The 11-year-old kicking up a stink in the best way possible

Eleven-year-old Ashton Meyer decided to break the mold of opening a lemonade stand to make some extra cash this summer, and opted for cleaning garbage bins instead.

The sixth-grader from York Region, Ontario, is the recent founder of YourBinCleaning, a business that's turning one of the dirtiest household chores into a wholesome success story.

• The idea started with a conversation with his dad, who initially suggested Ashton earn money by helping older neighbors bring their bins to and from the curb.
• Before long, the pair landed on the idea of cleaning them, too.

Armed with a pressure washer and plenty of determination, Ashton started knocking on doors this past May. The first rejection hit hard enough to bring him to tears, but the go-getter didn't let it stop him.

He kept introducing himself to neighbors, pitching his business one house at a time, and slowly built a loyal customer base.

Today, Ashton has 30-40 regular customers and spends part of each week cleaning bins, with the rest dedicated to finding new ones.

The business has also become a major online hit. Videos of Ashton making his rounds have helped YourBinCleaning grow to 100,000+ Instagram followers, opening the door to TV appearances and plenty of encouragement from strangers. Some supporters even donated money so Ashton can clean bins free of charge for seniors and people with disabilities.

Ashton already has plans for when garbage-bin season winds down, with designs of offering leaf raking, snow removal, lawn mowing, and garden cleanups throughout the year.

According to Ashton's dad, the biggest payoff has nothing to do with the extra spending money. It's watching his son build confidence, learn to bounce back from rejection, and discover what a little hard work can accomplish in real time.