Bento boxes have become very important tool for daily meals, either at the office or during outdoor activities and school. But coupled with the frequency of use of the bento box, there is a question about how clean it keeps. People who use bento boxes every day must have thought about one key question: do you really need to clean your bento box every day? In this article, we will take a closer look at this problem and offer some practical cleaning suggestions for you to maintain the hygiene and life of your bento box.
Daily Bento Boxes Use
A bento box is a takeout container that serves various purposes for dining on different occasions. It can store rice, vegetables, soup, snacks-all kinds of food. Since different kinds of food are generally stored in bento boxes, one easily runs the risk of cross-contamination, bacterial growth, or odor residue. If these problems are not cleaned in time, they will not only affect health, but probably shorten the life of bento boxes.
Necessity to Clean Bento Boxes Every Day
- Avoiding bacterial growth: Food and grease remains are a very ideal place for breeding bacteria and mold. After using bento boxes, if they aren’t cleaned up in time, the residual food will produce odor and even affect the safety of food used next time. Cleaning the bento box every day can thus effectively avoid these hygiene problems.
- Avoid the cross-contamination of food: Whether it is meat, vegetables, or other foods, each food has its different type of bacteria. Due to incomplete or untimely cleaning, cross-contamination between foods can affect the health of dining.
- Prolong service life: Washing bento boxes every day can maintain hygiene and make it be in use for a longer time. Especially for plastic bento boxes, the long-term residue of grease and food color will influence the appearance and material quality.
How to Clean Bento Boxes of Different Materials
There are some special things that one should pay attention to when cleaning bento boxes made of different materials.
- Plastic bento box: People favor plastic bento boxes for their light and durable features. However, it tends to absorb odors and colors from greasy or colored foods. Thus, it is recommended to wash them daily with warm water and mild detergent. Besides, it should avoid using a high-temperature dishwasher in case of deformation.
- SS bento boxes are hardy, resistant to high temperatures, easy to clean, but out of the box and you ought not to make use of acidic detergents since these ruin the metal surface.
- Glass bento box: This is easy to clean and can be put in a dishwasher. But one needs to be aware of falls for the avoidance of damage. Glass does not absorb odors; hence, it’s suitable for long-term use.
Cleaning bento boxes isn’t that complicated, but here are a few steps to help you keep it sanitary:
- Use warm water and a mild detergent. Warm water works well in dislodging the food particles, while the mild detergent will not damage the material.
- Thorough cleaning of the seals and details: Most bento boxes possess sealing lids with silicone rings, which may provide perfect ground for dirt to collect. When washing, ensure that these details are cleaned well to avoid the growth of bacteria.
- Air-dry the bento box: Allow the bento box to dry in the air after washing, so that moisture will not be retained in the sealing lid or the body of the box and mold can be avoided.
Tips to Reduce Burden When Cleaning
If you want to reduce the burden of cleaning bento boxes, here are some tips to consider:
- Use separators or liners for the food: Putting food separators or removable liners inside the bento box can reduce the direct contact between food and the inner wall of the bento box, thereby making it easy to clean.
- Choose a leak-proof bento box to avoid soup or liquid leakage, not only it keeps the bento box clean, but it’s also easy to clean.
Overview
The cleanliness of the bento box is related to the service life of the bento box itself and also to the health of the diners. A bento box which hasn’t been cleaned for a long time or hasn’t been cleaned well may become a hotbed for breeding bacteria and thus influence physical health adversely. It is important that each meal is safe and hygienic, so it is very important to develop a good practice of cleaning the bento box every day.
It can be hygienic for a longer period, extend the service life, and hinder odors and bacteria from growing. All this is based on cleaning and maintenance information that cannot be neglected no matter what kind of material is used, such as plastic, stainless steel, or glass. Some simple suggestions to help clean it could keep every meal healthy and safe.
Lebo: Professional Bento Box Manufacturer
As a professional bento box manufacturer for more than 30 years, レボ focuses on the quality of every wholesale bento box product for customers all over the world. Moreover, our design of wholesale bento boxes focuses on practicality, combining innovation and diversity to meet the needs of different markets. With a modern production line and strict quality control, Lebo has always been keen on the quality of each batch of wholesale bento boxes so as to achieve internationally set standards.
We are well aware of the high requirements of corporate procurement for product quality and supply chain efficiency. Therefore, we support mass customization production services, diversified design options, materials and functions, and assist customers in achieving brand differentiation. Whether you are a restaurant chain brand, school, the welfare department of an enterprise, or large retailer, we can provide you with a customized high-quality bento box solution.
レボ is chosen to ensure a reliable partner in guaranteeing timely delivery with continuous product innovation, hence strongly supporting the customers’ businesses.