Use This Hydrogen Peroxide Trick To Easily Remove Plastic Storage Container Stains

Sometimes, the hardest thing about taking care of your home isn't cleaning the baseboards, the gutters, or the toilet, but those pesky storage containers. Everyone has been there before, spending half an hour at the kitchen sink desperately scrubbing away at those seemingly relentless spaghetti stains in a plastic storage containers. Even a half-bottle of dishwashing liquid and 10 cramping fingers later, those stains still just never seem to budge!

Luckily, there is one neat little tool that you can use to scrub away those tough stains and avoid mistakes at the kitchen sink. Wondering what that may be? Surprisingly, it's hydrogen peroxide. 

Hydrogen peroxide is a common household staple that you likely already have in your medicine cabinet. Though it's typically used for minor cuts and abrasions, hydrogen peroxide has also proven itself to be a plastic storage containers stain fighter — and a really good one, too. 

Fret those unsightly pasta stains no more, because hydrogen peroxide is here to save your time, your energy ... and your plastic storage containers, too. Yellowed containers that have been stained — whether from pasta, berries, heavy seasonings like turmeric, or anything in between — should see a drastic improvement in appearance upon the usage of this method. 

First, wash and clean the storage container completely. It is important to make sure that no food residue, grime, or grease is left in the container before utilizing this method. Also, make sure that the storage container is completely dried beforehand, too. Then, pour a generous amount of hydrogen peroxide into the container. Make sure that the stained area is completely covered. Allow the peroxide to sit in the container for at least thirty minutes before pouring it out. After pouring out the peroxide, wash the container again with soap and hot water. 

Generally, getting rid of these stains will take a few scrubbing sessions, so if you do not see results immediately, don't panic! Simply repeat these steps a few times until satisfactory. 

If you are wondering how hydrogen peroxide has become the designated household stain fighter, well, the answer lies in its inherent bleaching properties. 

Food stains found in plastic storage containers are called oxidizable stains. These are stains that occur as a result of the food items' biological components interacting with oxygen. Stains from things like coffee, fruit juices, and wine are all examples of oxidizable stains. Meanwhile, hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent. That means it consists of its own oxidizing properties that can essentially counteract the oxidization process of the stains, breaking down the stains' color components (or "bleaching" them) and ultimately lifting the stains from the plastic. 

While this works effectively on plastic storage containers, hydrogen peroxide can also help lift stains from a wide array of other surfaces, such as furniture, carpets, and even your dirty laundry.