How To Get Rid Of Cooking Smells, Naturally
Cooking smells can be exotic, comforting, and tantalizing…or downright offensive, especially if something burns, like steamed broccoli (ugh!).
Fortunately, cooking smells are easy to eliminate without the use of harmful fragrance, synthetic odor absorbers, or harsh chemical cleaners or air fresheners.
Here, you’ll learn how to get rid of cooking smells using simple ventilation and natural products you probably already have in your kitchen.
7 Ways To Get Rid Of Cooking Smells Naturally
As health- and toxin-conscious moms, we cook a lot of food at home, including the notoriously odiferous cruciferous vegetables, beans and legumes, and wild-caught fish and seafood.
Fortunately, we don’t have a lot of issues with lingering kitchen smells because we know how to prevent and get rid of them fast.
Here are seven ways you can prevent and eliminate cooking smells naturally, no matter what you’re experimenting with!
1. Ventilate
Proper ventilation in the kitchen isn’t just important for preventing and getting rid of cooking smells; it is essential for preserving indoor air quality!
Research has shown that cooking can be a primary source of indoor air pollution, often due to poor ventilation which allows smoke, fumes, and kitchen smells to permeate the home.[1]
Your first line of defense is a good quality vent hood that is vented outside.
You’d be amazed how many vent hoods, including those above gas ranges, are not properly vented outdoors (with some of them venting directly indoors) or not appropriate for the type of stove you have (check with the manufacturer or a trusted appliance dealer for vent hood recommendations).
Gas stoves, for example, require more specific venting than electric.
Vent hoods aren’t expensive, and proper installation is essential for eliminating cooking smells and protecting indoor air quality.
In addition, opening windows is a brilliant and free way to prevent and banish kitchen smells, especially if you’re using a stovetop grill or broiling food, which can create a lot of smoke.
Make it a habit of cracking your kitchen windows when you’re cooking to prevent cooking smells and improve indoor air.
An attic fan is also a great way to suck out bad smells and bring in fresh air. Just be sure you have some windows open when you run it.
Related reading: Better Air Means Better Health: Enhance Your Immunity by Improving Indoor Air Quality
2. Run An Air Purifier
Air purifiers are wonderful for preventing and eliminating cooking smells, especially really stinky ones.
Portable air purifiers can be brought directly into the kitchen, and run with the windows open and/or the vent fan on.
No air filter? If you have a box fan and an HVAC filter (we recommend Filtrete air filters because they have no antibacterial or synthetic chemical treatments.), you can make your own.
Simply place the box fan in the window or door in or near the kitchen with the HVAC filter over top and run the fan so it sucks the air outdoors.
For our take on the best air purifiers, check out: How To Choose An Air Purifier For Your Home
3. Utilize Natural Odor Absorbers Overnight
Natural odor absorbers, like baking soda, vinegar, and cheap vodka can work wonders on kitchen smells when left out overnight.
Just pour one, or more, into a bowl and leave it out on the counter (or on top of the fridge, if you have a curious pet).
This typically works best when combined with natural ventilation and these other tips, to soak up the last bit of smell.
Cheap vodka can also be used as a natural and fragrance-free air freshener. Just pour it into a bottle and spritz the air for extra odor-eliminating power.
4. Check For Spills In Hard-To-See & Reach Areas
In busy kitchens, spills and messes can often go unnoticed, especially if they creep into cracks, nooks, & crannies, under stove top grates or burners, and in ovens, toaster ovens, or microwaves.
If your kitchen has a mystery smell that won’t go away or gets worse when you cook, start by doing a deep inspection and cleaning of these areas.
Also, be sure to clean up spills ASAP to prevent them from being forgotten.
Get tips on how to do this naturally in:
-
Safe Oven Cleaning: How to Clean Ovens & Stove Tops Naturally
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How to Clean A Toaster Oven With Branch Basics
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How To Clean Stove Top Grates Naturally: 5+ Tips
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How to Easily Clean a Microwave with Lemon Juice
5. Make A Simmer Pot
Instead of reaching for toxic, hormone-disrupting fragrance and fragranced odor absorbers, which can settle on surfaces and foods, try an all-natural simmer pot!
There are endless ways to do this, but we like throwing in some sliced citrus, warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg or star anise, and a bag of whatever herbal tea we happen to have on hand in a pot with about 4 cups of water.
