How to clean food storage containers to make them look new again

After every home-cooked meal, the chef deserves all the credit (of course), but we often forget the unsung heroes that store our leftovers: our food storage containers. We stuff them with pasta, fried chicken, and mashed potatoes (anyone else hungry?) and then leave them in the fridge for way too long or rinse them too quickly, causing them to become discolored and cloudy. It’s probably time to take a minute (or ten) to clean them properly and prevent film, mold, odors and stains from sticking. You benefit from a longer service life for your containers And the food you store!

Remove stubborn residue

In general, speed is your friend here. Once you have finished consuming the contents, empty the container and rinse with warm water and a drop of dish soap to soften any sauce and grease residue. If you have a dishwasher, place the container upside down on the top rack and slide the lid vertically between the prongs. If not, take a moment to wash the pieces in the sink immediately.

For anything that’s already discolored (read: the plastic number that contained your bolognese).
When dinner turns into lunch, spray the area with Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray, which contains powerful solvents to combat tough stains. Leave on for 30 minutes and rinse. If stains persist, mix 2 teaspoons of bleach per quart of warm water. Place in the container and allow to soak for 15 to 30 minutes, then scrub with dish soap and a brush. Last attempt? Place the container on a windowsill and expose it to direct sunlight – the rays can help lighten spots.

Banish lingering odors

These spicy beans were delicious last week, but that doesn’t mean you want to smell them today! To remove odor from plastic containers, which are more porous than their glass counterparts, give them a quick rinse and then apply a DIY paste made from 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1 cup of water. After letting it sit for a few hours, wash the container with dish soap and water. Simply place smelly silicone containers or seals in the oven. (Just make sure they’re oven safe and clean and dry them first.) Heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the problem items for 20 minutes. They should come out smelling like, well, nothing!

Remove cloudy film

If your once-clear containers look a little opaque, it could be one of two things. First: hard water, which can deposit minerals. Try adding rinse aid to your dishwasher. We love Finish Jet-Dry Hard Water Rinse Aid. The formula removes residue caused by hard water and can help reduce stains on dry dishes. The other possible cause: burnt-in fat and oil. Try again with Dawn Powerwash or this baking soda paste.

Remove fuzzy mold

Forgot the turkey sandwich? Wipe off as much contaminated food and mold as possible with a paper towel. (Do not Use your sponge to do this as spores are easily transferred. You can then carry out the cleaning as usual. However, to be extra thorough, soak the container and lid in the bleach-water solution for 30 minutes. Use a straw cleaning brush to get into the lid grooves. After the bath, clean everything with soap and water to wash out any remaining bleach. And in the future, you should keep the containers in the front of the fridge – first in, first out. After all, it’s terrible to waste a turkey sandwich!