Sunlight kills the smell better than any chemical

The fastest way to get onion or garlic smell out of a plastic lunch box is to leave it in direct sunlight after washing it.

Plastic is porous, and those smells live in the oils left behind. Soap and water only get the surface. Sunlight doesn’t just mask the smell — UV light actually breaks down the odor molecules. This is the same reason you line-dry cutting boards.

Here’s the full routine: wash the box with regular dish soap, then rub a paste of baking soda and water all over the inside. Let it sit for fifteen minutes, rinse, then put the box outside in the sun for a few hours. If you’re stuck inside, a vinegar rinse works too, but the sun does the heavy lifting.

Yeah, it takes a few hours. But it costs nothing and you don’t have to buy a specialty spray that just covers the smell.

Patience is the only trick here.