I've been successful using a mild bleach solution - fill the container with the bleach solution and leave for a few days!   If the weather permits, I put them out in the sun - one of the many advantages of living in a year-round hot climate!  Not sure why that works, but it does!   I do the same thing with DD's insulated lunch box every weekend.  When I don't put the containers out for the occasional tanning session, I find they smell funny even after washing!

 

I use ground mustard and water and it works like a charm!! I I fill the container with hot water and add a TSP to a TBS of mustard depending on the size of the container.

I have read that if you place your crumbled newspaper in the container and seal it and leave it in the sun for several days the newspaper will absorb the orders from the container.

Soak in White Vinegar.  Then rinse.  Takes out the smell everytime.

 Vinegar takes the smell out of lots of other items as well.  I use it in my laundry, and was amazed when all smells came out of a towel that had been soaked with gasoline and sat for a month or so.  I washed it about 5 times before i used the vinegar on it and finally no smell.  A friend washed all of her salvageable clothing after a fire with vinegar and no smell.  Also a cheap way to get rid of odors in houses.  Pour some in a cut glass dish ad let it stand.  Safe for pets as well instead of over powering chemicals.

Use plain white vinegar.

angd73:

I use ground mustard and water

 

Wow, that's a new one to me! How did you learn to do that? I always seem to have ground mustard that I'm not using. Can it be stale mustard that's not good for seasoning food anymore?

I have always used baking soda to get rid of smells in food containers, thermos bottles and even in the microwave. It can't hurt you. Just scrub it with a paste of baking soda, or add baking soda and water and shake it up and let it sit overnight. By the way, I would never use liquid bleach in a plastic food container. I don't know for sure, but I would guess it could break down the chemical make-up and change it. I wouldn't trust it.

I have used two things which work well just depends on which I grab first.

1-Sprinkle some baking soda in the container with some warm water and let it soak.

2-Splash some white vinegar with some warm water in the container and let it soak.

I find my regular dishwasher cycle gets rid of most smells in my containers because I use the full normal cycle with the heated rinse. But if you are not lucky enough to have a dishwasher the two suggestions above should help.

Hope I helped!

Someone wrote about sunshine removing odors, it will remove the tomato stain too! 

Sandy

I know it sounds strange, but old coffee grounds absorb odors. Just let the grounds dry, sprinkle them in the container, put the lid on, and let it sit overnight.  They work on pet odors in carpets and furniture too (just make sure you let them dry completly so they don't stain the fabric). It is a great way to recycle something that you would normally throw away.