How to remove fish smell from clothes?

Fish is one of the favorite and healthy products in our table.
The variety of fish dishes attracts attention, arouses appetite and a desire to try everything. Experienced chefs know how to properly cook fish and how to serve it beautifully. But not everyone knows how to get rid of the smell of fish, which is absorbed by clothing during the preparation of fish dishes or from direct contact with fish carcasses during processing. Clothes smell of fish and it is difficult to get rid of this smell. But, knowing the secrets of folk wisdom and using household chemicals correctly, you can solve the problem.

Wash

Of course, the first thing you think about when stains or an unpleasant smell has formed on your favorite dress is how to remove the smell of fish from clothes. This really works, but only if the dirt and smell are not strong and have appeared recently.

To make washing more effective, add some lemon juice to the powder, and also use fabric softener, which has a pleasant aroma.

Important! Baking soda is a great way to absorb odors. Alternatively, you can simply use it instead of washing powder.

Chem further

If all your efforts are in vain or the item is too delicate to apply radical methods to get rid of an unpleasant odor, contact a dry cleaner. This is not the cheapest method, but specialists have more ways to get rid of unpleasant odors and difficult stains, so with a high degree of probability you can be sure that they will be able to remove them.

The smell of fish on clothes can ruin anyone's mood, but if you know how to remove it and get rid of it in time, it will soon leave you and your favorite things forever.

Soak

If you are afraid that the machine will not be able to clean the product and eliminate odors, and you don’t want to waste time, then try soaking the item before removing the smell of fish oil from clothes. Here you can use the following options:

In a solution of hot water and a large amount of laundry soap shavings.

Important! It is very important that the soap is dark. The darker it is, the more alkali it contains, which can remove the lion's share of stains and odors. Why this product is universal for almost all cases of stains, and not only on clothes, read our separate article “What is laundry soap made of?”

A similar option is to soak the item in a solution of warm water and a small amount of vinegar. This way, it will be much easier for the machine to cope with the task, and you are guaranteed to get the best result after the first wash.
White items are soaked in bleach. The most important thing is that the product does not contain chlorine, which can harm the material. Soak the item in it and leave it for an hour, then put it in the washing machine.

Important! Depending on the circumstances under which you have a problem with the smell of river and sea creatures, you may also find our other tips useful:
How to get rid of the smell of fish in a pan?
How to remove fish smell from a knife, cutting board, or hands?

Features of removal from different types of fabric

An unpleasant fishy smell can be emitted by things that have not even been in close contact with fish. The aromas of frying will smell on clothes and kitchen utensils, which should be washed as soon as possible. If, when cutting up smoked fish, fat gets on the tablecloth or napkins, a greasy mark will remain on them; if you delay the washing, the stain will eat into the fabric and become rotten. If the smell has permeated your outerwear, special care will be required when cleaning it.

Fabrics can be divided into groups:

household (napkins, tablecloths, towels, car covers);
colored items that require delicate washing;
things in neutral tones;
washable outerwear;
outerwear that cannot be washed.

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The easiest way to remove fishy smells is from the first group of fabrics. Such textiles can be washed, wrung out, bleached, without worrying that things will lose color and shape. You cannot use bleaches or powders with a bleaching effect on colored fabrics, but you can use a stain remover pencil. It will easily remove fish oil stains from clothes while maintaining their color. Things in neutral tones and outerwear that can be washed are soaked and washed when removing odors. It is worth choosing the method of influence carefully. Outerwear that cannot be washed should be subjected to stain removal procedures locally in those places where it came into contact with the fish. If there is no contact, you can try to ventilate things, wrap them in paper, sprinkle them with salt, leaving it on the fabric for several days.

The smell of fish, if it is not deeply ingrained into the fabric, is masked by some with perfume. This is not recommended; the aroma of perfume will disappear over time and will remain tangible only to the owner, and those around you will feel a deep fishy trail.

Dishwashing liquid

If you have an expensive and branded dishwashing detergent at home, then you can also use it to combat fishy smell. These lemon-scented products are especially good:

Pour a little onto the stained area.
Leave for half an hour and then wash by hand.

Important! Please note that machine washing is not suitable in this case. This product produces a lot of foam, which deceives the sensors. Thus, not only will things not be washed, but your equipment is at risk of being broken.

Features of odor removal from Chinese-made products

Many products not made in China smell disgusting. Chinese handicraft products have almost the entire periodic table:

styrene;
formaldehyde;
organic solvents;
salts of heavy metals (cadmium, lead, cobalt);
toxic glue.

