De-Stink Your Lids

I’ve just submitted this “quick tip” to Cook’s Illustrated Magazine. Hopefully, they’ll pick it up, and I will get published. I think it’s realistic to consider the possibility of it, too. I mean, someone got published by submitting the fact that they tie a bungee cord around a trash can to hold the bag on.

Really. Now that is innovation.

So I think my method for de-stinking plastic lids has to garner some attention.

If you use the heavy duty plastic lids for Pyrex or Corningware, then you know they have a tendency to absorb the odors of the food which they are storing. Yes, and this is especially true if you leave the containers with leftover food in your car for three months. Or maybe you leave the container in your desk drawer at the office and forget about it for 2 weeks.

The resulting stench could easily send you into a peristaltic reversal situation. Even more so, the resulting odors left on the plastic lids will not come off with any amount of scrubbing or bleaching. Even running the lids through a dishwasher cycle will not help

My solution: the two-stage de-stinking procedure.

First, fill up your kitchen sink with enough hot water to just cover the lids you need to de-stink. Then add 1 cup of white vinegar. Mix well. Let stand in sink for 24 hours. You may have to turn the lids to make sure all surfaces have had some contact with the vinegar solution.

Second, load the lids into the top rack of your dishwasher and run a normal load with hot water. Your lids should come out smelling like plastic again.

If they still have a slight stink, just repeat the two stages. It will eventually work.