Tomato sauce, kimchi, chili — all the best red foods are typically made in large batches, meaning you’ll need somewhere to store them until every last bite has been devoured. Unfortunately, storing tomato or chili-based items in plastic food containers often results in stubborn stains that never seem to go away, no matter how hard you…
But what if you could lift these stains without wearing down your dish sponge? We found a time-saving hack that lets you do just that.
No More Red Rings
You’ve probably tried scrubbing your plastic food containers the same way you would any other dish — with a sponge, dish soap, and plenty of elbow grease. While this tactic works well for ceramic, stainless steel, and glass, it just doesn’t seem to do the trick for plasticware. Fortunately, there’s a faster, easier way to get your favorite containers sparkling clean.
First, empty your container and add a few drops of liquid dish soap. Then fill it about halfway with warm water. Rip off a full-size sheet of paper towel, fold it into a square, and place it in the container. Top it off with a few more squirts of dish soap, attach the lid securely, then vigorously shake the container for about 60 to 90 seconds, or until you see the stains lift. If you’re concerned about water leaking, wrap the food storage container in a dish towel as you shake.
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All that’s left to do is to pop open the lid and use the paper towel to wipe down the inside of the container — your plastic will look good as new.
Why Does This Work?
When we said to shake vigorously, we meant it. This hack works better and faster than conventional hand scrubbing or even a run through the dishwasher because of agitation. Shaking the container as hard as you can causes the paper towel to quickly scour the sides, and the paper fibers absorb any food particles rather than spreading them around the surface. If you have a particularly stubborn stain, repeat this trick a couple of times, replacing the soapy water and towel after each attempt.
