In the bin-ness of keeping trash cans clean

Rachel Kroeger

Staff

September 29, 2025

RIVER FALLS – One person’s trash bin is Kyle Hayes’s new business, as he officially launched his garbage can cleaning company – Local Trash Bin Cleaners – in April of 2025.

Hayes said he’s always “had a sense and a desire that I wanted to start my own business.” 

“It’s always just [been] a matter of what would that business be?” he said.

Hayes said he decided to start a garbage bin cleaning business after the idea “captured [his] attention.”

“I saw a video of another local [bin-cleaning] outfit – I think they were out of Janesville – and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s pretty cool,’” he said. “Then I kind of moved on with my life. Two or three months later, I was still thinking about it.”

Digging into the history of the garbage bin cleaning industry, Hayes said he found the practice to be historically popular in Europe and was recently introduced to the southern United States only a handful of years ago.

“It’s pretty new to the United States,” he said. “From what I could find, it’s only been here, really prominently, since about 2012. I guess it’s been [a business] in Europe for more than 50 years. But [in] the southern states, where it’s warm all year long, it’s very popular, and it’s all over the place.”

Hayes said he assumes the business hadn’t garnered the same popularity in the Badger State due to its traditionally severe winters.

“I’m actually only going to run seasonally because our Wisconsin winters don’t work great with water,” he laughed.

Serving neighborhoods within a roughly 30-minute radius of his home base in River Falls, Hayes said his territory largely depends on potential clients and neighborhood interest.

“That’s a big part of it – [levels of] interest in a specific neighborhood,” he said. “[It’s great] if I’m able to schedule [services] and coordinate them in a way that is responsible and efficient.”

For those who inquire about Local Trash Bin Cleaners outside of his service radius, Hayes said he will make note of their ZIP codes and track any additional interest.

“I’ll reach out and say, ‘I appreciate the interest [and am] so thankful for the opportunities…, but until we get more active people in that area, I won’t be servicing it,’” he said. “And, if I can find another outfit that is servicing that area, I will direct them [to that business].”

With his book of business growing to 22 recurring clients and counting, Hayes said those who utilize his service once typically ask him to return.

“[In this business], it’s really difficult to get customers, but when you obtain those customers, the retention rate is very high,” he said. “As high as 96%.”

Now, as he rounds out his first season in business, Hayes said he is simply grateful for the opportunity to serve his community through his faith and entrepreneurship.

Specialized equipment = better results

Hayes said he met his wife in Colorado, where, at the time, he worked in several different industries – one of which “required a lot of travel.”

“[That] didn’t work for us, so then I went into teaching,” he said. “I taught at a K-12 school. I was hired to be the business teacher [because] I have a background in business education.”

Eventually, Hayes said his wife – whose “family lived in River Falls” – got a job teaching at a school back in Wisconsin.

“[So, we] packed up and moved out here,” he said, adding that their relocation to the dairy state nearly a decade ago prompted another career change.

“I’ve actually been in the mortgage [industry] since 2017, and I still am currently working in the mortgage [industry] at the same time [as operating Local Trash Bin Cleaners],” he said.

By day, Hayes said he manages a team of 10 mortgage lenders, but evenings and weekends, he said, are dedicated to keeping his community’s trash bins clean.

“It’s like working two full-time jobs,” he said. “The actual act of cleaning is between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. – as long as we have light and heat. And then, I can do a lot of the administrative type stuff, typically between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m.”

Hayes said the trailer he takes to service his clients is built specially for curb-side trash bin cleaning.

“There are a lot of people who build them themselves, [but] I bought this one built, [because] there are a handful of manufacturers [that make them],” he said. “[My] trailer has [its own water reservoir], so I’m bringing my own water. It’s got a bin to recapture the wastewater that comes off these bins, so I can properly dispose of it. And, it’s got some really fancy cleaning nozzles on there and an instant heater.”

