Skip the fancy deodorizer. Vinegar and sun fix lunch boxes.

Baking soda helps, but for strong fish or broccoli smells you’re better off with a splash of vinegar and an afternoon in the sun.

Baking soda works as a mild odor neutralizer, but it’s slow. A paste left on for a few hours will absorb some of the smell, especially if the lunch box is plastic. But fish and broccoli leave behind sulfur compounds that baking soda alone doesn’t fully break down. It’s fine for maintenance, less fine for “I forgot a shrimp container in my car for three days.”

The two-step solution is faster and cheaper: wash the box with dish soap, then wipe it down with white vinegar — it cuts the grease and neutralizes the sulfur compounds. Then leave it open in direct sunlight for a few hours. UV light destroys a lot of odor-causing molecules, and it does it for free. This works on plastic, silicone, and even fabric inserts.

As for the special deodorizing inserts — charcoal bags, ozone pods, etc. — they’re mostly about masking or absorbing what’s already there. They work okay if your lunch box is clean and just has lingering smells. But if you use them on a dirty box, you’re just seasoning the charcoal with old fish. Clean first, then worry about the smell.

Remember to let the box air out after every wash, not just when it reeks. I’ve had better luck with a 10-minute vinegar soak and a sunny windowsill than any $12 gadget. So skip the inserts unless you’re desperate.

If you still smell yesterday’s broccoli tomorrow, it’s not the lunch box — it’s time to check the lid seam.