Redmon Sure Close Kitchen Waste Collection Pail 1 ea

Comments about Redmon Sure Close Kitchen Waste Collection Pail, 1 ea:

(Note: See my fix below) I purchased this compost bin for 3 reasons: the price, the good ratings, but foremost because it supposedly sealed when closed and has small enough holes to either trap fruit-flies out or in. I was disappointed during the first week of use when we had a swarm of fruit flies, even if we kept it closed. We tried emptying it often, but as long as we had anything in it, the fruit flies continued to be a problem. After two weeks, and vacuuming flies from the top (yes, vacuuming... quite effective for many flies), I observed more flies materializing at the back of the lid.

Although the lid does indeed seal around the sides and front, there is a gap at the rear large enough for fruit flies to freely enter and exit the bin.

My fix: I applied some low-density (soft, squishy, compressible) self-adhesive weather stripping (obtain from any hardware store for a couple bucks) around the back of the lid. This did the trick. No fruit flies can enter or exit the bin except when the lid opens. This effectively eliminated the fly problem. (I can provide pictures if anyone is interested.)

Conclusion: After applying the simple fix, this bin now deserves the highest rating for working better than other bins we've had and being cheaper than most other bins. But I can't rate it that high since the manufacturer failed to do a complete job and others might not want to fix it (however easy it is).