Removing Odor in the Kitchen

Kitchen odors can be wonderful or terrible. Removing odor from your kitchen, whether caused by drains, garbage cans, microwave or unpleasant cooking smells isn't as difficult as you might think.

Drain Odor

This simple recipe works every time. Not only does it remove sink odor, but it helps to keep the drains clear of the build-up that causes odor in the first place. If you do this once every week or two, you should never have a drain odor build up at all.

Put 1/2 cup of baking soda into the drain and the pour 1/2 cup of vinegar. (If your drains are a little sluggish, heat the vinegar first). Let it 'work' for at least 1/2 hour. Rinse with 4-6 cups of very hot water straight from the kettle.

That's it!

Garbage Disposal Odor

Put the drain stopper in the bottom of the sink and fill with three or four inches of hot water. Add 1 cup of baking soda.

Drain the sink with he disposal running. If you do this from time to time it will keep the disposal clean and the odor under control.

Garbage Can Odor

Removing odor from your garbage can should be part of your bag-changing routine, since the odor is usually caused by bacteria.

Wash out the can with hot water and a little dish soap. Rinse, and then wipe it down with a cloth or paper towel that has been generously moistened with white vinegar.

For extra deodorizing - put it out in the sun to dry!

Cooking Odor

To Get Rid of the Smell Caused by Burned Food

Boil a few slices of lemon, or 1/4 cup of lemon juice, with 1 cup of water for 10 minutes. That normally clears the air, and ;eaves a fresh lemony scent.

To Get Rid of Smells Caused by Frying

Just leave a small bowl of white vinegar on the counter next to the stove. Frying smells just never seem to materialize!

Other Lingering Cooking Smells

Try boiling a few cloves with a little orange peel in 1 cup of water for a few minutes.

Make your own air freshener (This is the same recipe recommended elsewhere for freshening both the air and fabrics)

Put 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in a clean spray bottle. Once the fizzing sops, add 2 cups of warm water. Wait to make sure that there is no more foaming, and then put in the spray attachment. Shake before using.

For a Fresh Smelling Microwave

Soak a dish cloth in 1/4 cup of white vinegar and 1/4 cup of water. Place inside the microwave and turn on high for a minute of two (this will vary from microwave to microwave) until steam starts to rise from the cloth.

Leave it in the microwave for a few minutes to allow all the steam to collect on the microwave interior and for the cloth to cool off a bit.

Wipe down the interior of the microwave. It will be clean and fresh-smelling

Removing Odor from Your Fridge

Other than cleaning the fridge with a little baking soda on a damp cloth, here are a couple of tried and true methods for keeping those fridge odors under control. Once the smells return, it's probably time to bite the bullet and clean the fridge and replace with fresh. Tuck any of these in a corner:

1. A bowl of (clean) cat litter

2. A box of baking soda

3. A bowl of activated charcoal (the kind used in fish tank filters)

4. For desperate situations (only leave it there until the smell is gone though) - a small bowl of unused coffee grounds

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