Baking soda paste kills plastic odors

For lingering fish or egg smells on a plastic lunch box lid, make a thick baking soda paste and let it sit for a few hours. Then rinse and wash normally. That’s it.

Baking soda is mildly alkaline and abrasive, so it does two things: it neutralizes the acidic compounds in fish/egg odors, and it physically pulls the smell out of the micro-pores in the plastic. Vinegar isn’t strong enough for this, and you end up smelling like a diner. Bleach is overkill and can degrade the plastic.

If the smell is really stubborn after the paste, set the lid in direct sunlight for an afternoon. UV light breaks down the odor molecules that baking soda can’t reach.

This is not where you save two bucks—skip the vinegar.