The Fastest, Easiest Way to Get Rid of Fish Smells in Your Home (It Really Works!)
As delicious as fish and seafood dishes can be, the stinky smells that linger for days afterwards? Not so great. If you have fish on the menu for your next gathering, party, or weeknight dinner, you may be wondering just how you’re going to keep the dreaded fish smells away once you’re done cooking. Luckily, there are a few simple solutions.
If you’ve been wondering how to get rid of fish smells in your home, you’ve come to the right place. I reached out to cleaning experts for 14 fast, easy ways to keep your home smelling fabulous all season long before, during, and after cooking fish — no matter how much seafood you throw in the broiler.
How to Prevent Fish Smells Before Cooking
1. Open the windows.
This may seem like an obvious solve, but hey — it works. “Ventilate!” says Sarah McAllister, the founder and CEO of GoCleanCo. “Give that stinky air somewhere else to go. Open all your windows and run your hood fan.”
2. Pick fresh fish.
If you pick fish that smells or looks gross to begin with … well, not only are you risking food poisoning, but it sure won’t smell great while you’re cooking it, either. McAllister recommends buying the freshest fish possible, adding, “Make sure to rinse and dry it before cooking.” If your fish has been sitting in your fridge or freezer for a while and doesn’t smell as fresh as you’d like, it’s probably time to toss it.
3. Coat your fish in lemon juice.
One way to make your fish smell better before you cook it? Coat it in lemon juice! “Coating your fish in lemon juice prior to cooking will help keep the smell down,” McAllister says. “The acidity in the lemon juice counteracts the alkaline source of the smell.”
How to Prevent Fish Smells During Cooking
1. Run an air purifier.
Just like opening the windows before you start cooking fish can help, so can running an air purifier, since it will get the stinky air out faster.
2. Consider your cooking method.
Simply put? Not all ways you’re thinking about cooking fish are good for the smell of your home. “Consider barbecuing, poaching, oven-roasting, or baking fish instead of frying or sauteeing,” says Melissa Maker, cleaning expert and founder of Clean My Space. “These methods produce fewer lingering smells.”
3. Boil spices.
Maker suggests boiling a pot of water with cloves and cinnamon, or another one of these simmer pot recipes. Here’s how:
- Fill a pot with water.
- Place a few cinnamon sticks and a couple pinches of ground cloves into it.
- Boil the spice mixture during and after cooking “to neutralize any remaining odors,” Maker says.
4. Boil vinegar.
Just like boiling spices can cut down on fishy smells, so can boiling vinegar. “Having this going on the stovetop while cooking can help in the moment,” McAllister says. Here are her recommendations for this method:
- Combine one part vinegar to three parts water in a pot.
- Bring to a boil and maintain for 10-15 minutes.
5. Use an essential oil diffuser.
If you have an essential oil diffuser handy, set that on the counter. “Run a diffuser with essential oil in it to help neutralize any odors,” McAllister suggests.
6. Clean surfaces near the stove.
Don’t let the fish or its splatters sit too long without sopping them up. “After cooking, thoroughly clean the counters, backsplash, cooktop, pan, and utensils with hot, soapy water or an all-purpose cleaner,” Maker says. “Otherwise, remaining splatters from cooking will trap odors.” Don’t forget to throw those fishy dishes in the dishwasher, too.
How to Get Rid of Fish Smells After Cooking
Well, the worst has happened — the fish smells persisted. Here are some tips on how to make them disappear, courtesy of Maker and McAllister.
1. Freshen up your sink drain.
“If you cleaned your fish in the sink, your drain might be holding onto the odor,” McAllister says. Here’s how to fix that in a jiffy:
- Pour a half cup of baking soda into your drain.
- Chase it with one cup of distilled white vinegar.
- Turn your water on “as hot as it goes,” says McAllister.
- Let the water run down the drain for about one minute.
2. Don’t let the trash sit.
A word to the wise: You do not want fish sitting in your trash can for too long. “Fish decomposes very quickly, and the odors will appear within a couple of hours from packaging or scraps,” Maker says. “Place any fish scraps or packaging in the compost or trash, and then take them to their disposal site immediately.”
3. Put lemon in the garbage disposal.
Lemon does wonders for neutralizing cooking odors. “If you have a garbage disposal, put half a lemon down it after cleaning up from cooking,” Maker recommends. “The citrus helps eliminate any fishy odors lingering in the sink and disposal.”
4. Try a bowl of vinegar.
Vinegar to the rescue — again! The scent of vinegar can be strong enough to overpower the fishy odors. “Set out a couple of bowls of vinegar overnight on the counters to help neutralize any lingering fishy smells,” McAllister advises.
5. Get out the Febreze.
In case the fish smell seeped into the upholstery, never fear, there’s a solve for that, too! McAllister recommends spraying them with Febreze. Just make sure you’re actually spraying enough to make it work. “You have to spray the fabric until it’s damp to help eliminate the odors,” she says.
What’s your favorite way to eliminate fish odors after cooking? Let us know in the comments below!