Finding maggots in your trash can is probably one of the worst discoveries around your home. I, for one, have been unfortunate enough to suffer with a maggot infestation and let me tell you, I had an urge to throw my whole trash can away.
Not only can it be annoying to eliminate the maggots — although we've got a handy guide on how to get rid of maggots in your trash can fast — but it's also just seriously gross.
While it can happen any time of year, it's more likely in the summer months, since flies are more active. And, if they find a stinky bin, they're keen to make it their new home.
When flies land in your trash, they lay eggs, and that's when you get maggots. And that cycle will continue — unless you put a stop to it.
Grabbing some bread certainly wasn't high on my list after first discovering maggots in my trash can, but it turns out that if it had been, it would've actually been really helpful.
Don't worry, I'm not suggesting you sit down for a sandwich while thinking about the maggots you just found. Instead, here's how it can help you keep them away for good.
TikTok user @casadelacommodore posts DIY tips and hacks to his over 20k followers.
But, when he revealed how you can use a couple of slices of bread to keep maggots away from your trash can, it quickly became his most watched video ever.
With over 1.2 million views, Dean demonstrates that firstly you'll need to clean your trash can. For this, he uses a pressure washer, but you can use whatever works for you as long as it gets a good rinse with water.
Then, add some disinfectant or bleach. For bleach, it's recommended that you dilute the solution. Or, opt for a more natural mix with a white vinegar solution – made of one part distilled white vinegar and two parts water.
Now, here's where the bread comes in. Grab a couple of slices and soak them in distilled white vinegar. Once the bread is covered, just toss it into the bottom of your cleaned trash can and the flies will stay away.
In the comments, Dean also explains that after your bin gets collected, you'll need to put new bread in. So, keeping a couple of stale pieces of bread aside is a great idea.
Putting it to the test
While Dean suggests that flies don't like vinegar, I actually found mixed opinion when researching online. But, the vinegar's acidity does act as an odor eliminator, which would deter the flies from arriving in the first place.
So, inspired and enlightened, I grabbed my white vinegar and bread and headed for my freshly-collected trash can to test Dean's method out.
I doused the bread slices in vinegar on a plate, as per Dean's instructions, and as I was trying to drop them in my bin, the flies were already attempting to land.
I think it's hard to say whether I've found long-term results for the method, but I certainly haven't found any maggots since I started doing it. I'll try anything to avoid dealing with them again, though, so if chucking vinegar-soaked bread in my trash can every other week is the solution, it's not a crazy idea.
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