Dear Home Ec 101,
My spouse, it’s not me, no never me, has a bad habit of leaving his dirty plastic containers in the back of his car. I have to tell you, they are FUNKY. How do I remove the bad odor?
Signed,
Smelly in Smyrna
Heather says:
I feel your pain.
First let’s talk prevention. What I have done is convinced my husband that the first rinse out is HIS problem. I was pretty sensitive to smells during all three of my pregnancies; after losing my lunch a couple of times I flat out refused to be the one to crack the seal. Once he was hit with the funk a few times he began rinsing out the containers at work. With few exceptions -road crews being one I can think of- most people have access to running water on the job. Ask your spouse to rinse out the container before packing it to take home.
Once a plastic container has a bad smell, the cure is simple and Tupperware fans swear by it. First, wash it thoroughly in the hottest soapy water you can stand this will help get rid of any oils that may be part of the problem. Dry the container well, then crumple some newspaper, place it inside and close the lid tightly. Let the sealed container sit for a day or two, then discard the newspaper and give it a sniff. If the odor is gone, wonderful just wash it before reusing it. Otherwise, wash it with a diluted bleach solution and repeat the newspaper trick.
If you have it on hand, activated charcoal may work better than plain old newspaper. I never have it on hand, so I don’t really see it as an option.
Good luck!
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh, that is great – I have a container I am going to try that on right away. Thanks!
That's what I do too.
I've never heard of the newspaper trick…..baking soda and charcoal, yes…but newspaper? Who knew!!! I'm going to try that…in our house, I'm the one who's guilty of playing the nasty tupperware game. It seems that my inner scientist keeps trying to come out and grow penicillin in the back of the fridge.
I see no reason why you can't take a cap full of household bleach and some really hot water. stir it in then fill the tupper or plastic container fully with the "bleach water" and let it sit for a few hours. it'll kill all the bacteria and germs that cause the orders. and generally break down any oils or food that are stained inside of the plastics itself.
once it's done. throw it in the dishwasher or wash it by hand to remove any bleach . if that doesnt work. I see no reason why you wouldnt just cut it into a million peices and throw it in the trash. since these things don't degrade. might as well make em really tiny so they won't cause any earthly destruction
Interesting. I use bleach or vinegar.