How To Clean Smelly Tupperware

Stinky plastic containers? You will love this amazing tip. With this simple trick on how to clean smelly tupperware you can get rid of smells for good!

I love meal prepping and getting our food all cut up and ready to be cooked the day that I go shopping.

Meal prepping has made my life so much easier and makes my evenings go smoother and not seem so rushed. You can see some of my favorite meal prepping tips here.

One of the things that I like to do is wash and clean our fruits and vegetables for that week. Once they are dry I put them in some Tupperware.

I use this brand of tupperware and love it! It is easy to see in the containers to know what I have in the fridge. Plus, it stacks easily in the fridge. Since we started using it I have noticed that my family is way more likely to just grab a handful of fruits or veggies.

If you are dealing with stinky plastic containers check out these easy tips on how to clean smelly tupperware. Get it free from smells once and for all.

How To Get Bad Smells Out of Plastic Containers

Until recently I have had really good luck with my tupperware staying free from stains or odors. However, a few weeks ago I made the mistake of letting some cauliflower sit in one of the containers for way too long.

I noticed my fridge was really smelling bad. Then, I remembered that the cauliflower was still sitting in there from last week. I had washed and cut it up with the intention of making soup and just got too busy.

I threw away the cauliflower and washed the container in the dishwasher but it still smelled. Cauliflower doesn't smell good anyway but once it has started rotting it smells really bad.

Clean The Smelly Tupperware Well

To start, give your smelly tupperware a good cleaning. I like to take some warm water and dish soap, like Dawn and scrub down the container.

Make sure you use a sponge or dishrag to clean around all of the crevices and edges to get any bit of food. You never know what kind of food is stuck in the edges or crevices. By really getting in there to clean it you will remove everything.

A good soap like Dawn will also help clean up any grease that is stuck on the plastic container.

Soak the Smelly Plastic Container

Once you are done cleaning it with soap then you can rinse the tupperware and set it in the sink. Fill the container with a mix of 50% water and 50% vinegar.

I highly recommend using just a standard white cleaning vinegar. You don't want to risk staining your plastic container with an apple cider vinegar. I buy this vinegar in the big jugs and use it to clean just about everything.

Use a small bowl or container to soak the lid in a vinegar/water mix. You want to make sure that the lid is completely submerged. If your Tupperware lid is anything like mine it has a flexible plastic seal that can really soak up the odors.

Vinegar, as bad as it smells, will actually help get rid of odors that are lingering in the container.

Just let the containers sit with the vinegar mix in them for about 3-5 minutes.

Once you are done letting the vinegar sit then rinse the containers and wash them again with some warm soapy water. Again make sure you use plenty of dawn soap and a scrubby or dishcloth.

Let the container air dry. If the smell is gone then you can just wash it like you normally would. I prefer to clean all my tupperware on the top shelf of the dishwasher.

If the Smell Lingers

Next, if the smell isn't gone then you can add about 1/4 cup of baking soda to the tupperware. Then, put the lid on the container and let it sit for about 24-48 hours. The worse the smell the longer to let it sit.

The baking soda will help absorb any odors and make the smelly tupperware smell fresh again.

After that throw the baking soda away, and scrub down the container with warm soapy water. Next, let the tupperware dry. Again, wash it like you normally would (probably the dishwasher) and let the plastic container completely air dry.

Your tupperware should be free from bad odors and ready to use again.

With these simple tips on how to clean smelly tupperware you can get your plastic containers free from smells and back in to regular use. Don't throw those containers out, just get them clean again.

Want some other easy cleaning tips? Check out how to deep clean a kitchen without spending a ton of time. You will love these amazing easy cleaning tips.