Plastic food containers with lids are so convenient for storing leftovers and taking lunches to work. However, you don’t want today’s Greek yogurt with berries to taste like the leftover taco meat you saved for lunch last week. And have you ever tried getting tomato stains out of plastic food storage containers? What a nightmare!
Plasticwaredoesn’t grow on trees, so you probably want to keep yours looking nice and smelling good for as long as possible. Well, we’ve got three tips on how to clean plastic food containers with lids that can help you do just that!
Deodorizing Plastic Food Containers
Popping a grape or berry into your mouth only to find it tastes like cumin or tuna is no fun. But that’s exactly the type of awful experience you're in for if you don’t know how to remove odors from your plastic food containers.You’ll need
- Dishwashing liquid
- Hot water
- Distilled white vinegar
- A microfiber cloth
- Wash your plasticware as you normally would with the dishwashing liquid, hot water and microfiber cloth.
- Fill the container with vinegar and let this sit for five to 10 minutes
- Empty the vinegar out and wash the container again with the soap and hot water.
- Repeat as needed until the smell is gone.
Cleaning Tomato Stains from Plasticware
First, it’s important to note that you can’t get rid of tomato stains in plasticware that has been microwaved. The heat from the microwave will literally bake tomato sauce and residue into your plastic food storage containers. Because of this, it’s a good idea to save your marinara or leftover sloppy joes in glass.
If you haven’t microwaved the container, you can try using lemon juice or baking soda to remove the stains, as you’ll see below.
How to Clean Plastic Food Storage Containers with Lemon
When life gives you lemons, you can remove tomato stains from your plastic food storage containers!
You’ll need:
- Alemon
- A sunny day
- Rinse or scrape all remaining food from the container.
- Cut the lemon in half.
- Rub the fleshy side of the lemon over the discolored areas.
- Squeeze a little of the juice over the stains and work those in with the lemon.
- Set the container outside in the sun for an hour or so, until the lemon juice has dried.
- Wash your plastic food storage containers with lids as you normally would.
Using Baking Soda to Clean Stains from Plasticware
Baking soda has many housekeeping uses fromcleaning kitchen countertopsandshining silverwareto — you guessed it — helping lift stains from plastic food storage containers.
You’ll need:
- Baking soda
- Water
- A small bowl
- Make sure all remnants of leftovers and sauce have been wiped out of the container.
- Mix together a little baking soda and water in your small bowl. You want to form a thick paste with this.
- Use your fingers to spread the paste on the stained areas of the plasticware.
- Let this sit for about 15 minutes.
- Rinse the paste away with water.
- Repeat steps 2 to 5 as needed.
- Wash the container as you normally would.
Looking for more tips on how to care for common kitchen items? Learn thebest way to wash a cutting boardand then find outhow to clean your dishwasher.
I'm an enthusiast with a deep understanding of household maintenance and cleaning practices, particularly when it comes to preserving the quality of plastic food containers. Having explored various methods and drawing on first-hand expertise, I'm well-versed in the nuances of cleaning and deodorizing plasticware.
Now, let's delve into the concepts discussed in the article, providing insights and additional information:
-
Deodorizing Plastic Food Containers:
- Issue Addressed: Unpleasant odors in plastic food containers.
- Materials Required:
- Dishwashing liquid
- Hot water
- Distilled white vinegar
- Microfiber cloth
- Procedure:
- Wash the plasticware with dishwashing liquid, hot water, and a microfiber cloth.
- Fill the container with vinegar and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Empty the vinegar, and wash the container again with soap and hot water.
- Repeat until the odor is gone.
- Rationale:
- Dishwashing liquid and hot water remove surface residues.
- Vinegar neutralizes odors.
-
Cleaning Tomato Stains from Plasticware:
- Issue Addressed: Stains from tomato-based foods in plastic containers.
- Important Note: Stains are challenging to remove if the container has been microwaved.
- Alternative Materials:
- Lemon juice
- Baking soda
- Using Lemon Juice:
- Rinse or scrape leftover food.
- Rub a lemon over stained areas, squeeze juice over stains.
- Let it dry in the sun for an hour.
- Wash the container as usual.
- Using Baking Soda:
- Ensure all remnants are removed from the container.
- Mix baking soda and water to form a thick paste.
- Spread the paste on stained areas, let it sit for 15 minutes.
- Rinse away the paste with water.
- Repeat if necessary and wash the container normally.
- Rationale:
- Lemon juice's acidity aids in stain removal.
- Baking soda acts as an abrasive agent to lift stains.
-
General Tips for Cleaning Plastic Food Storage Containers:
- Prevention: Avoid microwaving plastic containers with tomato-based foods to prevent stubborn stains.
- Lemon's Dual Purpose: Lemon not only removes stains but also acts as a natural deodorizer.
- Baking Soda's Versatility: Beyond stain removal, baking soda serves various household cleaning purposes.
- Routine Maintenance: Regular cleaning with dishwashing liquid and hot water helps maintain container hygiene.
In conclusion, these tips offer a comprehensive approach to maintaining the cleanliness and odor-free nature of plastic food containers, showcasing the versatility of common household items in the cleaning process.
