Baking soda fixes a new cooler's plastic taste

The way to season a new cooler is to wash it with baking soda and warm water, let it sit, then rinse well.

That’s it. The plastic taste comes from leftover manufacturing residue and trapped off-gassing. Baking soda neutralizes those compounds without leaving any chemical taste of its own. Mix about a quarter cup of baking soda into a gallon of warm water, wipe down every surface inside, and pour some of that mixture in and let it sit for a few hours — overnight is even better.

If the smell is really strong, you can do a first pass with