Rather than store our bulk goods or my homemade snacks in plastic containers, I’ve been keeping any jars I buy or have bought in the past. (I have quite a little collection now.) They look so pretty and uniform and it’s easy to snatch a glance and know exactly what I need or what I’m low on. The only trouble is they seem to hold dearly to the smell of whatever they contained before…
I’m finding the trick is to let them air out for weeks on the shelf before I refill them. Seems to be the only way.
Know of any other tricks?
Other jar ideas:
- Organization Tip of the Day: Utilize Space with Under-the-Counter Glass Jars (thenest.com)
- At Home with GCH: “Painted” Mason Jars (girlfriendscoffeehour.com)
- Home Connections: Giving Glass Jars a New Life (phippsscienceeducation.org)
Attempting zero waste lifestyle in a military household 
Boil them with a bit of vinegar?
Shannon—genius! This blog is wonderful for my lack of common sense.
guilty as can be, i save all glass jars, end up sharing the ones i like least with the local Amish–i keep the pint ones for cereals, nuts, dried fruits, herbs and mushrooms. and quart ones for beans, or canning meats and veges.
heavier jars are for nails, nuts and the ever expanding MISC. collection. or the bug “catch and release” jar for stray spiders or mud daubers that find our hospitality irresistible.
yes, vinegar works, so does a baking soda warm soak.( no more pickle flavored chocolate mix for you.).
ps: put bay leaves in jars of corn meal or quinoa, etc to keep moths away. i freeze anything before putting it in jars, it keeps the reproductive cycle of critters to a minimum.
I have an ever growing collection of jars in a shelving unit in the garage. They usually have lost their smell, plus I have to wash them out again first by the time I get around to using them.
And thanks for your card, it was so thoughtful. I sent you an email too, in case you don’t check for them very often.
I had to laugh! Blogs are great for helping solve issues (well provided you have wise readers, which you do!). My garlic jar transported oil from the bulk store… so pleased to have garlic tinged oil, to be honest!!
The trick Jenn, is to store them with the lids off. I keep an old coffee container full of the lids, and all the jars lined up (ha ha ha for how long?) according to size (ha ha ha ha, for about five minutes) . Anyway that’s how you get rid of the smell – the odor clings to the lids more than the glass.
I do this as well. I LOVE my jars. I find the smell tends to be in the lids not the jars. I put the lids and jars through the dishwasher. If the lids are still smelly I put them through the dishwasher several more times. I’ll then store the jars with the lids off. Mx
I had the same problem, and I’m glad to read about all the solutions!
I can’t but save my jars but, I too have a hard time getting rid of past smells. I’ve tried washing, boiling… with little success