Part of his bin-cleaning process, Hayes said, involves blasting the cans with hot water – “between 180-200 degrees and a little under 3,000 psi” – to kill off bacteria.

According to the Local Trash Bin Cleaners website – nastybins.com – trash bins can contain germs that cause the flu and dangerous bacteria “like E. coli, salmonella and listeria.”

“The hot water is what gets the gunk and grime off there, [and] bacteria starts to die right around 145 degrees, so that is really what kills and sanitizes the trash bin,” he said. “It’s pretty cool when people see it…, [but I think] it’s going to take some time to educate people, [because] it’s a lot different than just someone showing up with a power washer.”

The importance of transparency

Though he is still a full-time mortgage professional, Hayes said it’s his eventual goal to grow Local Trash Bin Cleaners – not just for himself but for other hopeful entrepreneurs.

“I took a lot of time – I think probably eight months – actually researching, studying and developing my business plan,” he said. “I look at some of the [bin-cleaning] folks in the South who have… scaled into software, or they scaled into manufacturing the equipment. I would like to do… a franchise-type thing, where it’s an easy entry, if you will.”

After finding his own success as a small-business owner – “it’s been a busy summer” – Hayes said “ideally,” he’d love to afford others the opportunity to work for themselves.

“They get that freedom themselves, they have some support, they can have that ownership and they can feel proud about it, but it’s my business,” he said. “I’d like to help people get there.”

Rounding out his first season in business, Hayes said he’s had to overcome “a lot of fear” as a first-time business owner.

“It’s fear of the unknown, [and questioning], ‘am I charging the right prices? Are they pleased with their service? What happens if something breaks on the trailer? Will I be able to fix it, and if I [can’t] fix it, where can I find somebody who could help you fix it?’” he said.

Because his trailer and its built-in equipment are “unique” to his business, Hayes said it can be hard to find someone to service it when problems arise.

“It’s not like you can just run over to the auto shop and be like, ‘Hey, can you guys take a look at this?’” he said.

Furthermore, Hayes said equipment breakdowns lead to delays in Local Trash Bin Cleaners’ service.

“Someone is expecting you to show up and clean that trash bin,” he said. “But I just take the approach of transparency and reach out and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got a temporary breakdown, I’m on it to get it fixed [and] get you back on the schedule as soon as absolutely possible.’”

Though unfortunate, Hayes said that is an experience he’s already had – but because he was fully transparent, he said his clients were gracious and understanding.

“The feedback was great…, but even if it’s not pleasant feedback, what else do you do?” he said. “You just have to be transparent.”

Community support, continued growth

Working and living in the same community Local Trash Bin Cleaners serves, Hayes said his favorite part of business ownership has been the excitement and support of his customers.

“When people who are truly interested learn about it, they’re actually really excited and they like to come out to watch the trash bins get cleaned,” he said. “I love it when they have little kids. The kids absolutely love [to watch] it.”

An important aspect of his business, Hayes said, is that it’s curbside and can be done absent of his customers’ presence.

“Part of the beauty of this service is its curbside,” he said. “You don’t have to be there. You just have to leave your trash bins at the curb.”

Each year, Hayes said his season’s definitive end date will be determined by Mother Nature – adding that clients on recurring plans will not be charged for the months Local Trash Bin Cleaners is not in service.

“I charge [customers on] the first of the month,” he said. “So, let’s say they are charged on Nov. 1, and we already [have] a foot of snow – it’s cold, it’s miserable and we’re not going to have anything going – they’re just going to get refunded for that service.”

And, with colder weather approaching, Hayes said he’s happy with the success Local Trash Bin Cleaners has had in its first season – adding that he already has plans to capitalize on its success next year with the help of friends.

“I’m actively trying to get one of my buddies to move out here and help me launch it into more success next year, [but] we have had a great summer,” he said.

For more on Local Trash Bin Cleaners, visit its website or find it on social media.