Dumpster Pad Cleaning

Why dumpster pads get so bad

A dumpster pad is concrete that never gets a break. Bags split, liquid drips out of the bottom of the container, and every rain washes whatever is on the lid and the ground into the same corner. In summer it is the first thing a customer or a resident smells.

The University of Kentucky’s environmental office puts the cause plainly in its dumpster guidance: “Open lids allow contact with storm water, which dissolves and trans-ports contaminants into the storm water system,” and “open lids also invite pests to spread trash around” (University of Kentucky).

What we clean

• The pad. The concrete under and around the dumpster, where the stains and the smell are.
• The enclosure. The walls and gate around it, which get splashed every time the truck comes.
• The approach. The concrete the truck and your staff cross to get there.

Where the water goes

This is the question to ask anyone you hire for a dumpster pad, because the water coming off one is dirty. The same University of Kentucky guidance says to “never discharge wash-water to storm drains or off-site,” and Louisville’s sewer district does not allow polluted water into storm drains without treatment (MSD Section 2.13.3).

What we do: we block the storm drains and send the water onto the ground to soak in.

Keeping it cleaner between visits

Three habits from the same University of Kentucky guidance, none of which cost anything:

1. Keep the lids closed except when filling or emptying.
2. No liquids or grease in the dumpster. Its guidance says “liquids or greases are prohibited in the trash containers.”
3. Pick up loose trash and spills around the pad as they happen, using dry methods like sweeping, not a hose.

One visit or a schedule

On a schedule, the pad gets washed before the smell builds up. We do both, and we would rather set a schedule with you. Commercial jobs are booked as their own visit, scheduled around your hours, and we are insured on every job.