Trash can cleaning equipment: the full checklist

The short versionYou need a gas pressure washer around 4 GPM, a clean-water tank, a way to catch and hold the dirty water, a trash can wand, an EPA-registered disinfectant, basic protective gear, insurance, and a trailer or truck that can carry the weight. A cold-water DIY kit runs roughly $5,800 to $6,300 in main parts before the trailer. Turnkey trailers we checked were listed from $29,999 to $70,000.

The checklist at a glance

Listed retail prices checked in October 2026. Prices change, and freight and tax are usually extra.

Pressure washer

This is the heart of the rig. Most bin cleaning setups use a gas pressure washer around 4 gallons per minute (GPM) and 4,000 PSI. The cold-water units we found were listed at $1,499 (a Simpson PowerShot PS4240 on sale) to $1,979 (a 3R unit with a Honda GX390 and a General pump).

Hot water or cold water?

Hot water cuts grease and dried-on grime faster, which is why builders sell it for commercial and HOA work. Clean Bin Trailers, for example, positions its cold trailer as entry-level residential and its hot-water trailer as commercial and HOA grade. Hot water costs a lot more, though: 4 GPM hot-water washers we found were listed at $5,799 and $8,803, and they burn diesel or kerosene. For a residential route, many owners start cold and add hot water once restaurants or dumpsters are on the schedule.

Water tanks

You carry your own clean water, since you can't count on using a customer's spigot. A 200-gallon tank was listed at about $1,203. If you capture wastewater in a tank (most setups do), you need a second one.

Mind the weight. Water weighs about 62.4 pounds per cubic foot, which works out to roughly 8.3 pounds a gallon. A full 200-gallon tank is about 1,670 pounds before the tank, pump and trailer. One builder lists its 14-foot single-bin trailer at 5,700 pounds with water. Whatever carries your water has to be rated for it, and so does the vehicle towing it.

Wastewater capture

This is the part new owners skip, and it's the part cities fine. Wash water from dirty bins can't go into the street, gutter or storm drain. Spokane's 2025 guide for mobile washers says it plainly: "Only rain goes down the storm drain!" You need a way to catch the water and a legal place to empty it.

• Containment mat: an 8x8 mat with foam sidewalls was listed at $519. The listing notes you need a pump or vacuum to move the water into a holding tank, sold separately.
• Pump or wet vacuum: a small submersible sump pump was listed at $258.
• Grey-water tank: a second tank to hold the dirty water until you can dispose of it properly.
• Strainer or filter: to keep solids out of the sewer when you empty the tank. Spokane's guide asks for strainers or filters before any discharge to the sanitary sewer.

Where you can empty the tank is set locally, so call your city's stormwater or public works department before you buy anything. More detail in how to clean trash cans professionally.

Trash can wand

A wand with a spinning head cleans the inside of a can without you leaning over it. The Mosmatic TRL wand, built for tanks, trash cans and portable toilets, was listed at $1,092.75. It's rated for up to 4,000 PSI and 250°F, so it works with hot water too. Turnkey trailers usually include a lift and spinning wash heads instead.

Trailer or truck

• DIY on your own trailer: the cheapest way in, but price out a heavy-duty, properly rated trailer for the water weight above.
• Turnkey trailer: new trailers we checked were listed from $29,999 (The Bin Trailer and Clean Bin Trailers, single cold) to $70,000 (Garbage Can Cleaning, double hydraulic). Clean Bin Trailers lists financing at about $603 a month for the $29,999 trailer.
• Truck pod or skid: Kraken lists truck pods at $27,999 (cold) and $31,999 (hot). Garbage Can Cleaning lists a truck skid with a 280-gallon tank and hot water at $40,000. The truck isn't included.

The full price breakdown, including used units, is in the trailer cost guide.

Chemicals and deodorizer

Most owners carry three things: a degreaser or detergent for the wash, a disinfectant, and a deodorizer to finish. For the disinfectant, pick a product with an EPA registration number on the label. The EPA's advice is to read the directions, pre-clean the surface if it's dirty, and keep the surface wet for the full contact time listed on the label. Never mix bleach with ammonia or any other cleaner; the CDC warns this can make toxic fumes. How to use them safely is covered step by step in the cleaning process guide.

Protective gear

For bleach and similar cleaners, the CDC recommends rubber or other non-porous boots, gloves and eye protection. The EPA also says to wear gloves when disinfecting and wash your hands after. Each product's label lists the gear it requires, so check those too. Once you hire help, OSHA's hazard communication rules apply: you need a safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical you carry and training for workers before they use them.

Insurance

You're working on other people's property with high-pressure water and chemicals. Insureon lists these median costs for pressure washing businesses, a close match for bin cleaning:

Ask your agent whether your policy covers equipment on a trailer, since a stolen pressure washer or a damaged rig is a real risk.

What to buy first

• Testing the idea: a cold-water pressure washer, two tanks, a mat and pump, a wand and an EPA-registered disinfectant on a properly rated trailer. Prove people will pay before spending $30,000.
• Steady residential route: a turnkey cold-water trailer, financed, once monthly customers cover the payment.
• Commercial work: hot water, for grease.

Check whether the payment makes sense with the profit calculator, and see the startup guide for licenses and first customers. Once the rig is ready, Binly handles the booking side: customers pick a plan and a day from one link, and your route is sorted by trash day.