There is nothing more welcoming in an apartment than the heavenly aroma of food being prepared. However, after enjoying the meal, the last thing you want to keep smelling is the residual aroma of cooked food that just won’t go away. When this happens, the sweet smell from the food you just enjoyed stops being mouthwatering and becomes downright uncomfortable. This is a common result in many homes, particularly in apartments when foods with strong aromas are prepared. If you want to get rid of these smells in your apartment, this article will show you how.
So, how do I get rid of cooking smells in my apartment?
- Closing the doors to other rooms of the apartment and the doors of closets and wardrobes
- Cleaning up immediately after cooking
- Using potatoes
- Using vinegar, baking soda or coffee beans
- Burning incense or using scented candles
- Opening windows
- Cooking outdoors
- Boiling citrus peels
- Boiling cinnamon
- Soaking wooden utensils
These methods help significantly in getting rid of the cooking smells present in the apartment. Here is a closer look at each one of them showing you how best to apply them for the best results.
Table of Contents
The steps to get rid of cooking smells from your apartment
1. Closing the doors to other rooms of the apartment and the doors of closets and wardrobes
Closing the doors to other rooms of the apartment and closing the doors of closets and wardrobes while cooking is very important since it prevents the odor from infiltrating these rooms. Fabrics such as cotton and polyester readily absorb these odors and it is really challenging to get rid of these smells when they get attached to the fabrics since you cannot wipe them off as is the case with hard surfaces. Closing the doors while cooking will help you avoid a lot of inconveniences since no one really wants to sit in a couch that smells like curry or sleep in a bed that smells like smoked haddock or put on clothes that smell like bacon.
2. Cleaning immediately after cooking
Cleaning up immediately after cooking is of utmost importance if you want to get rid of the cooking smell in your apartment. You need to wash the dishes the moment you are done with the meal. Wash all the cooking pots and pans that are covered with grease very well ensuring that there is no grease left on them. Wipe down the countertops using a degreaser such as washing soap immediately after cooking. This helps in getting rid of the residual smell left after cooking.
3. Using potatoes
Yes, you read that right. Other foods can be used to get rid of those cooking smells. Potatoes are a very inexpensive way to get rid of cooking smells in the apartment. Using them for this purpose is also absolutely simple: First, you dice the potatoes and then you place them on top of the utensils used in preparing the meal. The utensils should already be clean while doing this. You then sprinkle some salt on the potatoes and then leave the potatoes for approximately two to three hours. Potatoes are naturally absorbent and therefore get rid of the cooking smell from the kitchen.
4. Using vinegar, baking soda or coffee beans
Vinegar, baking soda and coffee beans also play a very significant role in getting rid of cooking smells. In fact, they are very useful in getting rid of stubborn smells which linger on surfaces. For the sake of being economical, we use the residue of coffee which has been grounded. These residues are placed on a bowl and left in the rooms which are at risk of getting the cooking smells after a night of serious cooking.
The coffee residue is very absorbent and will get rid of even the stubborn smells from the room, allowing you to wake up to the refreshing smell of coffee in the morning. Vinegar is absolutely priceless when it comes to getting rid of cooking smells. Apart from being a good cleaning agent, vinegar, preferably white vinegar, is priceless in neutralizing even the strongest of cooking smells. Pouring a bit of vinegar and spreading it on the pans and cooking pots and letting it settle for about fifteen minutes will get rid of any residual smells after cooking.
Baking soda is also very absorbent and neutralizes even the most stubborn of smells. Adding baking soda to water and using the water to clean the surfaces after cooking helps to get rid of the odor. Baking soda can also be used to rid the sofa and other pieces of upholstery in the apartment of cooking smell by spreading it on the upholstery and then vacuuming it after a while.
5. Burning incense or using chef’s candles
Chef’s candles are not that pricy and are very vital in getting rid of cooking odor. Chef’s candles burn but do not produce an odor of their own. These candles are made to neutralize the smells produced in the kitchen during cooking, therefore preventing the smell from spreading to other rooms in the house. Incense, on the other hand, is burnt producing a nice aroma, which prevents other odors from forming, and masks the existing odors, therefore preventing the residual cooking smell from spreading to the other rooms of the apartment. Burning of incense and using a chef’s candle helps to get rid of the cooking smell fast, in case you are looking to get rid of the odor quickly.
6. Opening windows and generally ensuring that the apartment is well ventilated
Opening windows and generally ensuring that the apartment is well ventilated is arguably the simplest way of getting rid of cooking smells in the apartment. The ventilation in the house includes having a vent over the stove, air conditioners, and air filters. Opening windows while cooking is always a convenient way of getting rid of kitchen smells. Provided there is a breeze outside, the breeze will always get in, getting rid of the cooking smell, leaving the apartment smelling of fresh air. The vent above the stove is vital in improving the air quality of the kitchen. They remove the kitchen odors, smoke and the grease present in the air thus keeping the kitchen air clean. This prevents the odor from spreading to other rooms in the apartment.
Air conditioners and air filters also assist in getting rid of the cooking smell in the apartment. They improve the circulation of air in the rooms thus getting rid of the cooking odors present in the room. The filters in the air filters have to be cleaned regularly for them to function optimally.
7. Cooking outdoors
What better way of getting rid of a problem is there than avoiding the problem in the first place? Cooking outdoors is a very simple way of getting rid of cooking smells in the apartment since very minimal smell gets in the apartment in the first place. If the apartment has a balcony, you can always cook greasy food from outside. This will help in avoiding having greasy air in the apartment.
8. Boiling citrus peels
Boiling citrus peels is also a great way of getting rid of cooking smells. The method is also very economical since instead of spending large amounts of money on air fresheners, you can just use this creative and conservative way to get rid of cooking smells. After extracting the juice from lemons and oranges, instead of discarding the peels, you place the peels in a cooking pot with some water and let the peels simmer under low heat for about an hour. The steam produced is very helpful in getting rid of the cooking smells.
9. Boiling cinnamon
Cinnamon is a sweet smelling spice with a wonderful aroma. The spice is also very useful in getting rid of the cooking smells. The cinnamon sticks are put in a saucepan with water and then boiled under low heat for about half an hour. Cinnamon produces a strong scent which masks the cooking odor thus making the apartment have a wonderful aroma instead of the stomach-turning residual smell of cooked food.
10. Soaking wooden utensils
Sometimes, the cooking smell in the apartment comes from the wooden utensils, especially chopping boards and cooking sticks. Wooden utensils usually absorb and retain the smell of food after cooking, leaving them with the unpleasant smell of food afterward. Soaking them in soapy water for about an hour should get rid of the smell.
Related Questions
- How do I get rid of the unpleasant odor that comes from the fridge? The variety of food stored in the fridge especially leftovers and cheese leave a mashed up cocktail of odors which make opening a fridge an unpleasant experience. Fridges can be deodorized by putting a bowl of bicarbonate of soda or coffee beans on the shelves of the fridge. They do this by absorbing the unpleasant odors in the fridge.
- Which foods are notorious for leaving cooking smells? A great variety of foodstuff leave cooking smells but some stand out because of the pungency of their smells. They include fish such as the smoked haddock, foods prepared using curry for example chicken curry, any food that has garlic in it, and bacon and red meat, especially when it is being fried.
