How to remove stains and smells from plastic containers

Many of us have a cupboard in our kitchen dedicated to housing the much-loved reusable plastic storage container.

Available in different shapes, sizes and colours, they’re the go-to for keeping leftovers from dinner fresh and great for transporting a delicious lunch to work the next day.

With the amount of food that containers store over a period of a year, it’s not uncommon for food stains and smells to start to appear.

KitchenAid has uncovered the 5 best ways to keep your plastic containers clean, odour-free and ready to store everything from chicken curry to fruit salad.

• Rinse the containers once they’re empty – Wash your containers at the earliest possible moment. A thorough wash with hot water and detergent is always the first step to removing odours or food stains.
• Store them with a pinch of salt – A chicken curry makes for a delicious desk lunch, but they often leave lasting smells in your containers. Try adding a large pinch of salt to the clean container so that the next meal your container stores doesn’t take on a curry flavour!
• Rinse them with vinegar – Once you’ve done the initial rinse of your containers, fill them with white vinegar and let them sit for at least three minutes. Pour out the vinegar and wash again with soap and water before reusing.
• Store them overnight with newspaper – As strange as it might sound, filling your containers overnight with newspaper can actually reduce those nasty smells. Place crumpled newspaper inside the container, pop the lid on the top and store overnight. Remember to wash with soap and water before reusing.
• Remove stains and food odours with baking soda – Baking soda is a great natural stain and odour eliminator. Simply make a thick-ish paste using warm water and baking soda and rub it into the inside the container. Let it sit for at least a day before rinsing thoroughly. Repeat the process until no stains remain and the container smells fresh again.

May your plastic storage containers look as good as new all year round!