Oil the container before the sauce goes in

The oil trick actually works: coat the inside of the container with a thin layer of oil before adding tomato-based food, and the stains won’t happen.

Here’s what’s going on. Tomato sauce has oil-soluble pigments (lycopene, mainly) that seep into the microscopic scratches and pores in plastic, especially when the food is warm. Once it’s in there, soap and water aren’t getting it out. A quick wipe with a few drops of olive oil or a squirt of cooking spray fills those pores and creates a barrier the pigment can’t get past. Two seconds of effort, zero orange plastic.

A few other habits help. Wash the container the same day with warm, soapy water — letting it sit overnight gives the stain time to set in. And if you’ve already got stained containers, don’t throw them out: a baking soda paste scrubs most of it off, and leaving them in direct sunlight for a few hours will bleach the remaining tint right out.

If you’re packing pasta with marinara every single day, honestly, just buy glass containers. They’re cheap, they don’t stain, and they microwave better anyway. Plastic is fine, but glass removes the whole problem from your life.

It’s a two-second fix, and your lunch containers will stop looking like a crime scene.