Spray Air Fresheners

[Pierogi]

One of the things that annoys me most is smelling last night's dinner when I get up in the morning. Or worse yet, smelling it in the middle of the night. I have a pretty decent exhaust hood (vented to the outside) and use it, and live in So Cal, so honestly, I'm cooking with the kitchen windows open 350-plus days a year. But there are some cooking odors that just seem to permeate the house, no matter what I do or spray in their wake.

Particularly offensive are high-heat techniques....sear-roasting meat or poultry or the stove-top cast iron grill pan. Fish, oily fish especially, is right up there. That smell of overly-heated oil seems to get into everything and linger. Last night I made chicken that started out in a screamin' hot cast iron pan on top of the stove, then went into an equally hot oven. Even after cooking bacon (:wub: NOT an offensive smell...) tonight, I can still smell that over-heated oil.

I've tried using all the spray air fresheners on the market. The scented ones are just gross, flowers on top of the old food smell is just really puke-worthy. Lysol and NeutraAir are slightly better, but they don't seem to completely kill the residual odor either. I really hate artificial citrus and vanilla smells, so those are out.

Has anyone found anything, even "home remedies" like leaving a small bowl of white vinegar open near the stove, that works? Other than just time and copious amounts of fresh air? Thanks !

[NancyH]

You want to cover them up? I love those smells!

[Dianabanana]

Those spray air fresheners are absolutely hideous and I forbid you to use them! It works pretty well to put a small pot of water to simmer with nice-smelling things in it, like lemon or orange peel, ginger, cinnamon, etc. Or you can get out the big guns and boil vinegar.

[Tess]

Nothing beats good ventilation.

Boiling herbs/spices in a pot is good; in the cold and flu season it's nice to inhale the vapors. Or, set a branch of dry rosemary or other herb on fire.

I sometimes light a scented candle while doing the dishes. Problem is you have to find a candle you don't hate. Some of the Williams and Sonoma line of candles are kitchen-appropriate, i.e. herbal or citrus rather than perfume, and they seem to burn evenly and last a long time.

[Toliver]

Nothing beats good ventilation.

Boiling herbs/spices in a pot is good; in the cold and flu season it's nice to inhale the vapors. Or, set a branch of dry rosemary or other herb on fire.

I sometimes light a scented candle while doing the dishes. Problem is you have to find a candle you don't hate. Some of the Williams and Sonoma line of candles are kitchen-appropriate, i.e. herbal or citrus rather than perfume, and they seem to burn evenly and last a long time.

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Candles work for me. I'm currently using a pumkpin spice candle that's now appropriate for the season (If I wait long enough, everything comes back into season ).

From what I understand, spray air freshners don't remove odors. Like the air freshners in your car (such as the ubiquitous evergreen tree), they desensitize your sense of smell and just replace one odor with another.

[Joe Blowe]

When ever I make something particularly fragrant, I run my HEPA air cleaner for a few hours (or overnight). Works like a charm.

And as far as air fresheners go, I like Method and original Ozium.

[choux]

If you're making something greasy, a small bowl of bleach near the stove really helps, I have no idea why but it does.

Also, a Lampe Berger will get the whole house smelling fresh. I got one as a gift and it really works.

[Anna N]

What I don't get is why smelling some artificial chemical freshener is any less offensive than the smell of a kitchen!

[Dianabanana]

There's also Orange Mate/Lemon Mate/Grapefruit Mate--air fresheners that are just citrus oils. Because they are essentially food, they don't seem as wrong when used to combat cooking odors.

[Tess]

If you're making something greasy, a small bowl of bleach near the stove really helps, I have no idea why but it does.

Also, a Lampe Berger will get the whole house smelling fresh. I got one as a gift and it really works.

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Wow, those look wonderful.

[Jean Blanchard]

Fresh-wave makes sprays, candles that just remove the smells. No heavy, obnoxious sprays that just cover up odors.

[KitchenQueen]

If you're making something greasy, a small bowl of bleach near the stove really helps, I have no idea why but it does.

Also, a Lampe Berger will get the whole house smelling fresh. I got one as a gift and it really works.

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Does the Lampe Berger REALLY work?

I cook a lot. I also smoke. I'm always afraid my that my home ( to non-smoking guests ) may smell like the inside of a diaper.

I have spent untold fortunes on candles, air fresheners, etc.

Does it just perfume the air or actually change the air quality? How long does it last?

I'm tired of opening all windows for hours before guests are expected.

In the winter, this is not a fun option. In Houston summers, it's also not an option. Basically, in my climate , this is comfortable about 68 hours per year.

Most of those 68 hours are between 1am and 6am.

[hummingbirdkiss]

easy ..after you are done cooking go around and just spritz fresh water up into the air ..

