that my bin had gone back to its old ways and was still looking a bit grim. 8 The Pink Stuff made a proper mess Credit: So I searched for something a bit stronger and bought myself a tub of While this isn't something I've heard many experts talk about when it comes to bin cleaning, I figured the multi-purpose paste which has been hailed as a 'miracle' product that is said to be 'tough on stains', could do the trick. But after literally five seconds of scrubbing, I was already starting to regret my decision. Yes, this thick paste is super versatile, but it made a total mess on my bin. The household items you're not cleaning often enough IF you want to ensure your home is squeaky clean, you'll need to listen up. Below are the household items you're forgetting to clean, and how to get them sparkling... Remote Controls: Wipe with a disinfectant cloth. Use a cotton bud for crevices. Light Switches: Wipe with a disinfectant wipe. Use a mild soap solution for tough stains. Door Handles: Clean with an antibacterial spray. Wipe down regularly. Underneath and Behind Appliances: Vacuum or sweep regularly. Mop with a suitable cleaner. Shower Curtains and Liners: Wash in the washing machine. Use a bleach solution for stubborn mildew. Kitchen Sponges and Dishcloths: Microwave damp sponges for one minute. Wash dishcloths in the washing machine. Computer Keyboards and Mice: Use compressed air to remove debris. Wipe with a disinfectant wipe. It was much more hassle than it was worth and there was far too much faff involved with getting rid of the white residue from my bin. While I love using this product throughout my home, on my Also, the scent is very faint, so it didn't work as well as I'd hoped to keep my bin smelling fresh. Rating: 2/5 Seriously strong Disappointed with the mess The Pink Stuff made, not only on my bin but all over me too, I reached for a household hero I knew wouldn't let me down. 8 Bleach took the top spot on this cleaning test Credit: Getty Not only do I use bleach on my loos, but I imagined it would work well on my bin too. According to the By bin was left so clean I could even see my reflection in it Abby Wilson The pros explained that bleach is a 'strong cleaner' that 'kills many bacteria, viruses, and fungi', whilst working to 'keep bins clean and fresh.' Not only this, but the experts also recognised that it will 'break down tough stains, grease and grime in bins', whilst also 'making bins look new and clean again.' Eager to let the powerful product do its work, I diluted some bleach with water and threw the solution over the inside and outside of my I then grabbed a long brush to spread the solution and left it to work for a few minutes. Moments later, I thoroughly rinsed the bin to get rid of any residue, which is highly important when using bleach as it can be harmful to the environment and wildlife. As someone who would buy a bleach scented candle if it was available, I was overjoyed with the squeaky clean scent it left behind. Cleaning hacks for outside IF you want to get your garden summer ready, you'll need to check this out. ALGAE: If your fence is covered in MOSS: If moss is causing you problems, PATIO: IF your patio slabs have seen better days, Not only was it a But that wasn't all - my bin was left so clean (definitely the cleanest it has EVER looked), I could even see my reflection in it - yes, you heard that correctly. I highly doubt I'll be popping outside and peering at my bin to check that my make-up and hair look decent, but if you really want your bins to shine, bleach may just be the thing for you. Although it left me very impressed, the experts recommend that bleach should not be used for routine cleaning of bins due to environmental concerns and the damage it can do to plastic over time. I'll definitely do this trick again, but for those eager to give it a try, make sure you switch up your cleaning methods, Rating: 4/5 Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club 8 Now, her bin is super shiny Credit: Supplied
Telegraph
10-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Forgotten sex toys and blood-spattered sheets: Secrets of an Airbnb superhost
What do you do when your guest leaves behind a sex toy? Or when your White Company bedlinen is spattered with blood? Or when you discover a piece of salmon defrosting in the cupboard? 'Firstly, don't panic,' says Annabel Dunstan, a chief executive and Airbnb superhost who does it the trad way, hiring out a room in her Brighton home. She's had 12 years to practise her own advice, having started in 2013, renting out a bedroom in the family home in Oxford's Osney Island, where she was living with her partner and their children, aged 15 and 13, at the time. 'I'd left my London PR job because of the stress of commuting while trying to look after my children and my mother, who had dementia,' says Dunstan. When her father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, the difficult decision was made to move both parents into residential care. During this time, Dunstan's 23-year relationship ended and while the parting was 'painful but amicable; we are still friends', it left her in 'a barn of a house with much less income'. Early adopter An early Airbnb adopter, she liked the idea of welcoming diverse people to her home and, 'the money was welcome, too'. Her children raised no objections but friends were not so sure. 