Stain resistance describes how a material holds up to the inevitable kitchen accidents — turmeric in the spice bay, tomato sauce on the cutlery slot, oil from the can opener. PLA bioplastic sits in the middle of the spectrum: better than untreated wood, worse than glazed ceramic, comparable to most engineering plastics.
What stains PLA
Three categories cause lasting marks:
- Pigmented spices. Turmeric is the worst. Powdered turmeric in a spice bay can leave a faint yellow tint that doesn't fully wipe off. Saffron and paprika are similar but less aggressive.
- Concentrated dyes. Beetroot juice, red wine, food colourings. Quick wipe usually clears them; sustained contact (a beetroot slice left overnight in a cell) can leave a faint pink mark.
- Hot oil. Cooking oil at room temperature wipes off cleanly. Hot oil — especially smoking-temperature olive oil — can penetrate the surface slightly and leave a hard-to-remove sheen.
What doesn't stain
- Cold water, milk, juice. Quick wipe, no residue.
- Salt, sugar, dry goods. Brush off, no mark.
- Cooking oils at room temperature. Wipe with mild detergent, gone.
- Tea, coffee at typical drinking temperatures.
How to handle a stain when it happens
- Wipe immediately if possible. Most stains lift cleanly within the first few minutes.
- Hand-wash the module if the stain has set (see hand-wash care). Mild soap + warm-but-not-hot water + soft cloth is usually enough.
- Persistent pigmented stains (turmeric especially): a bicarbonate-of-soda paste left on for 30 minutes lifts most. Don't use bleach — it weakens PLA over repeated exposure.
Living with light staining
Most households accept faint pigment marks in spice and turmeric drawers as a feature, not a bug — the marks are evidence of the drawer being used, and they sit invisible under the spice jars. The structural integrity of the module is unaffected; the surface tint is cosmetic.