social

Removing Odors from Plastic Containers

May 22, 2011

Thai food in a plastic containerI've really gotten into washing out and reusing jars and containers instead of buying brand plastic products. Sometimes the best jars have really tough odors, like pickle and olive jars. I've used this tip that was taught to me from a lovely lady when I was just a child. Wad up a page of newspaper, put it in the jar, seal it, and let it sit for a few days. When you take the paper out, you won't smell any trace of the previous item!

Advertisement

Also, along the same lines, if your refrigerator needs an air freshener, put a few charcoal briquets in a bowl in the back. Works like a charm!

By Maile from Onalaska, WA

 
Read More Comments

8 More Solutions

This page contains the following solutions.

March 12, 2008

Cyclists' water bottles often come with a pungent plastic taste/odor. To eliminate this; fill bottle 2/3 with vinegar (clear) and 1/3 water; cover/close and let set for 24 hours. Rinse with clean water.

 
Read More...


Silver Post Medal for All Time! 390 Posts
January 17, 2011

You will never guess what finally removed the leftover aroma from my plastic bowl. I put it outside in a flower pot (to keep the squirrels from playing with it) in full sunlight for 2 days

 
Read More...

September 3, 2005

Here's something I just learned, if you have plastic that has like an onion smell or something, wad up newspaper and put it into the container. Then close it up for a day and the smell will be gone. Also newspaper is the best way to clean windows and mirrors, streak free.

 
Read More...

January 17, 2005

Do your plastic coffee mugs have a soapy smell to them? Just soak them in vinegar overnight. If there is a leftover smell of vinegar re-soak in a sink full of hot water and baking soda. By Kat

 
Read More...

Questions

Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.

January 7, 2011

I make jewelry. While at the craft store the other day I checked out the bead storage section. The bottles, etc. were very expensive. So I decided to improvise. I cleaned out my spice rack of old spices to reuse the plastic clear and semi-clear bottles for bead storage. It works great, except I don't know how to get the smell of some of the spices out of the plastic bottles and how to get the labels off! Any suggestions? Help!

By Maw-Maw from Athens, GA

Answers

January 8, 20110 found this helpful

Hey, I'm a beader too! If you half-fill the bottle with bicarb soda, close the lid and leave for a few days it should absob the odours, simply empty the bottle and rinse. Guaranteed method to remove sticky labels is to soak a cotton ball with Eucalyptus Oil and dab over the label, allow a few minutes for it to soak in and you should be able to gently remove the label.

Advertisement

If the label is thick then gently score it with a knife to allow the oil to penetrate. Lightly rubbing the sticky residue with the cotton ball will dissolve it. This method works on both plastic and glass surfaces.

 
January 10, 20110 found this helpful

Soak in a sink of hot bleach water. If stickers dont come all the way off which they should and they do leave a sticky residue use funiture polish believe it or not. The oils from the polish remove the sticky feeling on just about everything non porous that has sticker residue.

 
January 11, 20111 found this helpful

I use vinegar for the smell. Just put the vinegar in the bottle, and leave it for the day, and then wash with your dishes. I use a product called "goo gone" for the labels.

 

Silver Feedback Medal for All Time! 407 Feedbacks
January 11, 20110 found this helpful

Any of those ideas will work for the spice odors. For labels I can usually peel off the top layer of the paper, then I soak it in water until I have only glue.

Advertisement

A spray with Pam spray and a sit over night will melt the glue right off.

 
January 4, 20160 found this helpful

Goo Gone will remove labels. Fill with vinegar or baking soda until odor is gone

 
Anonymous
March 26, 20160 found this helpful

To remove labels, fill with water and microwave until water gets warm-to-hot. The label and residue should peel right off when water is the correct temperature. You might have to microwave it a few times.

 
Anonymous
April 25, 20180 found this helpful

To get the glue off the bottle...use peanut butter. Rub it on, let it sit for 15 minutes and rub with a dry paper towel

 
April 25, 20180 found this helpful

To get the glue off the bottle...use peanut butter. Rub it on, let it sit for 15 minutes and rub with a dry paper towel

 
Answer this Question

January 28, 2015

baby food containersHow do you get the smell out of the Gerber baby food plastic food containers (even though you wash them) before doing a project?

By Marilyn

Answers


Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 107 Feedbacks
January 29, 20150 found this helpful

Just let them air out a while, couple of days or weeks.

 
Answer this Question

Archives

ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.

January 17, 2011

How do you get the smell out of plastic containers?

 
Read More...

September 1, 2010

To take nasty odors out of a plastic container just stuff a crumpled piece of newspaper into the container after you have washed it and put the lid on. The next day all you have to do is wash the container again and the nasty odor will be gone! By Robin

 
Read More...
Categories
Home and Garden CleaningJune 25, 2012
Pages
More
🎂
Birthday Ideas!
💘
Valentine's Ideas!
🍀
St. Patrick's Ideas!
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube
Instagram
Categories
Better LivingBudget & FinanceBusiness and LegalComputersConsumer AdviceCoronavirusCraftsEducationEntertainmentFood and RecipesHealth & BeautyHolidays and PartiesHome and GardenMake Your OwnOrganizingParentingPetsPhotosTravel and RecreationWeddings
Published by ThriftyFun.
Desktop Page | View Mobile
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
Generated 2024-01-22 08:38:45 in 18 secs. ⛅️️
© 1997-2024 by Cumuli, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
https://www.thriftyfun.com/tf601973.tip.html