Spaghetti/Chilli stains on Tupperware :( (1 Viewer)

[MarkHastings]

Arghh! I hate when this happens...the clear plastic gets that orange tint due to the staining of tomato sauce. I just cleaned a bowl that I stored chilli in and the lid is all orange. No matter how much I scrub, it just won't go away.

My mother says it's ok, but I have to wonder what effect it has on bacteria? It seems like the oils are now stuck to the lid which could cause bacteria to grow. My mom has always had this problem and never did anything about it, but it still bugs the hell out of me. :frowning:

 

[CapnSharpe]

Try using Cascade plastic booster - stuff works wonders with tupperware, rubbermaid, and cleans the interior of non-stainless steel dishwashers...

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

That's why Rubbermaid introduced the Stain Shield line, which does seem to resist staining from tomatoes, but not everything. The only thing wrong with this line is that a couple of the ones I bought had a tendency to crack, which Rubbermaid quickly replaced.

 

[Patrick Sun]

The stains are why I just use glass bowls for the containers.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

From what I understand....

The secret to avoiding tomato sauce
stains on plastic is to ALWAYS wash
them in cold water.

Cold water washing should avoid staining.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

The simplest solution to this problem is bleach. Fill the affected container with a solution of warm, soapy water and add a tablespoon or so of bleach (or place a stained cover inside a bowl or shallow pan filled with a similar solution and place a cup or other weight on it to hold it under the water.) Let it sit for a couple of hours, or even overnight. It will be good as new when you rinse it off.

Or wash the things as usual in the dishwasher and add a splash of bleach to bottom of the tub before running it. (This is a good thing to do from time to time anyway, as it helps to disinfect the dishwasher. When you do, put any sponges you use in the silverware basket to keep them fresh-smelling and germ free.)

No need for special cleansers or "new improved" storage containers. Trust me, I store a lot of tomato sauce (with sausage and meatballs, and it is the meat fat that realy makes the sauce so tenacious) not to mention taco/burrito filling and none of my Gladware, Ziploc or other plastic containers are stained.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Jon_Are]

This bugs me too. That is why I just use old Kool Whip containers for my tomato-ey delicacies.

Jon

 

[MarkHastings]

Thanks for the advice guys.I never heard of that one before.

The worst was an old Tupperware that my mom soely used for storing her sauce. It was practically orange and had a funky smell. Ick!

 

[Jeff Gatie]

I second the Cascade Plastic Booster. I have no problems with stains on plastic since I started using it.

 

[Craig F]

Spraying the container with PAM first can greatly reduce the staining.

 

[Russell Osborne]

I haven't had this problem unless I microwaved a tomato sauce based food . Once you have a solution to your stained Tupperware , only use it for storage. Reheat your food in glass or Corelle .

 

[LewB]

Maybe that's why jars of tomaoto sauce always seem to be made of glass.

 

[MarkHastings]

What about plastic Ketchup bottles?

 

[DaveBB]

Last weekend I came home very drunk and very hungry from a bachelor party. Violating my number one kitchen rule of not heating up tomato based foods in plastic I made a big serving of my Cincinatti/Skyline chili in a plastic container.

The next morning I saw how bad the container looked and about threw it out before my girlfriend would see it and give me a hard time. But I used the Cascade plastic booster and it looks as good as new.

The only thing is if you don't have a dishwasher: what do you do?

 

[Jeff Gatie]

I've let plastic soak in the sink with a tiny squirt of Plastic Booster and it works wonders after a quick soap and rinse. So in a pinch you can use it without the dishwasher.

 

[Max Leung]

Awesome thread! I was wondering the same thing when my roommate used my Tupperware to store his pasta-and-tomato-sauce creations. Gah.

Now I just have to find this Cascade plastic boost thingy...

 

[Lee L]

Yes, teh plastic Booster is all that and a bag of chips. It does work as advertised.

 

[Max Leung]

Hmm. I did a google for "cascade plastic booster", and found a few reviews. The results don't seem to be that favorable:

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1418542

Another one said it does nothing at all.

Ah well. At least we know bleach works, right?

 

[MarkHastings]

LOL

 

[Jeff Gatie]

I don't know what they are doing wrong, but I washed a piece of Gladware that had been storing Farfalle with Tomato Pesto and Sausage last night. It went in the dishwasher stained pink and came out clean as a whistle. Maybe it's the water quality in the tests.