7 Home Remedies For Getting Fish Smell Out of Your House Fast
While your dinner may have been delicious, fish smells can linger long after you’ve cooked.
If you’re quick to clean up, you can eliminate most fish odors and prevent them from taking over your house. But if you’ve burnt food, splattered grease, or have a lot of upholstered items in your kitchen, the smell can settle in.
Here are the top home remedies for getting fish smell out of your house fast.
Top Home Remedies for Getting Rid of a Fish Smell Fast
Ridding your home of a fish smell can be quick and easy. Here’s what to do.
Wash All Dishes After Cooking
After eating, discard leftover fish and wash your dishes. You can hand wash dishes with soap and water or run them through the dishwasher.
Wipe down your stove and backsplash after cooking to remove any splashed-on debris or oil.
Take Out the Trash
If leftover fish sits in the trash, the smell will spread through your home. Even if your trash bag isn’t full, change it to prevent your kitchen from stinking.
Set Out a Bowl of Vinegar
Fill one or two small bowls with vinegar and place them where the odor is most potent. Vinegar is an odor-neutralizer that will absorb lingering smells.
Air Out the Room
If it’s weather appropriate, open up your windows for ventilation. Fresh air will enter the room, and the odor will dissipate.
Make Homemade Boiling Potpourri
A top home remedy for eliminating bad food odors is stovetop boiling potpourri. Lemon is one of the best ingredients since it cancels out the smell of fish.
You’ll need the following ingredients:
- 2 sliced lemons
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- Fresh mint
Fill a large pot with water, add the lemon, cinnamon sticks, and mint and bring to a boil. After the water boils, reduce the heat. Allow the pot to simmer for several hours, adding water as needed.
If you don’t have the ingredients for the recipe above, use what you have. For example, you can use oranges, grapefruit, apples, rosemary, or vanilla extract.
Light a Candle
If you’ve cleaned your kitchen and removed all fish, use a scented candle to mask the smell. If you don’t use candles but have an essential oil diffuser, consider diffusing lemon oil.
Inspect Fabrics
If you cleaned the kitchen and set out odor absorbers with no luck, inspect fabrics in the room. If your tablecloth, curtains, or other linens smell like fish, wash them according to their care instructions.
What if Your Home Smells Fishy, But You Didn’t Cook Fish?
If there’s a fishy odor in your home, but you haven’t cooked fish, the cause can be overheating electrical wires. Most electrical components have heat-resistant chemical coatings. When these components overheat, the chemicals release a bad odor that initiates the smell of fish.
So if a pungent fish odor is circulating through your house without proper cause, it’s time to call an electrician. Don’t put it off – the smell can signify that your home and safety are in jeopardy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)FAQ
How can you get rid of a fish smell in the oven?
If your oven smells like fish, allow it to cool and wipe away food residue with a mixture of half vinegar and water. Then fill a small baking dish with an inch of water and a teaspoonful of vanilla extract. Bake the dish on low heat for about an hour, but don’t let all the water evaporate.
How long will a fish smell stay in my house after cooking?
A fish smell can stay in your house for 12 hours after cooking. The scent will last longer if you’ve burnt the fish or splattered the kitchen with grease when cooking. If you haven’t taken out trash that contains fish reminants, the smell will remain until you do.
How to get rid of a fishy smell in the microwave?
Get rid of a fishy smelling microwave by adding one cup of water and three tablespoons of white distilled vinegar to a bowl. Microwave the mixture for five minutes, then let it sit in the microwave for another five minutes. Afterward, take out the bowl and wipe the inside of the microwave.
Final Thoughts
As delicious as it is, fish has a strong smell that lingers. The best way to eliminate a fish smell is to clean up after eating. Wash dishes, take out the trash and wipe down the kitchen counters.
If the smell lingers after you clean, set out a bowl of vinegar to absorb odors. You can also cancel bad smells by creating a stovetop potpourri that incorporates lemon slices.