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    Home » DIY

    How-to: Deodorize Reclaimed Glass Jars

    Published: Apr 2, 2012 · Modified: Sep 30, 2022 by Becky Striepe · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    how to deodorize glass jars

    Has this happened to you guys? You lovingly rinse a glass jar that held pasta sauce or pickles. You run it through the dishwasher, and when you pull it out...it still stinks!

    Glass jars aren't porous, but if their contents are oily or acidic, it can be hard to get those odors out of there. You might think this means your old pasta sauce jar needs to go in the recycle bin, but fear not! You only need two things to get the smell out of even the stinkiest jar:

    • Baking soda
    • Water

    No, for real! Once you've washed the jar well in hot, soapy water or in the dishwasher, here's what you do:

    1. Pour about ¾ teaspoon of baking soda into your jar along with ¼ cup water.

    2. Shake your jar vigorously for 30 seconds to a minute. The baking soda is abrasive and it's absorbent, so the shaking is key to getting those icky odors out of there.

    3. Pour out the baking soda/water mixture, and put another ¼ cup water into the jar. Shake for another 30 seconds or so to get any baking soda residue out of the jar, pour that water down the drain, and your jar should be fresh as a daisy and ready to use!

    Now that you have that clean, empty jar, check out these 9 ways to reuse a glass jar!

    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jim Burns

      April 09, 2020 at 9:45 pm

      Thank you so much Ma'am. I have a decorative jar, but onions were stored in it and it's too nice to toss away. Thank you .

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 10, 2020 at 10:33 am

        You're welcome! We often reuse pickled jalapeno jars, so I can relate!

        Reply
    2. Stevie

      January 11, 2020 at 11:09 am

      How do I get the smell out of a Yankee Candle Jar? Washing and baking soda have failed.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        January 13, 2020 at 9:13 am

        Oh dear. I'm not sure! Is there residual wax/oil in there? I haven't run into this specific situation before. If you find something that works, I hope you'll tell us!

        Reply
      • Anonymous

        January 30, 2021 at 1:39 pm

        Freeze it and scrape the insides out with a spoon

        Reply
        • Becky Striepe

          February 01, 2021 at 10:44 am

          Ooh that's a neat tip! I'll try it out for sure.

          Reply
    3. Jenna

      August 03, 2019 at 1:31 pm

      Great tip, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        August 05, 2019 at 11:11 am

        You are welcome!

        Reply
      • Carmz

        February 20, 2022 at 7:07 pm

        Omg. Thank you SO much! I don't like throwing away stuff that easily but nothing else worked so I've just been airing out my blender bottle for, honestly, probably a year now. Lmao. It's also my only Pro Stak (where you can attach another container in for your protein powders/supplements) and I came across your post and it worked so well! And in only 2 minutes! Lol. I wish I had seen this sooner. Thanks again!

        Reply
        • Becky Striepe

          February 22, 2022 at 8:36 am

          Oh I'm so glad it was helpful! Happy blending!

          Reply
    4. Brenda A.

      June 21, 2012 at 8:46 pm

      Thank you so much for this! I was just wondering today how to de-funk my jars. Thanks!

      Reply
    5. Mike Lieberman

      April 02, 2012 at 12:55 pm

      I have about 4.5 billion jars to do this on...Thanks!

      Reply

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    About Me

    photo of Becky Striepe
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

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