Tricks for cleaning pasta sauce jar lids

January 12, 2006 5:55 PM

Pasta Sauce Jar Filter: I reuse my old pasta sauce jars for pantry storage. No matter how well I clean the lid the scent of pasta sauce remains and sometimes compromises the food stored inside. Any tricks for getting the lid spickety span. Note: I have no dishwasher.
posted by Constant Reader to Food & Drink (16 answers total)

Do you have a friend who has a dishwasher?
posted by Gator at 6:01 PM on January 12, 2006

Scrub, then soak in hot water/bleach for a bit?
posted by scody at 6:04 PM on January 12, 2006

Try shaking some bicarbonate of soda (I think it's called baking soda stateside?) on a damp cloth, give the lid a good rub and then a rinse in hot water and leave to dry. But I'd second the friend with a dishwasher option suggested by Gator for best results.
posted by ceri richard at 6:05 PM on January 12, 2006

bleach will definitely do it, and i'd bet OxyClean will work just fine too. try baking soda if you don't have either.
posted by rxrfrx at 6:07 PM on January 12, 2006

I meant to add that the bicarbonate of soda/baking soda on a warm, damp cloth is the best way of cleaning inside of microwave ovens after "little food explosions", including tomato-based pasta sauces, hence the suggestion.
posted by ceri richard at 6:07 PM on January 12, 2006

I used to do the same thing. I would just soak it in soapy water for a week. If I was paricularly lazy, I would just fill the lid with water and a good amount of soap and let it sit for a number of days.
posted by ontic at 6:23 PM on January 12, 2006

I've had good luck with OxyClean taking the organic icky (smell/stain) out of various kitchen plastics.
posted by todbot at 6:31 PM on January 12, 2006

Response by poster: OxyClean sounds like the way to go. I like the baking soda idea as well, but that doesn't help me rationalize the OxyClean purchase - which is something I've been wanting to try as everyone seems to be in love with it, and I didn't want to jump on the bandwagon.
Thanks.
posted by Constant Reader at 7:20 PM on January 12, 2006

Diluted vinegar [white distilled, not balsamic] is said to work wonders.
posted by staggernation at 7:38 PM on January 12, 2006

I second the white vinegar. It's good stuff.
posted by tastybrains at 7:53 PM on January 12, 2006

White vinegar combined with baking soda not only gives you a nifty frothy hissy reaction, but it also really does safely and effectively scour many surfaces (unlike bleach, which I personally wouldn't use anywhere near my food).

Incidentally, this mixture can also unclog your drains, if they're gunked-up.
posted by Dr. Wu at 8:03 PM on January 12, 2006

OxyClean is worth purchasing... you can use it everywhere.. laundry, etc... I am not a model for the OxyClean commercials nor do I have any financial interest in the company. (IAMNAOxyCM). But buy a little tub for 8 bucks and try it out. It's worth it. IMHO.
posted by jerryg99 at 8:23 PM on January 12, 2006

Sunny window ledge,Sol is the bleach.
posted by hortense at 8:28 PM on January 12, 2006

The pickle man by our house uses vanilla on his hands. Ok, I stole that from Crossing Delancey.
posted by mecran01 at 9:48 AM on January 13, 2006

Also: you may want to use a toothbrush to get into the nooks 'n' crannies.
posted by deborah at 1:32 PM on January 14, 2006

The key here is the acid from the tomatoes reacting with the metal in the jar lid, thus producing a nasty "taint".
Boil the lid in water, remove and then, just to be sure, soak it in a solution of water and bleach. The bleach is basic (opposite of acidic) so it should cancel it out.
posted by kaiseki at 6:24 PM on January 16, 2006