The baking soda lunch box fix

Baking soda is your best bet for killing lunch box stink, and vinegar is only good for a quick rinse.

Wash the box with hot soapy water first, then sprinkle a generous layer of baking soda over the bottom and sides. Leave it overnight with the lid on. The baking soda absorbs the odor instead of just covering it up. In the morning, dump it out and wipe it dry.

Vinegar works faster but doesn’t last as well — wipe the inside with a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar, let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse. The problem is vinegar has its own smell for a while, and on plastic it sometimes doesn’t fully go away.

For really stubborn smells, do the baking soda treatment twice. And if the box is plastic, remember that heat can make odors bake into the material, so never put a smelly box in the dishwasher — that basically seals the smell in.

Future lunches will taste a lot better.