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Plastic containers for organizing are definitely some of the most all-around useful supplies in the world. You can use them in your kitchen, your bathroom, your bedroom drawers and closets, your attic, your basement, your shed, and just about everywhere else in your home. They are great for protecting contents against the elements, and in your kitchen, they can keep food fresh. They do tend to get dirty, though, especially those you use as food storage containers.

You can throw plastic containers like these into the dishwasher, but you will notice when you take them out that oftentimes the dishwasher does not effectively get all the stains out. Not only that, but when you use very hot water to clean plastic bins (in the dishwasher or otherwise), it can be bad for the plastic. It is all too easy to ruin your plastic food containers by putting them in the dishwasher under too much heat. They may come out warped out of shape and may no longer seal.

Instead of using your dishwasher, it is much wiser to clean your plastic food bins by hand. This allows you to control the temperature of the water. You want to use warm water, but not hot water—as warm as you can get it without damaging the plastic. This prevents your food containers from warping out of shape. You may be able to get them clean using w sponge, but if you have a hard time with really tough stains, you can also try an old toothbrush.

Baking soda is your friend when it comes to dealing with tough stains. When baking soda gets wet, it turns into a kind of paste, but still has abrasive properties. It is an amazing substance with a wide range of uses (you can also use it to unclog your drains and even clean your teeth). Baking soda and an old toothbrush work great for a wide variety of stains. Baking soda has another bonus which is particularly helpful for food related stains, and that is that it can help to remove unpleasant odors, leaving your plastic containers smelling fresh and clean. You may also want to try vinegar. Vinegar is a powerful cleaner and can get stains out of practically anything (a tip to remember for your laundry as well). If you do not like the smell, though, baking soda may be a better option.

Plastic bins are not very expensive, especially if you buy them in bulk. For that reason, it is not the end of the world if you have to replace plastic bins, but you can avoid destroying your bins in the dishwasher simply by choosing to clean them by hand instead. It takes a bit of extra work, but it does get out all the tough stains more efficiently as well as the unpleasant odors. And when you do it that way, you do not risk exposing your containers to high temperatures that can warp them out of shape. Good luck getting your plastic bins clean!