These and other poisons are found in shoes, sneakers, children's toys, car mats and other products from China.

How to deal with rubber smell:

Mint or lemon balm will help to defeat the fetid “fragrance” from children's toys. The branches of the dried plant are poured with boiling water in a basin and infused. Place toys in it, leave for 12 hours, then wash with laundry soap and wipe dry. Not even a whiff of the smell will remain.
Car deodorant will cope with the pungent odor from floor mats. Laundry soap is also used to combat unpleasant odor. It is grated on a coarse grater and filled with warm water. The rugs are washed with soapy water and then dried in the fresh air.
To get rid of the nasty “aroma” of strollers and bicycles, they are left in the fresh air until the smell completely disappears. And when the room has managed to absorb the smell of rubber, a wet terry towel will absorb all unnecessary odors.
Washing with detergent and conditioner will help remove the rubber bouquet from clothes. Things will become fresh, with a pleasant aroma. In winter, clothes are hung outside; the frost will “kill” all odors except freshness.

Boiling water

It should be noted right away that this method is only suitable for white items made from dense natural fabrics:

Fill half a pan with water and add one piece of laundry soap into it.
Place the container over medium heat, place the clothes inside and bring to a boil.
After this, keep the item in the solution on the fire for another thirty-five minutes.

You will be able to see how well this treatment works - not a trace of the fish smell will remain.

How to get rid of the smell of fish in an apartment

If the housewife fries fish, then all the inhabitants of the apartment, and often the neighbors, know about it due to the characteristic smell. This unpleasant aroma penetrates into all corners of the room and permeates the objects in the house. It will not be possible to remove it immediately, so it is better not to guess how to get rid of the smell of fish, but to prevent its appearance even before you start preparing fish dishes. This can be done by adopting proven folk methods:

• During cooking, place a container of water next to the stove, to which you need to add lemon juice, cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves. Vinegar dissolved in water will also absorb the smell well.

• Sugar melted on the stove in a special container, mixed with a small amount of vanillin, absorbs the smell of fish well.

• A few drops of lemon juice added to the oil will help get rid of the smell of fried fish. Fish in this oil will not only smell less, but will also cook faster.

• If the fish is being grilled, place 3-4 bay leaves on the grill.

• After frying the fish, place the pan under cold running water and place a few tea leaves on the stove for a while

If after cooking fish dishes there is still an unpleasant odor, it can be eliminated with the help of other, more persistent aromas:

• Citrus fruit. Orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit tend to absorb extraneous unpleasant odors and fill the apartment with the aroma of freshness.

• Coffee. A few coffee beans roasted in a hot frying pan quickly neutralize the aroma of fish after cooking.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with effective ways to remove candle wax from clothes.

• Vinegar. Regular table vinegar is a powerful remedy against persistent unpleasant odors. Stir a few tablespoons of vinegar into a small saucepan of water and bring it to a boil.

As a rule, after cooking fish, the characteristic smell remains not only in the air, but also penetrates into the fabrics in the apartment, especially tablecloths and curtains. Regular ventilation will not get rid of the smell immediately. Therefore, after finishing cooking the fish, it is better to wash the curtains and tablecloth immediately. If this is not possible, you can soak things in water diluted with vinegar, at the rate of two tablespoons of table vinegar per five liters of warm water.

How to remove fish oil smell from clothes?

Even if you are not in the room with fish for a long time, the oily residue that you may accidentally develop while eating can cause stench. To get rid of them:

Heat the glycerin by mixing it with a couple of teaspoons of ammonia.
Apply the resulting liquid to the fabric for an hour.
Afterwards, you need to wash your things.

Why does fish smell so bad?

The fishy smell, which is familiar to every person, does not appear immediately.
When a fish is just caught from the water, it has practically no smell - you can only feel the aroma of the body of water in which it lived. A characteristic smell appears only when decomposition processes begin in it, and the more active these processes occur, the stronger the fish smells. 1. The proteins that make up fish meat differ from the types of proteins that are found in the meat of land animals. They decompose much faster, therefore decomposition products, such as ammonia and sulfur compounds, which have a strong unpleasant odor, are formed within a few hours after removing the fish from the water.

2. Many species of fish are predators and feed on their much smaller counterparts. In this regard, the digestive system of fish produces a large number of enzymes that help digest other fish. If, after catching, some of the enzymes end up on the body of the fish, then over time they begin to digest it from the outside, which also causes an unpleasant smell of decomposition. For this reason, it is recommended that the fish be gutted as quickly as possible after being caught.

