'Garbage Kid' turning dirty Houston-area trash cans into cash

HOUSTON - A 13-year-old from the Houston area is gaining attention on Facebook for a new business he made cleaning dirty trashcans.

"First I thought it really wouldn’t be that hard to clean [trashcans]," said 13-year-old Anthony Gonzalez. "That changed as soon as I saw the first one."

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Gonzalez calls his business "The Garbage Kid." The young teenager charges customers $10 per trashcan and is a perfectionist. He says it takes him about 30 or 40 minutes to clean one can.

"I take it really serious," said Gonzalez. "I’ve got to clean it thoroughly."

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Marketing is part of the job too. Gonzalez created a Facebook page for his work called "The Garbage Kid". Over the last few weeks, Gonzalez estimates he has cleaned more than 50 garbage cans. He regularly posts before-after pictures to the Facebook page.

"One of the trashcans I did smelled like my dog when it comes back [in] from outside," said Gonzalez. "Definitely not a good smell."

Customers seem to appreciate the work. Gonzales says they usually leave tips.

"What I did was mowed lawns," said Chris Moreno, a customer. "To me, [Anthony’s work] reminds me of myself, but I didn’t go to that extent. He’s taking it extra, and he’s working hard. The most respect I can give, I give to that kid. Not even adults would want to do that [job]."

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Anthony says he’s using the profits to buy sports equipment for other children. The teen says he is motivated to help children in need this summer.

"That’s my main goal," said Gonzalez. "To help kids in need. [To] help kids in Houston."

The motivated teenager hopes to grow his Garbage Kid business beyond just garbage cans. Soon, cleaning cars and driveways.

In addition, he loves playing baseball, the Houston Astros, and Jose Altuve. The teen says if Altuve hears about his business, he’d offer his cleaning services for free.

"Of course I will," said Gonzalez. "That’s Altuve. Best believe I will, for free!"

To learn more about Gonzalez’s Garbage Kid business, click here.