How to Protect a Kitchen Wall from a Garbage Can Lid

Key Points

Does your trash can lid keep hitting the wall? Find out your options to protect your kitchen wall from getting damaged when the lid of your foot-pedal trash can pops up. Get tips on using Plexiglas on the wall or a felt bumper or rubber childproof edging on the lid.

• Gwen is seeking help to protect her kitchen wall behind the trash can.
• She saw a product that stuck to the wall and could be easily peeled off to prevent damage to the drywall when the trash can lid hit it.
• Tom suggests using clear Plexiglas attached with double-sided tape or adding a bumper to the top of the garbage can to prevent wall scuffs.
• Leslie recommends using rubber edging sold in childproofing sections of baby stores to cushion the edge of the garbage can.

Transcript

LESLIE: Now we’ve got Gwen in Virginia on the line who needs some help protecting her kitchen wall. How can we help you?

GWEN: I actually saw this product at a show: an invention – female inventors’ show that was being aired – was being taped in Chicago. And this lady, she had a product that you take it and it just sort of sticks to the wall. She had it in different colors, that it would blend in with your kitchen wall or if you wanted to have a stainless-steel look – but it was just a piece of material that went behind the trash can, that when you hit – when you would step on the flip tops, it would hit up against that area and would not damage the wall.

And then when you decided that you want to either move your trash can to another area in the house or you were tired of that particular pattern, you could just peel it off. It didn’t mess up the paint but it protected the wall.

LESLIE: So it was like a sticker.

TOM: That’s interesting. I’ve got a couple of ideas for you on that.

First of all, you don’t need an invention; you could simply put a small piece of clear Plexiglas on the wall using double-sided tape. Or the second thing you could do, which is even easier, is you could add a bumper to the top of the garbage can so that when it comes up, it doesn’t scuff the wall. You could use a felt-tip bumper on it.

LESLIE: Or even if you go to childproofing – in the childproofing section of any baby store, you’ll find that rubber edging that you can put on coffee tables and things. And you could put a piece like that right on the edge of the garbage can.

GWEN: Okay. Thank you.