Trapping
Posted by Daniel Caton on April 4, 2008
Q: Hi,
I am an amatuer naturalist, and I have a question. I have a full equiped library and labratory, and I get all my stuff from leftovers of containers from food and other stuff. Like spagetti jars, (they are made out of glass), what do you suggest to get rid of the smell inside them.
State: Florida
A: I too use a variety of different containers for collecting natural history items. If you're using glass, this material is unlikely to hold onto any odors if cleaned properly. I'd suggest putting glass containers in a dishwasher to clean them and I don't think odor will be a problem. The big drawback to glass is that it is breakable, especially when you're in the field.
If you use plastic containers, these may absorb some of the food odors (depends on the kind of food) and be more difficult to clean thoroughly. I've often used vinegar to clean up small plastic odds and ends so you might want to try this. Allow the vinegar with some water to sit overnight and then rinse completely. It usually works for me.
Hope this helps.
John Wiessinger ( April 7, 2008)