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You lift the lid of your trash can and immediately see them: white, writhing maggots crawling across garbage bags and pooling in the liquid at the bottom. The smell hits next, a nauseating mix of rotting food and fermented garbage juice. Flies buzz around the rim, and you know they've been laying eggs for days.
Maggots appear shockingly fast. Flies deposit eggs in warm, moist trash, and those eggs hatch into squirming larvae within 24 hours. By the time you notice them, hundreds are already living their best life at the bottom of your can.
Article continues below1. Kill existing maggots with boiling water
Boil a full kettle of water. Once it reaches a rolling boil, carefully carry it outside to your trash can and pour the boiling water directly over any visible maggots and into the bottom of the bin where liquid accumulates.
Boiling water kills maggots instantly on contact. The extreme heat penetrates the bin liquid where maggots hide and destroys any eggs that haven't hatched yet. You'll see the maggots stop moving immediately as the water hits them.
Let the water sit for a few minutes, then tip the trash can over to empty out the dead maggots and contaminated liquid. Then rinse the with a garden hose to flush out remaining debris, or wipe it down with dish soap and water if you want a thorough clean.
This removes the immediate infestation, but without preventive measures, flies will return within days to lay more eggs.
2. Sprinkle salt
Next, sprinkle a generous spoonful of table salt across the bottom of the empty bin.
Salt prevents future infestations in three ways. It kills any stray fly eggs or larvae that survived cleaning. It absorbs garbage juice (the liquid that seeps from trash bags and collects at the bottom) which eliminates the moist environment flies need for breeding. And flies that land in the bin and consume salt die from dehydration.
Make this a routine habit. Every time you roll your bin back from the curb after pickup, add salt before putting in a new trash bag. This creates a hostile environment for flies and stops the cycle before eggs hatch into maggots.
3. Line the bottom with newspaper
For extra protection, line the bottom of your trash can with several sheets of newspaper. Crumple the newspaper loosely or lay it flat — either method works well.
Newspaper absorbs excess moisture from trash bags before it pools at the bin's bottom. This keeps the interior drier, which discourages flies from landing and laying eggs.
Even small amounts of standing liquid attract flies, so eliminating moisture makes your bin significantly less appealing.
Why hosing down isn't enough 🪰
Many people spray trash cans with a garden hose after noticing maggots or odors, but water alone doesn't solve the problem. Hosing loosens surface dirt but doesn't remove the sticky residue or bacteria coating the plastic interior.
More importantly, adding water without eliminating moisture afterward can make the problem worse. The can stays damp longer, creating ideal conditions for flies to return. Unless you're using boiling water specifically to kill maggots, regular water won't address the infestation.
The boiling water, salt, and newspaper method targets the root causes: it kills existing pests, prevents eggs from hatching, and eliminates the moist, food-rich environment flies need.
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