Baking soda beats lemon juice and vinegar for smelly lunch boxes

Baking soda is the most effective way to get stubborn smells out of lunch boxes, whether they’re plastic or stainless steel.

For plastic, lemon juice and vinegar can help, but they bring their own problems. Vinegar has a strong smell that lingers on plastic long after you’ve rinsed it. Lemon juice leaves a sticky residue if you don’t rinse thoroughly. Baking soda just neutralizes odors without adding anything new.

Here’s what actually works: wash the box with hot water and dish soap first, then make a thick paste of baking soda and a little water. Spread it over the inside, let it sit for 15-20 minutes (longer if the smell is really bad), and scrub gently with a sponge. For deeper odors, fill the box with warm water and dissolve half a cup of baking soda in it, then let it soak overnight. Rinse well and let it air dry completely before storing.

Stainless steel is a bit tougher. That’s the one case where vinegar actually wins. Wipe the inside with a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water, let it sit for 5 minutes, then rinse. The vinegar smell disappears quickly on steel, unlike on plastic. But for plastic, stick with baking soda.

There’s no magic trick to a smelly lunch box — just a good soak and some patience. That smell didn’t appear overnight, and it won’t leave in a minute either.