Baking soda and sunlight beat any smell spray

Baking soda and some direct sunlight will get the fish smell out of a plastic lunch box.

Here’s why it works: fish smell is oil soaked into the plastic, and plastic is basically a sponge at the microscopic level. Soap only cleans the surface — it can’t reach what’s already absorbed.

Make a baking soda paste (just baking soda and a little water), coat the whole inside, and let it sit overnight. Then scrub and rinse. If it’s really stubborn, fill the box with hot water and a few tablespoons of baking soda and soak it for a few hours.

Sunlight is the secret weapon. UV rays actually break down odor molecules. Leave the box open in direct sun for an afternoon and most of the smell will just vanish. Crumpled newspaper inside overnight helps too — paper pulls odors out of plastic.

Skip the bleach. It can react with leftover fish residue and kind of bake the smell in. And don’t microwave the plastic to “kill” the smell — warping is all you’ll get.

Your next sandwich shouldn’t taste like last Tuesday’s trout.