Most garbage cans we clean are dirty in a normal way. Residue on the walls, some buildup at the bottom, a smell that has been sitting for a few weeks. That is what a regular clean handles.
Then there are filthy garbage cans. The kind that have months of compacted waste, several inches of liquid sludge pooled at the bottom, and solid debris that has essentially fused to the plastic. These take significantly more time, hit our filtration system harder, and affect every other customer scheduled on that route that day. They cost more and we want to be up front about that.
This post explains:
- what we consider excessive
- what happens when we show up to one unannounced
- and why keeping your can on a monthly schedule prevents the problem entirely.
What Makes a Garbage Can Excessively Dirty
There is a difference between a can that needs a good clean and one that has been neglected for months or years. Here is what tips a can into the excessive category:
- ✕Food waste, garbage particles, and solid debris collected at the bottom of the can
- ✕More than an inch of liquid sludge pooled at the base
- ✕Visible mold growth across the interior walls
- ✕Waste that has dried and hardened onto the plastic surface
- ✕A lot of Guelph area residents have had city garbage cans for over a decade.
- ✕Some of these garbage cans have never been cleaned.
- ✕That is years of buildup with no attention.
- ✕By now, that material has had time to break down, pool, and in some cases harden.
We charge $70 for an excessive clean. This is double the cost of a regular one-time cleaning while the job takes 4-5X the time and effort. We, like you, would prefer never to have to charge this!
If you are not sure where your can falls, get in touch before you book and we will tell you honestly.
We Are Not Waste Management
Waste collection removes your garbage. We clean the can it was stored in. Those are two completely different jobs with completely different equipment and completely different cost structures.
Our truck is built to clean your garbage cans with high heat and pressure, eliminating odours and bacteria. It is not equipped to haul or dispose of solid waste or decomposing organic material. When a can has a significant volume of solid debris or compacted waste still inside it, that is not something our system is designed to process, transport, or dispose of.
- ✓We need you to be up front about the state of your garbage can so that we can flag it as an excessive clean
- ✓We'll show up with the right equipment
- ✓We'll be able to plan the extra time in order to fully clean your can and our truck
- ✓And still be able to show up and deliver for the rest of the customers on our route.
What Happens If You Do Not Disclose
If you know your can is in rough shape, please just tell us at the time of booking. We will bring the right equipment, show up, take care of it, and charge accordingly. It’s not a problem when pre-booked.
If you do not disclose it and we arrive to a can that qualifies as excessive, we will try to reach you immediately to confirm the additional charge and take immediate payment. If we cannot get ahold of you, we will skip cleaning your garbage cans. We may also choose not to reschedule the visit, at our discretion, since we have already made a trip out to your address once.
Why a Monthly Clean Prevents This Entirely
The simplest way to avoid an excessive cleaning charge is to never let your can get to that point. That is exactly what a monthly cleaning service does.
A lot of Waterloo Region residents received their black and green garbage cans in March 2026. For most households you’ve still got a pretty clean garbage can. The goal is to keep it that way.
- ✓When we clean your garbage can every month, the buildup never has a chance to get serious.
- ✓There is not enough time between visits for sludge to pool significantly, for mold and maggots to take hold, or for waste to harden onto the plastic.
- ✓Each visit removes the buildup, grime, bacteria and maggots from the previous month and there are no surprises for you or for us.
- ✓There is also a cost argument worth making directly.
- ✓A heavily soiled garbage can can run $70 or more plus HST for a one-time deep clean.
- ✓That costs more than three months of regular monthly cleaning.
- ✓The math works out clearly in favour of staying on top of it.
Beyond the cost, there are real practical reasons to clean more often. Bacteria in garbage cans multiply rapidly in warm, sealed environments. A can that goes several months without cleaning is not just dirty. It is a bacterial environment.
Odour builds up, maggots become a real possibility in summer, and the smell at the curb on collection day becomes a neighbourhood problem, not just yours.
Monthly cleaning also extends the life of the can. Once plastic absorbs odour deeply enough, no single clean fully removes it. Getting ahead of that with regular service is the only reliable way to keep it from becoming permanent.
For more on what is actually living inside a neglected garbage can, the complete guide to garbage can cleaning in Waterloo Region covers it in detail.
Ready for clean garbage cans? Sign up today. You do not need a credit card to fill out the form and we’ll be in touch shortly after to confirm your information and get you added to your neighbourhood route.