My Mom Taught Me This Trick to Get Red Stains Out of Plastic Containers With Almost 0 Effort
Ever stored tomato sauce, curry, pasta sauce, or another brightly colored food in a plastic container—only to discover that the container stayed red or orange even after washing?
Here’s a simple trick worth trying.
✨ What you need
- A little dish soap
- Warm water
- Baking soda
- A sheet of paper towel
🧼 Here’s how it works
1. Add a small amount of dish soap
Put a few drops directly into the stained container.
2. Add warm water
Fill the container partway with warm—not boiling—water.
3. Add 1–2 tablespoons of baking soda
Sprinkle it into the container and stir gently.
4. Add a paper towel
Drop a clean sheet of paper towel into the soapy water.
5. Put the lid on and shake
Close the container securely and shake it for about 30–60 seconds. The paper towel helps provide gentle physical action against the stained surfaces.
6. Rinse and wash normally
Empty the container, rinse it thoroughly, and wash it with dish soap.
☀️ Still stained?
For stubborn tomato or curry stains, put the clean container in direct sunlight for a few hours. Sunlight can help fade some food-color stains.
⚠️ A couple of tips
Avoid using boiling water on thin plastic containers, as it can deform some plastics.
And don’t mix household cleaners together—especially bleach with other cleaning products.
