Garbage chute cleaning, and odour control between cleans
Garbage chute cleaning removes the build-up inside your chute, and the Garbage Doctor® keeps the odour down, 24/7, between cleans. We don't clean chutes ourselves, but we know chute cleaning contractors around Australia, and we're happy to recommend a trusted cleaner for your building.
Why a garbage chute can still smell after cleaning
However clean the lining, a chute smells for as long as the bins beneath it do.
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- Before the clean Both linings are dirty. The bins and the lining send odour up the chute on the left. On the right, ozone neutralises the bins' odour at the bins, so only the lining smells.
- The clean The chute cleaner washes each lining with a cleaning head, usually lowered from the top.
- After the clean The bins' odour still rises up the clean chute on the left. The chute on the right stays free of odour.
The air in a garbage chute starts in the bin room and rises up the chute, escaping at the top of the building. Warm air rises, as in a chimney, and most chutes have an exhaust fan at the top.
On the way up, the air carries the bin room's odour, and a dirty lining makes the smell stronger. A professional chute clean removes that build-up. The bin rooms odour keeps travelling up though, and escapes at the chute door on each floor, so a freshly cleaned chute, or even a new one, can still smell.
Where garbage chute odour comes from
The smell in a garbage chute comes from the chute's lining and from the bins at the bottom, and each needs a different fix. As best practice, we recommend both: regular garbage chute cleaning, and odour control that runs 24 hours a day, such as the Garbage Doctor.
Chute cleaning is an important part of your building's waste management plan.
Chute cleaning contractors in your area
We don't clean chutes ourselves, but we work alongside chute cleaning contractors in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Tweed Coast and the Sunshine Coast, where our technicians also install and service the Garbage Doctor. Contact us and we'll recommend a trusted chute cleaner near your building, and can look at the odour from your bins at the same time.
Bin odour rising up the chute
The smell of the rubbish at the bottom of the chute is drawn up the chute with the air. Even the cleanest chute won't stop this odour, because the smell doesn't start inside the chute.
The Garbage Doctor treats this odour, running 24 hours a day in the bin room. The machine neutralises the odour at the bins, and assists with germicidal control there, before the smell can spread up the chute into your building.
Send us your bin room's details for a quote
Tell us about your building. You're welcome to add photos or a short video of the bin room and the chute: they help us recommend the right Garbage Doctor before we quote.
- Tell us about your building
- Add photos or a video of the bin room
- We recommend a system and send a quote
How a garbage chute is cleaned
Chute cleaning is specialist work, with equipment made for the job. The usual method is a high-pressure cleaning head, lowered from the top of the chute and washing the build-up off the lining all the way down. A thorough clean also takes in the area around each floor's chute door, and the bin room.
How often should you clean your garbage chute?
Generally, the taller the building, the more often the chute needs cleaning. All the rubbish passes the lower floors on the way to the bins or the compactor, so the lower part of the chute gets dirty faster.
- A low-use chute: most professionals suggest a clean twice a year.
- A large building with many apartments: four cleans a year, possibly more.
- A very high-use chute: some buildings clean about every six weeks over summer.
The building's design, its number of apartments and the local climate matter too. If the chute opens straight into a hallway with little or no ventilation, you may find more frequent cleaning helps. Your contractor can recommend a schedule.
Garbage chute cleaning and your building's duty of care
In most strata buildings, the garbage chute, the chute door on each floor and the bin room are common property. Residents, cleaners and caretakers use them every day.
We recommend keeping the chute on a regular cleaning schedule, and treating the odour at the bins with a system that runs 24/7 and assists with germicidal control. Both are part of the care a body corporate and building manager take of these areas.
Chute cleaning and odour control, working together
Chute cleaning and the Garbage Doctor do different jobs. A clean takes the build-up off the lining a few times a year, but it does nothing to address the odours from the bins at the base of the chute. The Garbage Doctor treats the bin room's odour every hour of the day, and can send a fresh fragrance up the chute if you'd like one.
While the chute is washed, the chute cleaner or the building's staff generally switch the Garbage Doctor off.
Our technicians install and service the Garbage Doctor in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, the Tweed Coast, Airlie Beach and Auckland in New Zealand. Most customers rent the machine on an all-inclusive rental, covering all servicing, consumables and maintenance, and some buy an ozone-only machine outright.
Garbage chute cleaning questions
Do you clean garbage chutes?
No. We supply, install and service odour control systems. For chute cleaning, we're happy to recommend a contractor in your area.
Does cleaning the chute get rid of the smell?
Partly. Cleaning removes the odour from the chute's lining, but the smell of the bins at the bottom still rises up the chute. For that odour, we recommend odour control in the bin room, running 24/7.
Is chute cleaning still needed once a Garbage Doctor is installed?
Yes. The build-up on the chute's lining still needs a professional clean, while the Garbage Doctor treats the bins' odour around the clock.
How often should a garbage chute be cleaned?
Most professionals suggest twice a year for a low-use chute, and four cleans a year or more in a large building with many apartments. Some very busy chutes are cleaned about every six weeks over summer. Your chute cleaner can recommend a schedule for your building.
Who cleans garbage chutes?
Specialist chute cleaning contractors, with equipment designed for that purpose. We know chute cleaning contractors around Australia, and we're happy to recommend one in your area.
How is a garbage chute cleaned?
Usually with a high-pressure cleaning head, lowered from the top of the chute and washing the build-up off the lining all the way down. A thorough clean also takes in the area around each floor's chute door, and the bin room.
Should the Garbage Doctor be switched off during a chute clean?
Yes. While the chute is washed, the chute cleaner or the building's staff switch the Garbage Doctor off.
Ask about chute odour
Call us for a chute cleaner in your area, or send us photos or videos of your bin room for an odour control quote.