ok, I have lots of food jars that I want to re-use, but when they've had stuff like spaghetti sauce in them, does the garlic smell ever come out? is there a secret?

I take off the lids and set the open jar and the lid in a sunny windowsill for a few days/weeks. I couldn't tell you why, but it gets those funky smells out. I always reuse spice jars, and it works very well.

In theory, baking powder would work, wouldn't it? I haven't had any funky-smelling jar problems, thankfully... I mostly reuse jars for making medium and for storing old linseed oil or rags [for oil painting], so I don't stress over any pre exisiting odors.

I do like to save old cans, though (from soup and pineapple and such), because they're great for painting. [here I'm referring to gesso and ink and water and ghetto watercolors, my current mediums of choice.]

First get them very clean, no traces of oil in the cap or neck threads. Then soak overnight with some dishwasher detergent. A good long soak has always worked for me, even on plastics.

Someone else told me that crumpling up newspaper and stuffing the jar will help, but I've never done it and don't know why that would work.

The newspaper absorbs the odor; baking soda works the same way (like putting baking soda in a semlly fridge).

If you can, wash the jars in a dishwasher - I think it's the heat that does it but it helps.

Then, this may be a re-working of the baking soda idea, but the tablets that you can buy in chemist's to clean dentures get stuff vvv clean. Works to descale teapots too....!

pickle jars are the worst!

i use baking soda, and leave 'em open on the counter. OR, if you have the means, i recommend Oxi-clean!