When we cook food with strong aromas, like fish, broccoli, or any fried food, our house may smell disgusting. If you have experienced this you know it’s uncomfortable and affects air quality. So, to know how to get rid of this horrible smell in a very simple way, keep reading this article because we have the perfect solution. Let’s get started!
Your house smells like fried food
Certain foods release strong volatile compounds when cooked. For example, fish releases amines, and vegetables like cauliflower release sulfur compounds. These tiny particles spread through the air and stick to surfaces, textiles, and the environment around you.
Also, when you cook, the air fills with grease particles that float around. These particles can trap moisture and cling to anything they touch. That is why the unwanted smell stays longer than you expect.
What’s more, maintaining the air clean is a necessity because the old grease may attract bacteria. And nobody wants that, right? So, let’s learn how we can avoid this.
Phase 1: ventilation and vinegar
The first part of the method to avoid these aromas is to avoid the smell spreading from the beginning. This is what you should do:
- Double-flow ventilation: turning on the kitchen hood is not enough. You also need to open a window on the opposite side of the room. This creates a current of air that pulls out the smell and prevents it from getting stuck inside.
- Turn on the extractor early: the extractor should be turned on before the oil is too hot. When it is activated early, it captures the grease particles more effectively and reduces the amount of smell that escapes into your home.
- Vinegar: vinegar acts as a ‘’natural chemical shield’’ thanks to acetic acid. Placing a container with white vinegar near the kitchen allows it to neutralize molecules containing this odor.
Phase 2: natural ingredients
In this phase you can make the most of certain foods which are able to absorb or neutralize volatile particles released during cooking. These are the ingredients:
- Apple slices or lemon peel in the oil: flying apple slices or lemon peel while cooking helps absorb impurities that burn and create bad smells. When the slice turns dark, you should remove it immediately to avoid giving the food a bitter taste.
- Vinegar with orange: Mixing vinegar with an orange peel creates a strong natural air disinfectant. You just need to boil vinegar with orange peel and place the hot liquid in cups around the house to help clear the air.
- Neutralizing infusions: a warm infusion made with orange, cinnamon, and anise helps reduce the heavy smell of grease. It adds a fresh, slightly sweet scent to the environment.
- Coffee beans: coffee works very well because it’s porous and can capture unwanted smells.They can be used in the kitchen and the refrigerator too.
- Baking soda: it balances acidic particles found in bad odors. So, make a paste of baking soda and water and place small amounts in corners where the smell is strongest.
Phase 3: deep cleaning and surfaces
When the smell or the bad odor is still around it means the grease is on the surfaces and textiles. Here, deep cleaning is key:
- Cleaning the extractor hood: if the extractor hood’s filter is full of grease, it loses its suction power and can even return smells to the kitchen. So, the best thing to do is to wash the filters every fifteen days. If they are metallic, the dishwasher does an excellent job removing hardened grease.
- Treating textiles with vinegar: curtains, sofas, and other fabrics easily absorb the fried smell. To clean them, you can spray a mix of half water and half white vinegar. As the vinegar evaporates, it pulls out the smell molecules from the fibers without damaging the material.
So, now you know how to get rid of that horrible smell when cooking. We hope these tips are helpful and you can stay at home and forget about being uncomfortable because of strong aromas.