I add some lavendar or rosewater to my spritzer but you dont have to ..plain fresh water sprayed high cleans the air of smells especially if you do it right after a meal when you are cleaning ..if you have a ceiling fan going that increases the effect

[Pierogi]

easy ..after you are done cooking go around and just spritz fresh water up into the air ..

Really???? Plain water, huh? Who knew? I will give it a try.....makes sense, actually.

Thanks all, I'll give all the "natural" remedies a try, like the water, bleach, the herbs simmering all sound like winners.

As I said, I loathe the smell of fragranced sprays, and the unscented ones don't work too well, and still leave a lingering perfume-y scent that doesn't go well with the stale salmon aroma !

[hummingbirdkiss]

Really it works I learned it from a woman who was house breaking her puppy of all things...that dog was quite mess in the beginning and when he went where he was not supposed to she just cleaned up then spritzed the air with fresh water and the smell was completely gone ..I have done it ever since!

I am with you on the fragrances when they mix with the food it is kind of disgusting ...

easy ..after you are done cooking go around and just spritz fresh water up into the air ..

Really???? Plain water, huh? Who knew? I will give it a try.....makes sense, actually.

Thanks all, I'll give all the "natural" remedies a try, like the water, bleach, the herbs simmering all sound like winners.

As I said, I loathe the smell of fragranced sprays, and the unscented ones don't work too well, and still leave a lingering perfume-y scent that doesn't go well with the stale salmon aroma !

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Edited November 27, 2007 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[Pierogi]

easy ..after you are done cooking go around and just spritz fresh water up into the air ..

Oh. My. God.

I tried it tonight. This *REALLY* works !

Tonight I made a garlic/lemon/shrimp stir fry that was, erm, aromatic. To say the least. Not in a bad way, but I knew by about 3 a.m., it was going to be really stale, and really gross. And since we've hit our "pseudo-winter" here in SoCal, the windows were closed and the heat running.

I took the trash to the curb, and came back in and was hit with a WALL of high-heat cooked garlic & shrimp smells. I grabbed the water spritzer and went to town in the kitchen and adjacent rooms.

Literally instantly, no cooking smells.

Nothing.

Nada.

Zip.

Zilch.

Bupkis.

I LOVE YOU HUMMINGBIRD KISS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you from the bottom of my now fresh-smelling heart !

[Dianabanana]

easy ..after you are done cooking go around and just spritz fresh water up into the air ..

Oh. My. God.

I tried it tonight. This *REALLY* works !

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I tried this, too, and while it may be Kryptonite to garlic and shrimp, I'm afraid it's an 80-pound weakling when it comes to toasted shrimp paste. In fairness, though, I can't imagine anything that could prevail over a cloud of toasted shrimp paste fumes. All future shrimp paste toasting will be done on the grill!

[JimH]

When ever I make something particularly fragrant, I run my HEPA air cleaner for a few hours (or overnight).  Works like a charm.

And as far as air fresheners go, I like Method and original Ozium.

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I'll second the Hepa, it will remove odors from a house given enough time. Burning candles will deposit soot on your walls over time.

[Kouign Aman]

I'm going to have to try that spraying fresh water thing too. Fortunately here (also in So Cal), its dry enough that spraying water into the house isnt going to be a humidity problem.

Most of the time I like the smells of cooking, even the morning after, but roast turkey only smells good to me while the oven is still hot. Since Xmas is here this year, this is timely advice for me.

[baroness]

Another way to eliminate odors is to burn candles; unscented work as well as the scented types.

[hummingbirdkiss]

easy ..after you are done cooking go around and just spritz fresh water up into the air ..

Oh. My. God.

I tried it tonight. This *REALLY* works !

Tonight I made a garlic/lemon/shrimp stir fry that was, erm, aromatic. To say the least. Not in a bad way, but I knew by about 3 a.m., it was going to be really stale, and really gross. And since we've hit our "pseudo-winter" here in SoCal, the windows were closed and the heat running.

I took the trash to the curb, and came back in and was hit with a WALL of high-heat cooked garlic & shrimp smells. I grabbed the water spritzer and went to town in the kitchen and adjacent rooms.

Literally instantly, no cooking smells.

Nothing.

Nada.

Zip.

Zilch.

Bupkis.

I LOVE YOU HUMMINGBIRD KISS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you from the bottom of my now fresh-smelling heart !

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you are very welcome! it is amazing something so simple can work better than something a room full of scientists can not manage to do huh?

if it can rid the air of well fed puppy poop smell ... it can rid the air of most anything I think

eta I keep a small spritzer of water in each of my bathrooms as well ..in seconds it cleans the air after usage ..much faster and less annoying than the supposidly silent vent fan in there

Edited December 7, 2007 by hummingbirdkiss (log)