Tupperware containers often become stained from oil-based foods like pasta sauces. A trending cleaning hack involves adding water, dish soap, and a paper towel to the container, sealing it, and shaking. This method works due to the specific surface properties of plastic, which has microscopic pores that trap oils. Microbiologist Jason Tetro explains that oils repel water, making typical washing ineffective. The hack provides a simplified, effective two-step process for stain removal, combining chemistry and effective cleaning techniques.
The hack works because it's a two-pronged approach to getting rid of the stain.
Plastic containers...are not completely smooth. If you take a look at them under an electron microscope, you'll see pores that can allow oils to get trapped.
The oils are stubborn because they repel water and as such, rinsing and washing won't extract them from those pores.
Water is able to dissolve some substances because it is 'polar', meaning its molecules have areas of different electrical charges.
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