The Best Car Garbage Can

Buying Guide

If you have a family or spend a lot of time traveling from place to place in your car, you know it doesn’t take long for trash to accumulate. Having a garbage bin in the car is the best way to keep snack wrappers and empty juice boxes from making their way to the floor of the vehicle. Car garbage cans are also easy to empty at the end of the week. As you shop for the best bin, you’ll want to keep the following information in mind.

Determine whether you’d like the garbage can to have disposable liners or a reusable liner. Some cans give you the option to take out the inner liner when emptying trash or use the provided hooks for attaching disposable liners that can be tossed at the end of the week. Other models come with a set of disposable liners, but even if they don’t, most models work well with old grocery bags.

Examine the materials used to make the car garbage can next. Is it made following eco-friendly practices? Is it waterproof for handling drink spills? Some bins are made using a high-quality Oxford cloth. They are leak-proof and extremely durable, which is important if you’re traveling with children or pets. Other models are made with a vinyl lining that protects the can against stains.

Review your needs to determine what capacity you need your vehicle’s garbage bin to be. You’ll find models typically collect between 1.5 and 2.5 gallons of trash before they need to be emptied. If you have a large family, you’ll want to go with the 2.5-gallon version. Otherwise, you’ll be emptying the bin every other day instead of once a week.

Look at how the car garbage can is secured. Some bins offer two methods for holding the bin in place. You can use the cinch-lock cord over your console to keep the can on the floor or the strap to hang the bin from your headrest. There are models with extra-long adjustable straps that allow you to secure the garbage can anywhere you’d like. These cans can also be used on a boat or in an airplane.

Consider any extras that the car garbage can offers. Some models come with lids to help keep odors contained, while other units come in a choice of colors. There are even bins with as many as three pockets for storing everything from hand sanitizer to a travel pack of tissues.

• Always look for a car garbage can with sturdy construction and design elements. You’ll want a car garbage can that’s built to last.
• While disposable trash bag liners are handy, you may want to go with a reusable model to cut costs. If you do, you’ll need to remove the liner once a week or so and wash it. You can do this with warm water and liquid dish soap, but you’ll also want to disinfect the liner every once in a while. Vinegar is an excellent option, or you can go with the handy cleaning wipes that kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria.
• Sprinkling a little baking soda at the bottom of your car garbage bin is another way to help keep odors to a minimum in between emptying.
• Proper placement of your car’s trash can is important. You don’t want to open your car door only to have the trash fall out and roll away on a windy day. Use the provided straps and make sure they are snug, so the bin can’t move around.
• Vehicle garbage cans don’t have to be used just for garbage. Instead, you could place them next to your children to hold a few toys, coloring books or gaming devices. This will keep them occupied during the ride. Some cans are even insulated, which means you can use them as a cooler when traveling to visit family. You can fill them with water bottles and juice boxes and use the side pockets for snacks and utensils.
• Consider signing your family up to participate in a community cleanup day. This is a great way to educate children on the importance of proper trash disposal, and it’s also a wonderful way for the entire family to keep the environment healthy.
• The best way to compare car garbage bin prices is to look at how many gallons of trash the model can hold. Affordable bins hold around 1.5 gallons of trash. Other models, however, command a higher price, as they can hold a total of 2.5 gallons of trash before needing to be emptied.