You know when gentrification has gone too far

[TheArtfulDogger]

When you get a post like the following in the business section.

And before the collective forum handbags go up in unison in shock, I am not having a pop at the op, just the concept...

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?30,1540415

[Sue]

That question has been asked on the forum before.

And answered, if memory serves :))

There are, apparently, actually people who provide this service.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Wow

[nxjen]

Actually, the service has been around since the introduction of wheelie bins (early 1990s?) so not really anything to do with gentrification. Just goes to show where's there's muck there's brass!

[robbin]

It has little to do with gentrification and is quite common (at least I see those guys around a lot).

If not cleaned sometimes, some bins can kick off a vile smell as well as attracting swarms of flies. Particularly if the collections are not as frequent as they might be.

[Jeremy]

They can really stink. I wouldn't much fancy sticking my head inside one armed with a scrubbing brush - and certainly not in the summer. Much better to get it done with a pressure washer.

[Mustard]

Saw them a few months ago working near Everthorpe Rd area.

[Jah Lush]

If you're looking for 'gentrified' bins, Artful, the ones outside the Co-0p and Si Mangia on Forest Hill Road were rather artistically painted in floral designs and colours last summer to make them more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. I doubt it has stopped them giving off a vile stench but ooh they do look much nicer now.

[miga]

The first place I saw this service offered was SE6. Not sure it's an indication of anything much other than the general trend of outsourcing house/garden work.

[aquarius moon]

In the past I've taken mine outside my gate, tipped in a few buckets of very hot soapy water, then tipped it out over the drain.

If you then leave the lid open until it dries out, smells nice and it's free.

[Louisa]

I'm with AqM on this one. Marigolds, bleach, soapy hot water. Tip bin on its side and attack it with a scrubber. The only time I would suggest calling in some sort of cleaning service is if you're elderly and/or ill and not in a position to do it yourself (or CBA). Anyone else that doesn't do it has more money than sense!

Louisa.

[Jules-and-Boo]

Easily cleaned if you use a broom, soap /disinfectant/ Jeyes fluid and a hose

Definately use the green bags to dispose of waste - ask Southwark if you don't have any - to keep flies and maggots (eugh) at bay.

[Gerrard]

I think these firms provide a great service. Last year, a thoughtful dog owner decided our wheelie bin was a great place to dispose of dog excrement. The bag must have split as we had to put up with a terrible smell in our front garden. To be honest, I wasn't too keen on scrubbing that out during my all too brief free time at the weekend and was extremely grateful to the wheelie bin cleaners (Enviro-Solve on 020 3376 7421) that came and did an excellent job.

[keano77]

Jules-and-Boo Wrote:

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> Easily cleaned if you use a broom, soap

> /disinfectant/ Jeyes fluid and a hose

>

> Definately use the green bags to dispose of waste

> - ask Southwark if you don't have any - to keep

> flies and maggots (eugh) at bay.

Just to say Southwark Council is no longer giving out free green waste bags - budget cuts I'm told. You need to buy your own now

[Earl Aelfheah]

I am genuinely surprise people pay someone to rinse out their bin. Seems like such a small job, but each to their own I guess. They are quite large bins so if you're old or frail I can see it may be difficult, but then again would hope a neighbour might help you with it.

[Gerrard]

Sorry, but the job required more than a simple rinse out. I don't have any pressure hose equipment, nor the inclination to scrub away at dog poo on my Saturday afternoon.

The quote was inexpensive so made perfect sense to me, but each to their own.

[Otta]

What does it cost to have a bin cleaned then?

[miga]

Crucial question Otta - the service in my neck of the woods is ?3 a week. "Oooooohhh...big spenders!".

[Gerrard]

Off the top mf my head, I think it was about ?20 to pressure clean both of our bins.

They were positively gleaming in the sunshine for the remainder of the Summer...

[Gerrard]

Sorry, I believe that was the cost for two (or perhaps three, I don't recall) visits.

[Otta]

I think if I had bins that were starting to smell a bit high, I'd probably spend the ?20 to save myself the bother. It's not like you'd be doing it every month, once or twice a year probably enough for a "deep clean".

One thing I like about living on an estate as I now do, is that they have several of those big metal skip bins, so you just chuck everything in there and forget about it. Only downside is that although I chuck recycling stuff in the one marked for recycling, I suspect others don't bother so most of my beer cans probably end up in landfill.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Fair enough - I can see that in a specific 'dog poo' type scenario, it would be worth doing. Just the idea of having a regular bin cleaner hadn't ever occurred to me.

[oimissus]

I'm sure the chap on this week's Kevin McCloud Wild Places, or whatever it's called, had made his money doing just this, so it's clearly a) not new and b) in demand. My mum couldn't clean out her wheelie bin by herself, she may well feel it's not something to ask the neighbours ( and neither my sister or I are local) and as she's not destitute it's simply easier to pay someone to do it for her. You may as well say that paying a window cleaner is a sign of gentrification, or using a car wash, or...or...or...

[aquarius moon]

oimissus Wrote:

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> You may as well say that paying a window

> cleaner is a sign of gentrification,

It is!

[Otta]

Are you joking AqM?

When I was a kid we were poor, I am not exaggerating. We were lucky because my mum had inherited out house from her mum, but we were pretty poor.

But we had the window cleaner round.