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and enjoy as the sweet smell permeates the entire home and helps sponge out cooking smells.
Check out our holiday simmer pot recipe on Instagram for more inspiration.
6. Boil Some Lemons or Limes
Although some people recommend boiling vinegar to reduce odors, we advise against this for two reasons:
1: It smells awful!
#2: Vinegar contains natural acetic acid, which is a lung irritant and can become almost choking to anyone when boiled.
Instead, we recommend boiling whole lemons.
Just slice two or three lemons or limes in half or quarters, put into a pot with plenty of water, and boil for 15-30 minutes, taking care not to let the pot go dry.
It’s not a full-on simmer pot, but it’s quick and effective for getting rid of cooking smells.
7. Use Leftover Coffee Grounds As An Overnight Odor Absorber
We love a repurposing hack, and leftover coffee grounds are one of nature’s best odor absorbers.
To use, spread leftover coffee grounds onto a large plate or sheet pan, and leave out on the counter overnight.
The coffee will naturally absorb the odors, leaving you with a fresh kitchen in the morning.
This also works great for fridge smells!
Related reading: 7 Non-Toxic Air Fresheners & How To Remove Odors Naturally
Tips For Tracking Down Mystery Kitchen Smells
There are few things more frustrating than kitchen smells you just can’t track down.
Here are some tips to help you get to the hidden source:
- Deep clean your garbage and recycling cans
- Check your kitchen sink; garbage disposals are notorious for bad smells
- Check under your kitchen sink for leaks
- Do a deep clean out of your fridge, especially the crispers and cheese drawers
- Check the P-Trap under your sink. That’s the curved part of the pipe that directs water away from the sink. If this becomes dry or dirty, it can really stink up a kitchen
- Check under and behind your fridge
- Go through your pantry. Sometimes, kids leave half-eaten apples or bananas in hidden spots
- Do a deep clean and defrost of your freezer. Yes, it’s a chore, but freezers can get stinky if they’re not cleaned at least once a year
Once you’ve eliminated the source, follow the tips above to get rid of any lingering odors.
Related reading: Get Rid of Kitchen Sink Smells Permanently With These Solutions
How Branch Basics Makes Kitchen Cleaning Easy
Kitchens require regular, thorough cleaning to keep everything safe and sanitary for food prep.
But you don’t want to use harsh, toxic chemicals around food or surfaces where food could rest.
This is why human-safe cleaning products, like Branch Basics, are a must for kitchen cleaning.
Plus, with Branch Basics, all you need is one Concentrate plus water to clean your entire kitchen (and the rest of your home!), including stove tops, surfaces, ovens, appliances, sinks, dishes, garbage disposals, cabinets, floors, produce—everything!
For new users, we recommend either our Premium Starter Kit (plastic or glass) or Ultimate Starter Kit (plastic or glass).
Each kit contains Branch Basics Concentrate (our signature cleaner) plus refillable glass or plastic bottles to make all the cleaning products you need to clean your entire kitchen and home.
The Premium Starter Kit will get you started with Branch Basics Concentrate + bottles to make All-Purpose, Bathroom, Foaming Wash, Streak-Free, and Laundry, plus our best-selling Oxygen Boost, a natural bleach alternative, scouring agent, stain removers, and laundry booster.
The Ultimate Starter Kit contains our waterless Laundry Detergent, plastic-free Dishwasher Tablets, Oxygen Boost, Branch Basics Concentrate + bottles to make All-Purpose, Bathroom, Foaming Wash, and Streak-Free.
All our Branch Basics products are made for the most sensitive individuals, are plant- and mineral-based, MADE SAFE Certified, EWG-Verified, Leaping Bunny Verified cruelty-free, and environmentally responsible.
See How To Get Started With Your Branch Basics Kit for a video and written tutorial on how our award-winning cleaning system works.
Ready to go? Shop all Branch Basics Starter Kits today.
For more kitchen cleaning tips, see:
Marilee Nelson
Marilee Nelson is an Environmental Toxins expert who has spent nearly 30 years advocating for the chemically-sensitive and chronically-ill. She is a Board Certified Nutritionist, Certified Bau-Biologist and Bau-Biology Inspector and specializes in Food As Medicine. She has helped thousands of families and individuals identify, heal and recover from toxic exposures and is on a mission to revolutionize the way American families view their health.