3. Fatty acids, which appear during the oxidation of unsaturated fats, have an unpleasant odor. Fish meat contains much more such fats than the meat of land animals, and they oxidize in air much faster than saturated fats.

Tips and tricks:

If your job involves constant contact with fish, and odor control is a regular procedure for you, then try cleaning several things at once - this way you will save cleaning agent.
If you have time, before you start washing, wrap clothes saturated with fishy smell in sheets of plain paper or newspaper - it will be able to absorb most of the “aromas”.
After washing, clothes should be dried in a well-ventilated area, or best of all, outside. By the way, it’s even easier in winter, since frost also neutralizes nasty odors.

Important! A rather specific and pungent smell should not be a reason to refuse such healthy food. Moreover, now you know how to deal with it. We also invite you to read about different cooking methods. Click on the link where we described in detail which fish is best to fry in a frying pan.

Important nuances

To effectively get rid of fishy smell and stains, you need to follow some recommendations:

If you have to deal with the “aroma” of fish on clothes regularly due to a profession related to cutting and preparing this product, try to remove the smell and stains from several things at once. This way you will save time, cleaning products and water.
When washing things is not in a hurry, you can wrap them in newspapers for several days, which perfectly absorb odors and remove stains after they have “gave” the lion’s share of the “aroma” to the paper.
Add a little vinegar to the water while rinsing the item. It has the ability to neutralize substances with an unpleasant odor and will help you get rid of it easier. After such treatment, it is necessary to rinse the laundry thoroughly and several times.
After washing, the item should be dried in a well-ventilated area or in the fresh air. It is better if this happens in the cold, which can also help get rid of unpleasant odors. Strongly “fragrant” items should be left in such conditions at least overnight.

Top 14 methods on how to get rid of the smell of fried fish in an apartment

Of course, this is very difficult to do if you work in a field where you “see” fish every day. The only thing you can do is remember to wear an apron, which will absorb most of the odors.

For protection purposes, the same should be done if you decide to cook carp for dinner today. If possible, cook outside or with windows open.

Fish lovers know that this product releases a unique aroma during cooking. It eats into dishes, cutting boards and knives, remains on hands and clothes for a long time, and spreads throughout the apartment along with air currents. From our article we will learn how to get rid of the smell of fish using different means and methods.

How to prevent foodborne illness?

Food poisoning is an unpleasant disease that often occurs through the fault of housewives themselves. Compliance with hygiene rules helps to avoid unwanted consequences and protect family members from diseases

Housewives need to pay attention not only to eliminating unpleasant odors after cutting food, but also to disinfecting kitchen utensils

A common cleaning method is to wash with detergent and then rinse with running water. The method is simple, but does not guarantee complete disinfection. It will not be possible to remove bacteria from microcracks using this method. Often women wipe the surface with a dry towel after washing, which is absolutely forbidden to do. This process promotes the spread of germs. The board should be dried vertically.

An effective way to treat a wooden cutting board is to soak it in a chlorine-containing detergent. After 30 minutes of soaking in the solution, the surface must be rinsed and allowed to dry, placing it vertically. To prepare 5 liters of solution you need to take no more than 1 tablespoon of the product. Safer remedies are baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Methods for their use have been described previously.

Fresh lemon helps to disinfect the surface and at the same time remove foreign odors. To do this, wipe the board with half the fruit and leave for a few minutes. Afterwards the surface needs to be washed and dried. Table vinegar, which every housewife has, has a similar disinfecting effect. Before processing a wooden or other cutting board, it must first be washed to remove food residues.

It is possible to get rid of unpleasant odors from a cutting board and, as a rule, every housewife has the necessary means. Also, when choosing kitchen utensils, you need to take into account the characteristics of the materials and remember that in any case they need to be looked after. It is recommended to use different boards for cutting food to prevent the absorption of odors. Each time after cutting, you need to thoroughly clean the kitchen utensils so that unpleasant odors will not appear.

Baking soda

It is considered an acid salt of carbonic acid and sodium. It has good hygroscopicity, which is an important property when removing any odors.

You can remove the smell of fish from your hands by rubbing it on your hands and rinsing with water.
From clothes previously soaked in baking soda, after washing in a washing machine with powder and adding conditioner, the smell of fish disappears.

You can also influence the product itself before preparing it. Soaking fresh fish in a baking soda solution (two teaspoons per liter of water) and keeping it in the refrigerator for two hours will eliminate the smell when cooking fish.

