I Just Discovered the Smartest Way to Line a Trash Can, and It's Mind-Blowing

Meg Asby
·2 min read
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Putting trashbag into trashcan

As soon as I saw this TikTok about the “right” way to line your trash can, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Have I really been putting in my garbage bags the “wrong” way my whole life? Here’s my process: I tear off a bag from the roll, whip it through the air while holding it at the opening, and wrangle it into my trash bin. It’s a bit of a production, but it gets the job done.

I had no clue there was even another option for crossing this chore off my to-do list. But Hannah Ian of Stored Simply stopped me in my tracks with her viral video demonstrating what I now believe to be the smartest way to line a trash can. It’s got more than 12 million views, so it seems many people agree. I just had to try it!

How to Use the Garbage Bag Hack

In her video, Ian shares with viewers an alternative to waving your garbage bag around in the air before lining your trash can.

Step 1: Remove one trash bag from the roll and gently separate the open end. (Apparently, most garbage bags are inside out! You can see the seam if you look closely.)

Trash can liner in trash can.
Credit: Meg Asby Credit: Meg Asby

Step 2: Place the open end of the bag (the side with the drawstring you use to close it up when it’s full) around the bin “like a hat,” Ian explains in her video. The bottom of the bag is the top of the “hat.” If necessary, pull the bag taut around the trash can.

Trash bin lined with plastic bag.
Credit: Meg Asby Credit: Meg Asby

Step 3: Press the top of the “hat” down into the center of the bin. Voila, you’ve got a lined garbage can!

Now that you know the simple trick for easily lining your trash can, I’ll let you in on a secret: There’s more than one “right” way to line your garbage can. “There isn’t a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to insert a trash bag into a can; people can use whatever process works best for them, seams in or seams out,” says Glad Brand Studio Leader, Carrie Rathod. Ian also says in her video that there’s nothing wrong with the conventional way if you prefer it; it definitely still works. 

I’m here for literally anything that makes chores quieter, though, and this hack definitely delivers.