I recently made Ranch dressing from scratch. I accidentally spilled the garlic and it was a little stronger than planned. Unfortunately, it left every container I used smelling even after running it through the dishwasher twice!

I tried the newspaper trick I used when I “painted” my small thermos, (see “Baby Yourself”). But it did not work. The odor was so strong the newspaper could not absorb it overnight.

I put fresh newspaper in them, sealed the lids and tucked them in the corner of my kitchen. I ignored them for a week or so.

I am not sure how long it took, but when I finally checked them, the odor was gone. Sometimes, all it takes is a little more time.

Plastic containers stuffed with newspaper and sealed for several days to absorb garlic smell.