I should probably get some yellow gloves first though; I wouldn’t want the scent to seep into my hands. These suggestions are great but how about a few to stop the behaviour that helps destroy plastic? You can run the blade on the cleaning cycle, or use a dish sponge. Then, tear up a few pieces of paper towel and put them in the container, too. 4) Close with lid, then shake hard. But, wow, lots of great ideas here! I feel really silly for using bleach and lemons and everything else over the past 30+ years now. I thought the denture cleaner was especially ingenious . We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Try applying some vegetable oil, letting it sit for about 20 minutes, then rub it off. Probably the best thing for coffee and tea stains is Oxy Clean. Have tried most of these suggestions to no avail. Back when I used to use plastic tupperware for my leftovers, I would always hate to have spaghetti; I knew that I had to either use up all the sauce (which was quite difficult in one sitting), or I would have to risk staining my plastic. Clear plastic Vitamix canisters can scratch and cloud up easily. We occasionally link to goods offered by vendors to help the reader find relevant products. 3) Add 1/4 cup of water, or add enough to cover 1/2 the bottom of container. Regular 3% hydrogen peroxide (1 gallon) The microwave! Baking soda seems to have various uses in my kitchen as I often keep it in a corner of my fridge to absorb any bad smell. And good advice about using glass over plastic if you can too. When the item is stain free, wash it, rinse it thoroughly, and dry. We’re a big pasta household, so we have plenty of plastic bowls that have been stained with that infamous tomato sauce. For years i have been throwing out good plastic rubbermaid etc because of tomato stains from spaghetti etc. Glad to know about the cautionary sentence there, about putting tomato paste or sauce in my plastic containers, does more harm than good and am not so keen on ‘slaving away’ at the kitchen sink trying to outdo the misery of my own doing . If the item isn’t a container, then pour the alcohol into something that can hold whatever needs to be soaked. My plastic tends to stain just from tomatoes or curry and I use the same containers for food that stains so I have never worried too much. Sorry if this is a little off topic. A one was given to the least effective method, and a five went to the most effective. Also the one about vinegar is news to me. One way to get those pesky stains out is to first fill your pitcher with hot water. It’s important to remember that plastic is very porous, and will soak up whatever is put on it. TikTok users seem to like this method, for what it’s worth. I have lots of ideas to try. How to properly clean plastic containers. Thanks for the tips, will definitely remember them in the future! If you do encounter stains, usually from acidic foods like tomato sauce, here’s how to get your plastic crystal clear again: Fill the stained container with one part water and one part vinegar, then soak it overnight or until you see the stain start to fade.Or, according to Brown, Efferdent denture tablets work miracles! Spray a thin coat of cooking spray into your Tupperware container prior to food storage to avoid stains and stuck-on grease. Moreover, when used for cleaning purposes, it spells death for almost all single-celled organisms like bacteria, and it kills viruses as well. Fill your plastic container with the solution and let it soak for about half an hour. Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Styling: Cyd McDowell. After the stains are gone, wash the containers thoroughly, rinse, and dry. Maybe I have just been lazy but I always thought that once plastic was stained it was impossible to clear it up. Cleaning bottom of copper pans takes a little more elbow grease. The best solution for stains, however, is to rinse out the blender immediately after use each time, and clean it with a solution of soap and warm water. How it went: I poured 1/4 cup of sugar into my container, then covered it with a significant drizzle of Dawn dish soap, a few tablespoons of warm water, and five ice cubes. Before attacking my random, old containers that were stained with who knows what — I picked up a few new containers, made a paste out of water and turmeric, microwaved it in the containers, and let all five containers sit for a few days. Butcher Blocks and Wood Cutting Boards: The Best Natural Methods for Care and Cleaning. Use a damp cloth, warm water, and salt to rub the stain away. Just make a baking soda paste with water and apply it to the discolored container. Going to try this so I can save my plastic containers! I avoid heating tomato based items in plastic whenever I can. I think that the baking soda paste is the best way to remove stains from plastic, especially curry. Rinse thoroughly and air dry. I know I have a few plastics that have stains that never came out so I will def be trying some of these methods to see how it works. A waste-free solution that you might want to try would be to switch to glass containers with lids instead of plastic – no bags to throw away, and the glass won’t stain like plastic often does! I can vouch for the baking soda paste method, it works wonders. Then when its time to clean them the bottom starts to scrap off. combining the vinegar and bicarb methods can work better: soak the item in vinegar, then get a sponge with some bicarb on and rub the stain while it fizzes. Tupperware containers are portable, convenient and they don’t break very easily. How it went: Once I was able to get the right consistency with the paste it was easy to spread over all the stained areas. The method: I’ve seen this on Instagram, but the directions never seem super clear. But there is one drawback to plastic food storage boxes - they get stained very easy. LOL NOPE BUY NEW BOWL FIRST OR TRY WHITE VINEGAR . Its great on windows and those stubborn stains on plastic containers. Plus, they are non-toxic and surprisingly cheap/. I just saw the Dawn stuff for the first time a day or two ago at the dollar store. When you say the plastic is ruined, is it scratched or stained? I do like all the other useful suggestions, especially the denture tablets.