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Detergent, olive / cooking oil and tupperware-like containers

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atferrari

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I use to prepare mostly vegetables, often dressed with olive oil and exceptionally fried things with common cooking oil.

In any case that food is kept or prepared in tupperware-like containers (those made of translucid plastic material).

After meals, I use to leave them overnight, half filled with dish detergent and warm water. The washing is done, if I have no vessel to attend, early in the morning, or maybe, one day later. I never use cold or hot water.

There are cases when, no matter what, the containers after rinsing still show an oily surface and sometimes they are perfectly clean with no oily traces at all.

My questions:

a) why do I get so disparate results in spite that oil, detergent and containers are always more or less the same?

b) Is it possible that I am being too thrifty?

c) The solution (if that is the name) of detergent mixed with water should be expected to be still good for cleaning after few hours?

Now that I think of it, with glass and common chinaware I have not this problem. Does this by itself suggest something?

Domestic chores, not what I like. :confused:
 
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You need to use hot water. The heat provides enough energy to break the oil-plastic bonds.
 
It's true - I've found it hard to get oil off plastic in the past too - end up using excessive detergent...
 
The common plastics used for those containers are quite "hydrophobic." That means it repels water and conversely attracts oils. As already mentioned above, oils can be hard to remove from such plastics. There is also be a difference between oils. Some are more polar or have polar side groups, and the nature of the fatty acids of which they are composed can vary. That may explain your variable results.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I know the greasy feeling may make you feel they are not completely clean, but they are clean enough for ordinary use. Some flavors or colors will also stick, so I keep my plastic containers loosely segregated. Ones used for spaghetti sauce will become discolored. Where appearance may make a difference, I will not use them for those things.

What is probably the worse case in my home, I store a working amount (ca. 200 mL) of olive oil in a polypropylene squeeze bottle. The oil actually penetrates the walls of that container. The container sits on a ceramic plate so the "leakage" doesn't mess up my shelves.

John
 
Thanks for the replies.

I learnt something today! Maybe moving to china and leaving those containers just to keep things in the fridge.
 
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