That French onion soup smelled delicious while it cooked, but now the scent of onions and Gruyère hangs in the air. Depending on the dish, food odors can linger for a few days to a week. It’s an unpleasant experience, to say the least, especially when it comes to potent foods such as fish or…
The next time you cook an aromatic meal, there’s a trick that will get the funk out without masking the smell with air fresheners or scented candles.
The trick couldn’t be simpler; you’re going to kick yourself for not knowing it sooner and dealing with the odors until they dissipated on their own. The solution? Simmering white distilled vinegar.
Banish Cooking Odors From Your Kitchen
To cover up lingering odors from cooking or other sources, simmer a pot of vinegar on the stove. Grab a small saucepan and pour a cup of water and half a cup of white distilled vinegar into the pan. Bring it to a boil before lowering the heat to a simmer, letting it work its magic for about 10 to 15 minutes. For particularly stubborn odors, you can simmer the solution even longer, or until it has nearly evaporated.
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When vinegar is heated on the stovetop, its acetic acid is released as a vapor, which works to neutralize smells by attaching to the odor-causing molecules and changing their chemical makeup. If the stench has penetrated other rooms, such as your walk-in pantry or living room, you can take the simmering saucepan from room to room (wearing an oven mitt, of course) to counteract those odors, too.
As you probably know, vinegar itself doesn’t smell great — it’s actually pretty terrible. But the vinegar scent will be temporary and won’t linger, and thatt makes it a better option than smelling the fish you had for dinner two nights ago.
