Frequently Asked Questions: Cleaning your trash chute

Cleaning your trash chute may not be the most glamorous job, but it’s necessary to keep your building looking — and smelling — fresh. It’s an important annual job that will help keep your building clean and increase the life of your system.

Here are a few questions the team at Airpro Hawaii frequently receives regarding trash chute cleaning:

Is pressure washing my trash chute enough?
In short — no. There can be a lot of buildup of trash along the walls, doors and base. Often times, cleaning companies will scrape the bottom of the chute where trash bags hit and break. This is a heavy-duty job that can’t be remedied by high water pressure.

How often should I clean my trash chute?
That depends on use — higher traffic chutes should be cleaned more often. However, on average, trash chutes should be cleaned once every year or two years. Again, this depends on how many people use the chute and what they are dumping. If rotting food or cat litter are regulars in your trash chute, more frequent cleanings may help relieve persistent odors.

In Hawaii, hot, humid temperatures often exacerbate smells and mold growth, which can attract vermin or rodents. Regular cleaning helps prevent this build up.

How does trash chute cleaning work?
Cleaning a trash chute requires a specialized service to ensure the chute is not only washed, but disinfected and deemed environmentally safe. A lot of garbage, debris and food waste passes through a trash chute, so regular cleaning is very important.

During the cleaning process, we’ll pressure wash the chute with a high-temperature wash which includes bactericide and insecticide. We’ll also saturate the entire chute with disinfectants and odor control solutions to keep it fresh longer. We’ll also ensure water and debris are cleaned up before our team leaves, so you can come back to a fresh chute!

How can I reduce odors in the trash chute?
Regularly cleaning your trash chute can ensure that trash does not build up on the inside of the chute or doors and create a lasting odor. There are also options for odor control between cleanings — talk with our team for more information.

What questions do you have about cleaning your trash chute? Give our team a call today to schedule your regular cleaning.