Q:

How do you remove the stickiness from reusable plastic container or lid?

I have a blue plastic lid for my glass Anchor container.  I noticed that the lid is very sticky to the touch from both sides.  I've cleaned it thoroughly with soap but the stickiness is still there.  This lid is supposed to be microwave safe but I never used it while heating up food.
I also noticed a similar texture with with my semi-transparent Tupperware plastic container.  For this one, the lid is fine but the container itself is sticky on the inside.
Has anyone experienced that before with plastic lids or containers?  The stickiness is the same all year long.  Is there a way to clean it or has the product reached its end of life?

A:

When I get this, it's almost always old grease that didn't get washed off properly in the first place. We have some newer storage containers that are, for some reason, really strongly attractive to grease and have to be washed very carefully with lots of detergent or they're sticky next time we go to use them.
My usual solution is to rub the whole thing with undiluted dishwashing liquid and let it sit a minute or two. Then I rub/rinse with the hottest water I can stand until it's all squeaky clean. This usually works.
If your grease is several layers deep or really old, you might have to resort to a grease cutter like Formula 409 or one of the citrus-based degreasers, followed up with plenty of detergent. I would not use solvent any stronger than a commercial cleaning spray because of the risk of damaging the plastic. I also would not scour the plastic. The scratching will make it exponentially harder to get all the way clean, and the deepest scratches can harbor bacteria (ask any home brewer who scoured his brew bucket how much it increases the risk of infection).

A:

I think the question was regarding the spontaneous stickiness that soft or soft-touch plastic surfaces develop over time.  As I understand it, the finish or the soft plastic itself contain constituents called plasticizers, the chemicals that imbue the material with the desired feel.  I have a couple pairs of rubberized-grip binoculars from different manufacturers and they've both eventually become disgustingly tacky even though lightly used and kept in their cases.  The airbag passive restraint covers in my Odyssey have become constantly tacky and nothing seems to remove the film.  The barrels of my favorite click ballpoint pens get so bad you can actually push the sticky slimy plasticizer residue around but it won't wipe off. It's chemistry, and we need professional advice.

