Throughout a single day, our kitchen gets exposed to a wide variety of smells. This problem can worsen in smaller kitchens for a number of reasons, including the lingering smells of grilling and cooking. Additionally, our soiled dishes and garbage cans emit a foul odor when the weather is warmer.
Because there is typically not a great deal of air circulation in kitchens anyway, this is one of the reasons why odors, regardless of whether they are pleasant or unpleasant, tend to linger longer in kitchens than in other rooms of our houses. And if you have a kitchen that is on the smaller side, the aromas have a greater tendency to become trapped in the more limited space.
When we prepare and cook meals, we all agree that it is best to have the windows open and either a cooker hood or an extractor fan running. Despite this, there are times when doing so is not enough to totally remove unpleasant odors.
But how exactly do you go about neutralizing and concealing unpleasant odors? So, have you given any thought to the possibility of introducing and making use of certain natural scents in your kitchen?
Causes of Kitchen Odors
The refrigerator
The refrigerator is one of the main contributors to the unpleasant smells that you can find in the kitchen. These odors are frequently the result of lingering bacteria, spoiled food, and spills that have not been cleaned up. Therefore, ensure that you wipe up any spills right away and dispose of any food that has gone bad the moment you realize it is no longer edible.
Dirty dishes
Because mildew and mold thrive in damp environments, your dishwasher is an ideal place for unpleasant scents to take up residence. And because not all foods decompose during the cycle of the washing machine, there are sometimes fragments of rotting food persisting in the crevices and corners of the machine.
The disposal of garbage
Have you detected a stench in the area close to the sink? The culprit may be your waste disposal! There are instances when food particles get stuck between the blades of the disposal, causing your kitchen to smell terrible.
The oven
It’s possible that you’re not aware of this, but your oven could be releasing more pungent smells than you believe it is. In the event that you do not clean it on a regular basis, grease, fat deposits, and residue might build-up, which can result in a foul odor.
Watch out for those spaces
In addition to the crevices between the appliances and countertops, there’s another area in your kitchen that can harbor unpleasant smells. Because food particles can fall into these spaces, which then begin to rot and produce an offensive odor, these gaps can serve as a fertile breeding ground for bacteria. And even though it seems clean on the surface, fatty deposits and other remnants may still be there. This results in an unpleasant odor in your kitchen.
Here are some natural kitchen scents for your kitchen
Use all-natural scents to get rid of lingering, stubborn odors.
Natural candles
Candles not only eliminate unpleasant scents but also lend a warm, welcoming glow to the space you place them in. Keep an eye out for natural varieties that are perfumed with essential oils and manufactured with soy wax, coconut, or beeswax.
Potato
Potatoes are an excellent choice for containing and removing the pungent smell left behind by ingredients in the kitchen. Simply sprinkle some salt over the cut sides of the potato halves. After that, position them in your kitchen in various locations, with the cut sides facing upwards.
Cinnamon
Although room sprays may be useful, they should not be used in the kitchen because they could contaminate the food. Thankfully, there are easy, effective alternatives to room sprays that don’t cost a fortune but accomplish the same job. You can clean your kitchen without using harsh chemicals by boiling some cinnamon. Put some cinnamon sticks (or some ground cinnamon) in water and bring the water to a boil in a pot. After a few minutes on the burner, a delicious scent will fill the entire kitchen and house.
Houseplants with a fragrant scent
The addition of a pleasing aroma to your home is as simple as placing fresh flowers in every room. However, the cost of those weekly bouquets may add up quickly. Consider bringing some aromatic houseplants into your home, like lavender and jasmine, for a less expensive alternative. To prevent unpleasant odors from lingering in the kitchen, grow a variety of herbs, such as rosemary and mint.
Essential oils
You can use natural essential oils as odor eliminators. Aromatic oils have many uses outside; just fill a diffuser with your preferred fragrance to perk up your living space. They are effective at masking the smell of garbage.
Coffee
There’s nothing quite like the aroma of freshly ground coffee to set the mood. Even leftover coffee grounds have an alluring scent that can help mask unpleasant odors in your kitchen. To observe the effect, put the used or leftover coffee grinds somewhere far away from the kitchen.
Citrus peels
Any citrus fruit peel works great as a natural deodorizer. Leave the peels of any citrus fruit in a pot of boiling water for fifteen minutes, then set the pot aside on the kitchen counter.
Soda bicarbonate
This amazing component eliminates unpleasant odors caused by natural processes in the kitchen. The only thing you need to do is position it at a certain distance in a certain quantity and then watch as the magic happens.
More fresh air
Keeping your doors and windows open frequently is the oldest tip in the book. In this manner, you may let in some fresh air while also reducing the intensity of any lingering cooking odors. It may come as a surprise, but letting in some fresh air and sunlight every day can also help eliminate unpleasant odors. However, inclement weather might make this difficult. For this reason, an effective air purifier is important. When you’re done in the kitchen, you can take the air purifier to another area and utilize it there to get rid of any lingering aromas. You can also get rid of any smoke, gases, or airborne particulates.
Vinegar
Few things are more repulsive than the stench of a toilet mishap or any other similar stink. Vinegar is a powerful liquid that you can use to neutralize odors. Additionally, you can use it to maintain pristine air quality. Put some vinegar in a bowl or cup and leave it where it will touch the germs for a few hours. The acetic acid will deodorize the space, killing any microorganisms and eliminating any unpleasant odors.
Conclusion
A pleasant smell may do wonders for one’s spirits and the kitchen’s cleanliness. Try these out in your kitchen and play around with different combinations of fruits, herbs, and spices to see what you like most.
