How to clean food storage containers

Whenever I use a food storage containerI remember how difficult they can be to clean. When I reach one to pack leftovers or tidy up my meal preparation, I am faced with the stains (and sometimes even smells) of past meals. Even though I give the container another quick cleaning with a sponge and soapit is not usually enough to restore one's original state. And no matter what I use, whether it's a plastic sandwich box or a soup pot made of metal, I always have the same problem. Which give?

According to Kirsten Horton, creator of the blog on home and cleaning Charm organizedThere are many reasons why my food containers are in such a state. "[Food storage] It absorbs bad odors and stains because it is mainly made of plastic and the plastic is porous. "Because of its porosity, plastic becomes even more vulnerable to stains and odors when it is is heated, allow them to cool before packaging and transfer to a microwave-safe dish before reheating, even if they are not as sensitive to stains or odors as metal containers. the same way, she says, especially when they have been sealed for long periods.

Here you will find everything you need to know to prevent your containers from storing foods from a stinky and stained destiny. The best ways to store them, how they should be cleaned, are all the tips and tricks that popular cleaning bloggers swear.

To prevent them from staining, try to cover the plastic containers with aluminum foil, greaseproof paper or wax paper before adding food.

Horton learned this trick from working at a university restaurant. She says they would do it to keep the food cooler in their takeaway boxes, but that also works for plastic containers. Whatever you use, it will serve as a buffer between plastic and food, protecting the container from odors and odors, and making the cleaning process easier. Try to reuse what you use to make it more environmentally friendly.

One thing to keep in mind: you might want to avoid wrapping anything with tomatoes or tomato sauce on a tin foil because the tomato acid could react with the metal and create a strange flavor. It's not dangerous, but it's unpleasant, and it's also the same reason why you're not supposed to cook tomatoes in an oven. cast iron stove. More you know!

Always clean your containers as quickly as possible, whether plastic or metal.

Becky Rapinchuck, household expert and designer of the cleaning blog Clean Mama, tells SELF that one of the best ways to prevent stains on plastic food storage – aside from keeping it out of the heat – is to wash it immediately after it's finished using it . The longer he spends his time mingling with your stinking, stinking food, the more time he needs to become stinky and stinky himself. This is true also for metal containers, she says. Basically, the sooner you clean your containers to preserve food, the more they will maintain their integrity.

When washing plastic food in the dishwasher, be sure to keep it on the top shelf.

Rapinchuck says that if you place the plastic food storage on the second lower shelf of your dishwasher, it may melt or warp due to its proximity to the heating element of the machine. The moral of history? Always keep it on the top shelf.

If your containers are stained and stinky, try some of these tips.

Horton says she's always relying on a simple mix of bleach and lemon juice to eliminate stains and odors. For starters, you need a bit of both (about a tablespoon each per container). Then dilute it with water and let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Finally, soap them and rinse them again, dry them and pack them. The smells and stains should be gone in no time.

Horton also states that you can simply wipe clean containers with a little lemon zest. Although this trick does not remove stains, she says that "it will help absorb the bad smell and let your containers feel cooler."

If in doubt, baking soda and vinegar are always a great option.

Soaking the containers in baking soda and rinsing them with vinegar is a tip that I highly recommend on the web. Even though Horton did not try it personally, she says she does not see why it would not work. "These two things seem to work for everything else, so why not try them?" She says. To do this, simply rinse your container with water to remove food, to coat with baking soda, to let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes, to rinse it with vinegar and let pass the smells.

When washing metal containers, avoid using sponges.

Whenever I used a sponge to wash a metal container, that it would be a bottle of water well or one of them soup carrier, I noticed that all the stinky smells of the sponge adhered to the metal like a magnet. That's why Horton says you should avoid using a sponge in these cases. Instead, fill the metal containers with a mixture of hot water and soap, then close them and shake them until they are clean enough.

And let them always dry in the open air to prevent mold smells.

Horton says that they can become wet and musky in a very coarse way if you put the lid back in place before they've had the chance to dry properly. It may take some time before they dry out completely (from a few hours to a night), but it is worth the wait to avoid the stench.

Horton also recommends washing them once a week, even if you only use them for water, to avoid the smell of mold on your metal containers. The more you clean them often, the longer they will last.

In the case of glass containers for the preservation of food, their cleaning is no different from that of other glass kitchen items.

Horton, said Horton, wash these containers with warm water and soap or a dishwasher. If the one you use has a plastic cover, use the previous tips to make sure they do not wrap stinky or stained.

There are also two ways to keep fresh food storage containers in your cabinet.

According to Horton, the easiest way to keep food storage containers cool while they wait in your closet is to store them in a box of open baking soda. Although it sounds super basic, she says it really works! You can also try to store each container with a pinch of salt (which will help remove any scents or odors that may still be present) or by lining them in newspaper to prevent them from absorbing new odors. With these tips, your food storage containers will always be fresh and ready for use, as tomorrow's lunch should never have the same taste as last week's dinner.