'The most common reaction was, 'What if they are an axe murderer?'' she says. 'I do have an inside lock on my bedroom door, but laughed inwardly when my first booking arrived; a single man carrying a long, thin, canvas bag.' She offered to go running with him, calculating that he 'probably wouldn't murder me if I got to know him, and we just took it from there, although I never did find out what was in the bag'. Becoming a superhost From the outset, she resolved to become a superhost, an Airbnb-er who meets criteria that include maintaining a 4.8 or higher overall guest rating. She puts some of her early success down to her Airbnb room – on a separate floor with its own en-suite, a double bed and panoramic Oxford views. She repeated this guesting formula after downsizing to a smaller property in the city, and later, in 2019, when she moved to her current home in Brighton. In 12 years she has hosted over 300 guests from more than 50 countries. 'I've enjoyed them all, but some do stay in my mind more than others,' she says. These include the embarrassed man who apologised for 'the blood' which was 'everywhere' in his room. 'He said it was a nosebleed but given that the duvet cover, duvet, sheet, pillowcase and mattress protectors had numerous blood stains, I did wonder,' says Dunstan. 'He insisted it wasn't cocaine.' Given that her 800-threadcount White Company bedlinen resembled a TV crime scene, she could have been annoyed. However, she says: 'I'm an anthropologist by training so I try and put myself in the other person's shoes. If I'd had a nosebleed, I would hope any host would be sympathetic and not make me feel bad.' She accepted the guest's apologies plus £30 for cleaning costs and then 'got to work with my Marigolds and a big bottle of Vanish'. Sex toy shock Quick thinking also came into play when she discovered a ribbed vibrator tangled in a towel beside the Airbnb bed after a guest, who had entertained a female visitor, had departed. 'A champagne bottle was upside down in the Yucca tree pot and two glasses were upended on the Berber rug,' she remembers. She had agreed to the guest staying once a week for eight weeks but realised, 'I didn't feel comfortable with that potentially going on with my children there every other week and so I had to deal with it.' Via Airbnb's message service, she explained to the guest that perhaps he would be more suited to a hotel and then, wearing latex gloves, popped the sex toy in a Jiffy bag before parcelling it up and couriering it, marked private and confidential, to his workplace. Dealing with dodgy smells She had to think on her feet again, when a disgusting smell pervaded the Brighton house one summer, following the departure of a young student guest. 'At first it was just a faint whiff but by day three it was awful.' She returned to the guest's room and opened a little-used cupboard in there. After being hit by a monumental stench, she discovered a decomposing salmon fillet. 'I'm happy for guests to use my kitchen so I think he must have put it in there to defrost and cook later and just forgotten,' she says. Another guest used an inordinate amount of Lynx aftershave, to the point where she could smell it 'all over the house'. One Scandinavian gentleman spent a large part of his 10-day visit sitting at Dunstan's kitchen table. 'He said very little and didn't seem to sleep much but his partner did.' It was only after they left that Dunstan's son discovered all the lawnmower cables, a rope length and twine in the garden shed neatly fashioned into coils, braids and plaits. 'Anything that could be knotted had been, along with all the elastic bands and bags for life in our kitchen cupboard.' Ukrainian visitor The visitor she's been most moved by was a young Ukrainian woman who had fled Kharkiv for Oxford, sharing a room with her mother. 'My friend asked if I could offer the daughter a break in Brighton and of course I agreed,' says Dunstan. She was struck by the quiet elegance of the woman who, before she was uprooted by the Russian invasion, was a healthcare professional who had lived in her own flat. 'We went into the garden and a flock of seagulls squawked overhead in the blue sky,' remembers Dunstan. 'She looked at me and whispered: 'It's so nice to hear seagulls and not rockets in the air above.'' All these experiences, she says, 'gave me back my mojo. I'd been in a time of stress and grief when I started – my father died soon after he went into care – but slowly, I climbed out of it.' Self-belief Successful superhosting gave her the self-belief to relocate to Brighton which, in turn, led to her taking up year-round sea-swimming and fulfilling her ambition to learn the saxophone, which she now plays in a jazz band. Appearing on stage gave her the confidence to start performing some of her Airbnb stories at open mic sessions, under the name #HashtagSuperhost and she has just published her Confessions of a Superhost book on Amazon. 'The stories I've written are based on true events, but names, details and identifiable traits have been changed to protect the privacy and anonymity of those involved,' she explains. She also launched and still runs an insights agency, Question & Retain, measuring employee and client experience. 'Superhosting has given and taught me so many things – but mainly that humans are curious and endlessly fascinating,' she says.
