Banish Kitchen Odors for Good with the Top 3 Eliminators
If your kitchen is plagued by unpleasant smells that just won't go away, you're not alone. From stinky trash cans to pet odors to last night's burnt casserole still lingering in the air, kitchen smells can be tough to tackle.
The good news? You don't have to resort to dousing everything in heavy-duty chemicals or perfume-y air fresheners to get rid of kitchen odors. With the right solutions, you can permanently eliminate smells at their source.
Struggling with Lingering Kitchen Smells?
First, let's look at some of the usual culprits behind kitchen odor woes:
- Cooking fumes from frying, baking, etc.
- Pet food, litter boxes, accidents
- Overflowing garbage and food waste buildup
- Dirty dishes piled in the sink
- Mold and mildew growth
If you let smells fester, it can cause major headaches - sometimes literally! Grease residues attract bugs, mold spores circulate through poorly ventilated air, and nausea sets in when you have to choke down dinner in a smelly kitchen.
Causes of Kitchen Odors
What allows odors to take hold and get out of control? A few of the most common culprits include:
- Grease buildup on surfaces like stove vents
- High humidity levels
- Poor ventilation trapping cooking fumes inside
Don't Mask Smells - Neutralize Them
It's tempting to grab the nearest can of Febreze when kitchen odors strike, but scented sprays only temporarily mask bad smells.
The most effective solutions don't just cover up odors - they tackle them at their source and completely neutralize them so they can't return. Let's look at the top 3 odor eliminators that work:
#1. Air Purifiers
Why They Work
Air purifiers actively circulate air through a series of filters designed to trap particles. For kitchen smells, activated carbon filters are extremely effective at absorbing odors rather than just masking them.
Other filters like HEPA target airborne irritants like smoke, pet dander, mold spores. By pulling contaminated air through these filters, purifiers can actually eliminate odors instead of just covering them up.
Our Top Pick: Coway AP-1512HH Airmega
The Coway Airmega air purifier came out on top in our testing for a few key reasons:
| Dual suction power | Captures smells from over 1500 sq feet quickly |
| Washable pre-filter | Catches large particles like pet hair/dander |
| True HEPA filter | Removes up to 99.97% of 0.3-micron particles |
| Activated carbon filter | Absorb gases, VOCs, and odor molecules |
With the Airmega's specialized dual suction and extensive filter system, it can eliminate odors from cooking, smoke, pets, mold and more all day without loud disruptive noise.
#2. Baking Soda
A Natural Odor Absorber
As a natural deodorizer and air purifier, baking soda absorbs and neutralizes smells rather than masking them. Its alkaline properties actively soak up acids that cause odors.
Simply set out containers of baking soda around the kitchen to passively soak up ambient smells over time. Replace every 30 days.
Best Practices
Get the most odor relief by placing baking soda boxes strategically around odor hot spots:
- By the litter box or pet bowls
- In the back of the fridge/freezer
- Under the sink near the garbage
The key is diligence - stay on top of replacing stale boxes. In small kitchens, try mini dishes of baking soda deodorizer instead.
#3. Essential Oils
Natural Deodorizing Properties
Beyond just masking odors, some essential oils have natural anti-bacterial qualities that neutralize smells at their source:
- Lemon oil combats mold and mildew
- Peppermint counters food spoilage bacteria
- Rosemary, orange also have odor elimination benefits
There are a few methods to disperse oils around the kitchen effectively:
- Use a small diffuser plugged into an outlet
- Simmer a pot of water with several drops of oil
- Hang reed diffusers in discreet locations
Citrus oils are best for combatting kitchen grease, trash and other smells. Caution that in smaller kitchens, diffusing oils can be overpowering for people and pets - do your research first!