From bread baking in the oven to ragù simmering on the stove, kitchen smells can be truly wonderful. Sometimes, however, those smells overstay their welcome, leaving you with a kitchen that smells a bit, well, crusty (and not in a good way).
Having a well-organized, aesthetically pleasing, and—yes—fresh-smelling kitchen is a big priority for any cook, even if you're not having guests over. Here are a few of the ways to deal with lingering smells, as well as how to prevent them from forming in the first place.
Understanding Common Cooking Odors
Some of the most common culprits of strong cooking smells are fish, garlic, microwaved leftovers, pretty much anything fried in oil, and burnt food. Even if you’re regularly taking the trash out and doing your dishes, you’re probably going to end up with a smelly kitchen at some point.
And while there’s nothing explicitly harmful about the smell of old food, it can definitely impact your cooking experience—not to mention make the finished dish seem a little less appetizing (especially if you’re the one cooking it).
How to Get Rid of Cooking Smells
From maintaining a well-ventilated kitchen to using our new Odor-Eliminating Candles, here are a few of the ways you can get rid of—and even prevent—kitchen odors.
Proper Ventilation
Hood fans are often the most effective way of getting rid of smoke and bad odors, sometimes before they even start. If your kitchen doesn’t have a hood fan, you can maximize air flow by keeping a couple of windows open (bonus points if your house has decent cross-ventilation). If you have both options, we definitely recommend using them simultaneously, particularly if you’re cooking something extra-pungent or smoky.
Odor-Eliminating Candles
While air fresheners or room sprays typically work by overpowering odors, odor-eliminating candles are specially formulated to—as the name suggests—actually remove lingering smells. Our new candles are designed to tackle any and all unwelcome kitchen aromas, from last night’s shrimp scampi to an overflowing trash can.
Air Freshener or Sprays
Air fresheners, room sprays, diffusers—these all work fine in a pinch, but they’re temporary solutions at best. These options work by masking certain odors with stronger, more pleasant ones, rather than removing them altogether. And as much as we love the scent of lemon verbena, it’s not quite as nice when intermingled with that of microwaved minestrone.
Benefits of Odor-Eliminating Candles
Our candles are long-lasting, free of harmful ingredients, and—last but not least— smell absolutely delicious.
Long-Lasting Freshness
With a burn time of up to 60 hours, you can feel free to keep our candles lit for hours after you’ve finished cooking—or even while you’re eating. This makes them about as hands-off as a plug-in air freshener or diffuser, but with the added benefit of neutralizing odors instead of just masking them.
Natural Ingredients and Safe Formulation
Unlike a number of synthetic candles, room sprays, and other air-freshening products, our candles are made of safe, eco-friendly ingredients, including soy wax and cotton wicks. They contain absolutely no parabens, synthetic fragrances, dyes, or any harmful chemicals, so they’re just as clean as they smell.
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Our new candles are the best of all worlds: not only are they super effective at removing odors, but they add to your kitchen ambience as well. Each scent is inspired by some of our favorite flavor profiles and ingredients.
