How to Clean Food Storage Containers So They Look Brand New Again

Following any home-cooked meal, the chef deserves all the kudos (of course), but we often forget about the unsung heroes holding our leftovers: our food storage containers. We fill them with pasta, roasted chicken, mashed potatoes (anyone else getting hungry?), and then leave them in the fridge for far too long or give them a too-quick rinse that leaves them tinted and cloudy. It’s probably time to take a minute (or 10) to clean them properly and ban film, mold, odor, and stains from sticking around. You’ll get a longer life out of your containers and the foods you’re storing!

Erase Stubborn Residue

In general, speed is your friend here. As soon as you’re done consuming the contents, empty the container and rinse it with warm water and a drop of dish soap to soften left-behind sauce and grease. If you have a dishwasher, go ahead and put the container upside down on the top rack, sliding the lid vertically between the tines. If not, take a moment to wash the pieces in the sink right away.

For anything that’s already discolored (read: the plastic number that held your Bolognese
dinner turned lunch), spray the area with Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray, which has strong solvents to attack tough stains. Let it sit for 30 minutes and rinse. If stains persist, mix 2 teaspoons of bleach per gallon of warm water. Drop in the container to soak for 15 to 30 minutes, then scrub with dish soap and a brush. Last-ditch effort? Place the container on a windowsill in direct sunlight—the rays may help brighten stains.

Banish Lingering Odors

Those spicy string beans were delicious last week, but that doesn’t mean you want to smell them today! To destink plastic containers, which are more porous than their glass counterparts, do a quick rinse, then apply a DIY paste of 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1 cup water. After letting that sit for a few hours, wash the container with dish soap and water. For stinky silicone containers or gaskets, pop them into the oven. (Just make sure they’re oven-safe, and clean and dry them first.) Heat your oven to 170 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the offending items for 20 minutes. They should come out smelling like, well, nothing!

Clear Up Cloudy Film

If your once-clear containers look a little opaque, one of two things could be the culprit. The first: hard water, which can deposit minerals. Try adding a rinse aid to your dishwasher. We love Finish Jet-Dry Hard WaterRinse Aid. It’s formulated to remove residue caused by hard water and can help reduce spots on dry dishes. The other possible cause: baked-on grease and oil. Once again, try Dawn Powerwash or that baking soda paste.

Clean Out Fuzzy Mold

Forgot about that turkey sandwich? Wipe out as much of the contaminated food and mold as you can with a paper towel. (Do not use your sponge for this, as spores easily transfer.) You can then clean as normal, but to be extra thorough, let the container and lid soak in that bleach-and-water solution for 30 minutes. Use a straw-cleaning brush to get into lid grooves. Clean everything with soap and water after the bath to wash out any remaining bleach. And moving forward, keep containers in the front of the fridge—first in, first out. After all, a turkey sandwich is a terrible thing to waste!