Care

Getting garlic and onion smells out of silicone for good

Posted by

August 15, 2026

On August 7, 2026

Anybody who has stored curry or cut onion in a silicone bag knows it can keep the smell afterwards. This is not a defect and it is not permanent, but ordinary washing up liquid at low temperature often will not shift it, because of what silicone actually does with oil.

Why it happens at all

Silicone is slightly permeable to oils. Aromatic compounds in garlic, onion, chilli and spices are oil-soluble, so they migrate a short way into the surface rather than sitting on top of it.

That is why wiping the surface clean does not remove the smell — the smell is not on the surface any more.

Heat is the main tool

Higher temperature makes those oils mobile again and lets them leave. A hot dishwasher cycle removes far more odour than hand washing in warm water, simply because of the temperature difference.

For bags rated dishwasher safe, the top rack on a hot cycle is the easiest effective method and needs no special products.

Bicarbonate paste for anything stubborn

A thick paste of bicarbonate of soda and a little water, worked over the inside and left for a few hours, absorbs a great deal. Rinse thoroughly afterwards.

It is mildly abrasive, which also helps lift residue, and it is cheap enough to use generously.

Sunlight is genuinely effective and costs nothing

Leaving a clean, open bag in direct sunlight for a few hours breaks down many residual odour compounds. It is slow, entirely free, and works surprisingly well on smells that survived a wash.

In Los Angeles this is an easy option for most of the year, and it doubles as a way to make sure the bag has dried completely.

Vinegar helps; bleach is a bad idea

A soak in a dilute white vinegar solution neutralises many odours and is safe on silicone. Rinse well afterwards or you trade one smell for another.

Chlorine bleach is not appropriate here. It is unnecessary for the problem and hard on both the silicone and any printed markings.

The prevention is drying, not washing

A bag sealed while still slightly damp traps whatever remains inside with no air movement, and that is when smells set in. Drying fully with the bag open is what stops the problem recurring.

Standing bags open, upside down over a bottle or a rack, is the simplest way to get air into the bottom corners where water otherwise sits.

Which bags this applies to

The silicone lines on this shelf are the ones that behave this way; the PEVA and mylar bags do not absorb in the same manner. On our own shelf that range currently runs from $5.95 for the Glacier Home 8-Pack Reusable Gray Freezer Bags, Dishwasher Safe Food Storage up to $9.99 for the PTAZSCTC 12-Pack Reusable Silicone Food Storage Bags – Gallon, Sandwich & Snack Set, Grey.

These are drawn from Food Storage, which has 19 products on it right now. Prices here match the checkout total, with delivery quoted separately and never hidden.

What does not work, and why

Scented washing-up liquid masks rather than removes, and the masking fades within a day to leave the original smell underneath. It is the most common first attempt and the least effective.

Long soaks in cold water also achieve very little, because the compounds involved are oil-soluble and largely unaffected by cold water. Temperature is what mobilises them, which is why a hot cycle outperforms hours of cold soaking.

Preventing it in the first place

The strongest predictor of a lingering smell is how long the food sat in the bag. Emptying and rinsing promptly after use prevents most absorption from ever happening.

Dedicating one or two bags to the strongly aromatic jobs is the other practical answer. Once a bag has held curry paste a few times it will keep a faint trace, so letting that be a designated bag keeps the rest of the set neutral.

In order of effort

Try a hot dishwasher cycle first. If the smell persists, bicarbonate paste for a few hours, then a rinse. If it still persists, a day in sunlight. Then dry fully with the bag open, which is what stops it coming back.

We dispatch from Los Angeles, CA. Carriage runs $5.95, waived over $49, with 30 days to send unused items back. Reach us at [email protected].