How to remove stains from plastic vented crates

by Jaydon Harrison plastics2go

Like me you probably have had a favorite piece of Plastic vented crates or other plastic type dish get ruined with that nasty red tomato stain that wont go away. You probably stored some homemade sauce in the container and even though you wash it, and even though you soak it, that stubborn stain just wont go away. With those cheapie glad containers and lids who cares as you can always replace those in the supermarket. But when it is the very nice plastic dish or some piece of vintage Plastic vented crates handed down from Aunt Ethel, getting it fresh looking is the goal.

The reason that tomatoes stain plastic dishes and such is that in the fruit there is a chemical that gives them their beautiful red color: Lycopene. Funny when I was a kid in high school I never really paid attention in my organic chemistry class. Who knew that when we learned about chemical reactions these tips were going to help us when we became moms! "lycopene diffuses into plastic, making it impossible to remove with hot water or detergent. If lycopene is oxidized (for example, by reacting with bleaches or acids), the double bonds between the carbon atoms will be broken; cleaving the molecule, breaking the conjugated double bond system, and eliminating the chromophore."

If you want to prevent tomato sauce stains on plastic, start by spraying your Plastic vented crates with a nonstick cooking spray like Pam. Do this before pouring in tomato-based sauces. You will notice that there are no more stains, or at the very best a slight coloration. In time the oil will set into the plastic but the first few times you will definitely see some hue. The principle behind coating the plastic is that this thin layer of oil will prevent the sauces from sticking on the side of the container. Simple, isn't it? Anyway that is prevention, now onto how to revive your favorite dish.

Warm your lemons in the microwave before squeezing them for juice, you will get much more juice from the lemons. This one is simple unless you live in NYC and it is winter. Lol even if you live on the east coast in an apartment this one may be tough and for you, and therefore you will have to read on. But for those of you who ar lucky to have the open air living and lots of sunshine this is a great tip.