Say Goodbye To Smelly Plastic Containers With This Genius Coffee Ground Hack

If you have smelly plastic storage containers, the issue isn't a matter of cleanliness. You can wash your plastic containers repeatedly, but they'll still retain lingering odors. However, you can eliminate these smells with nothing more than coffee grounds. Since plastics are porous, they're prone to retaining different scents. The more you use these containers, the more smells you're layering, creating an unappetizing environment for your leftovers. You might even find that these scents transfer to whatever new foods you store in the containers, making your homemade waffles smell like last week's lasagna. 

Although soap and water alone may not remove unpleasant fragrances from wafting up to your nose, you can use them to clean your stained plastic containers before carrying out this trick. When combined with water, soap molecules work by breaking up any stubborn bacteria. However, this may not be enough to neutralize your plastic container odors. Purchasing new containers simply adds to landfill waste, so repurposing them is always ideal. Thanks to an easy coffee ground ingredient hack, you can remove stubborn aromas from your plastic containers in no time. 

To carry out this hack, just put fresh coffee grounds in your plastic storage container, close it tightly, and let it sit overnight. If you add used coffee grounds, make sure they're dry and haven't touched anything else. In the morning, just remove your coffee grounds and rinse your container. Since plastics are porous, be mindful of using this trick if anyone in your home is caffeine-sensitive. You don't want to risk cross-contamination. 

But what makes this hack so helpful, exactly? For starters, coffee contains nitrogen, which works to minimize oxidation. Oxidation is directly responsible for food smells, causing products to spoil and emit foul odors. This means your coffee grounds are the ingredient that not only pulls you from your midday slump, but works to keep your food smelling fresh. When you're done, you can clean your pots and pans with the same coffee grounds. If you find that this trick doesn't thoroughly remove unwanted scents (especially if your plastic containers has some miles on it), you can always mix water and baking soda to create a paste. Apply it inside your containers, let them sit for a minimum of one day, and rinse clean. You'll have clean, odorless containers on hand at all times.