Baking soda fixes nearly every lunch box

Baking soda and hot water will handle almost any lunch box stain or smell.

Start with dish soap and hot water to cut the grease. Then, for smells, fill the box with hot water, toss in a couple of tablespoons of baking soda, and let it soak overnight. A splash of white vinegar helps too — don’t worry, the vinegar smell fades once it dries.

For stains, skip the harsh stuff. Make a paste of baking soda and a little water, smear it on the stain, leave it for ten minutes, then scrub with a sponge. If the stain is really set in, a denture tablet dissolved in warm water is shockingly good at lifting it, and it won’t scratch plastic like abrasive scrubbers will.

The last step people skip: sunlight. Set the clean box outside or in a sunny window for a few hours. UV light kills the bacteria that cause odors, and it works better than any spray.

One thing to avoid: bleach on plastic. It can discolor it and leave its own smell behind.

Your lunch box isn’t ruined — it’s just been through a lot.