Many people ask us how to get rid of plastic smell in storage containers. If you’re looking for an effective, non-toxic, and natural way to get rid of it, then you’ll definitely want to read this article.
Plastic storage containers are cheap, convenient storage options. But how do you remove that new plastic smell?
Plastic storage containers are great for storing all kind of stuff in your garage, storage shed or in your house. They are made from durable plastic and allow you to conveniently store everything from work equipment, tools, gardening, and working clothes.
Plastic containers are the most commonly used household items. However, they tend to hold on to odors.
This can be an issue when you have several plastic containers with their own distinct odors in one place, such as your kitchen cabinet. You may notice that even if you wash out the plastic container a couple of times, the smell will still linger.
When you have a container that has a bad plastic smell, it is important to get rid of the odor to ensure that the item inside does not get damaged.
Plastic contamination can be dangerous for your products and if it is stored in a container with a plastic scent, it may cause contamination. Therefore, make sure that your plastic storage containers do not have any odor.
Plastic storage containers are cheap, convenient storage options. but how do you remove that new plastic smell? In this article, I’ll share 13 different ways to remove the smell from your plastic containers.
Contents
How to get rid of plastic smell in storage containers
1. Coffee powder
If you want to get rid of odors in your storage container, the best thing to do is to use coffee grounds. Coffee grounds are well-known for their deodorizing effect and neutral smell.
You can either put them in a dry container and let them sit there overnight or put them into some water, let it sit overnight, and wipe the water off in the morning. Either way, it does a great job of removing any smells from the container.
2. Baking Soda
Another cheap and effective homemade solution to get rid of bad odors in a plastic container is baking soda.
It’s easy and inexpensive, and you can use it at home. Baking soda is a great deodorizer and will efficiently remove any bad smell that may cling to your storage containers.
To do this, first, make sure your containers are completely dry.
Next, put half a cup of baking soda inside and allow it to sit overnight. In the morning, wash the container thoroughly with warm water.
Baking soda absorbs odors, so this will ensure that your stored food or goods will not smell.
3. Vinegar
One way you can easily get rid of the bad smell in storage containers is to use vinegar. This will also remove any stains that are stuck in the container, as vinegar is great at breaking down the compounds in stains.
To start, add a few tbsp of vinegar to empty storage containers. Let it sit for a while, which will allow the vinegar to break down any stains and absorb the bad smells. Finally, wash the container clean.
Vinegar will break down the phthalates and other chemicals that cause the plastic smell, so you don’t have to worry about inhaling harmful fumes when storing your clothes or food in storage containers.
4. Newspaper
Old newspapers are great for absorbing odors, meaning that if you put them in your plastic containers, they will soak up the smells.
You can put a layer of newspaper inside a plastic bin and leave it overnight so that the newspaper absorbs all of the smells from the plastic.
Leave overnight, so they soak up the bad odor. Then, wash as usual with soap and water. When you open the container again, there won’t be a plastic odor.
5. Tea
If a storage container has an unpleasant smell when you open it, you can use tea bags to get rid of it. Place one or two tea bags into the container, and close the container overnight. In the morning wash out the container as usual.
You can also use dried or powdered tea to make a bag that can be placed inside the container for storage. Follow the same process to eliminate any new smells in your storage containers using this method.
6. Charcoal
One quick way to get rid of the smell of plastic in a storage container is to put some charcoal in the container overnight. This can be done by putting any brand or type of charcoal into an airtight plastic storage container, leaving it overnight.
On the next day, wash the container with soap and water the next day, and your storage container will be clean and fresh.
7. Lemon water
Using lemon can help eliminate and get rid of the plastic smell in storage container.
Cut a lemon in half, and squeeze the juice inside. Then, put the lemon inside the container and close it. Leave it for a couple of hours, then wash it out thoroughly.
The citrus will help to eliminate the plastic smell and leave a fresh scent.
8. Salt
Salt is a natural absorbent and can come in handy for various tasks. One way to use salt is to prevent your storage container from smelling.
Put some salt in the container, seal it tightly and leave it. Let it rest for a few hours or days, then wash the container thoroughly. The same method can also be used to remove unpleasant odors from plastic bags or from cardboard boxes.
9. Boiling water
If you want to get rid of the icky smell from plastic containers, fill them up with water and heat it up. This will make the smell evaporate. You can do the same thing if you have containers that already have an unpleasant odor.
Just heat up the water for a little bit until it starts boiling, but don’t leave the container in boiling water for longer than ten seconds.
After this, let it cool down and then rinse it out thoroughly before using it again.
10. Dishwashing soap
Another easy way to get rid of plastic smell in storage containers is by using dish soap.
Dish soap is made of multiple liquids and oils that smell wonderful, including salt, lime, and eucalyptus.
Dish soap (dishwashing liquid) is special because one of its ingredients is salt. Salt itself doesn’t smell like anything, but it helps release any trapped smells inside the box.
Just pour a good amount of dish soap into your container and add water, then scrub the inside of the container with a cleaning brush. Then, leave it for five minutes so the dishwashing soap will eliminate the odor.
11. Add a few drops of essential oil
Essential oils help with many things, they are great at eliminating odors.
If your plastic storage bin has a strong, unpleasant plastic-like smell, you could put a few drops of essential oil on the bottom of it with warm water. This is an easy, safer, and cheaper way to get rid of plastic smell.
A few drops of essential oil, especially mint and orange oils, will do the trick.
Let it be for 1-2 hours. Then, you’ll need to wash the container with running water and soap. Last, wash it with running water.
12. Dry rice
Dry rice is a perfect to way to absorb the smell from plastic containers. It is a great odor absorber and neutralizer.
All you need to do is put a handful of rice into the container, and leave it there for 1 day.
Then, wash the storage container and everything inside it. Do not forget to wipe the inside with a piece of cloth or paper towel until it dries up.
13. Heat it in the oven
If you have a bunch of plastic containers that smell really bad when they are kept in the fridge, you can try to heat them up in the oven. The heat will remove excess smell and freshen up your container.
Simply heat the plastic container in your oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. This will ensure that there is no more plastic smell coming from the storage container.
By heating them on a low setting, you can release chemicals that give off the plastic smell by using a less hot setting.
Conclusion
Plastic is a very modern material. It’s cheap, it’s easy to work with and it’s got loads of convenient packaging applications. However, plastic has a downside – it off-gasses chemicals. These chemicals can make plastics smell.
Here are some easy and cheap ways of how to get rid of the plastic smell in storage container:
- Coffee powder
- Baking Soda
- Vinegar
- Newspaper
- Tea
- Charcoal
- Lemon water
- Salt
- Boiling water
- Dishwashing soap
- Add a few drops of essential oil
- Dry rice
- Heat it in the oven
If you have problem with odor, you can read how to remove urine smell in bathroom and how to remove new carpet smell article!