Eliminating rubber odor

The simplest and most widely used remedy for getting rid of the rubber stench in a room is an air freshener. Choose a suitable scent (citrus or lavender is ideal) and spray it in the room. But keep in mind that the air freshener will only weaken the unpleasant odor and mask it.

The most effective way to get rid of rubber smell is the Odorgone air freshener. This brand also offers cleaning products, shoe freshening, and pet odor removal.

Prevention of odors

To keep your clothes from smelling damp and moldy, you need to take proper care of them. It is recommended to do the following:

put only completely dried items in the closet;
ventilate the rooms 1-3 times a day for 15 minutes;
wash clothes with baking soda every two weeks.

It is necessary to monitor the condition of the furniture and the things lying in it. Storage rules that help get rid of the smell of dampness and mold in the closet with clothes;

regularly sort through shelves with things for ventilation;
wipe the inside of the cabinet using household chemicals or other disinfectants;
store towels, bed linen, clean and regularly used clothing separately;
ironing clean items before putting them in the closet;
washing seasonal clothes before long-term storage.

Sometimes the shelves in the closet begin to rot from old age. They should be replaced with new ones, otherwise the fabrics will absorb this smell or may also be affected by rotting processes.

To prevent things from smelling damp and moldy, they need to be properly cared for. If your clothes have already begun to smell unpleasant, then to eliminate this problem you can resort to folk remedies or household chemicals. Storing items for a long time in a damp place can lead to their damage.

We suggest you read: How to wash old grease from dishes?

What is the difference between washing white and colored fabrics?

Washing white and black items is significantly different from washing colored items. Many folk remedies are ideal for white and black things.

For example, to remove stains on white fabric, you can use:
The steaming method using tracing paper is also used.

Dirt on black clothing can be soaked in CocaCola or Pepsi and then thrown into the washing machine. They also use mustard powder, diluting it with water to form a porridge and rubbing it into the greasy stain.

With colored clothes the situation is somewhat more complicated. The fact is that, unlike white and black clothes, they can lose their color, especially if aggressive chemicals are used. It may happen that when you try to clean a greasy stain, a separate area of the fabric may become more faded.

The best option for removing stains from colored clothes is a special product. A good option would be "Vanish".

It has a high price tag, but the line includes many products for different types of fabrics. Using this product will allow you to safely remove greasy stains without losing the color quality of the item.

Folk remedies include a solution of water, salt and ammonia . Dilute the solution in proportions 1:1:1. This will help effectively remove oil and grease stains without damaging the fabric.

Bonus: other ways to remove grease stains

There are several different ways to remove grease from clothes. For example, you can sprinkle corn starch, talcum powder or baking soda on the dirt, place a clean rag or paper napkin on the front and back sides and iron the fabric from the back. As the paper or fabric becomes saturated, it should be replaced with a new one. Vegetable oil can be washed off if you apply kerosene to the stained area. We arm ourselves with a cloth, moisten it in the cleaning agent, carefully rub off the oil trace and send the product for washing in a soapy solution. We clean silk and wool by pouring talc onto the dirt, placing a blotter on top and ironing.

A more drastic remedy is treatment with a piece of cotton wool soaked in purified gasoline. Apply gasoline to the fabric, sprinkle talc on top and leave the item of clothing for an hour. If necessary, replace talc with chalk or tooth powder. The following folk recipe helps with old greasy marks: mix ammonia, salt and water in proportions 1:1:3. We ventilate the product and send it to the wash. If the fat just gets on your clothes, a bread crumb will save you: pinch off the pieces and apply them to the stained cloth. Another recipe for quick help: sprinkle salt on top and carefully lose. When the salt layer is saturated with fat, brush it off and apply a new one.

Eliminate fishy smell with professional means

There are effective household chemicals that quickly remove the unpleasant fishy smell. More praise than others on the forums:

Selena

Selena 2 in 1 bleach and stain remover removes stains of any nature and leaves a pleasant smell. Average price - from 70 ₽

What the manufacturer promises:

removes and washes all types of stains;
preserves the fiber structure;
does not spoil the fabric and does not change color;
Can be used both by hand and in the washing machine.

Volume: 400 g.

Price: 78 ₽.

How to use when hand washing:

for 5 liters of water add 1.5 tbsp. l. facilities;
put the laundry in and bring the water to a boil;
leave for 30 minutes;
rinse;
dry.

How to use when washing in the washing machine:

put things in the drum;
add 1 tbsp. l. into the compartment along with washing powder;
wash;
dry.

Review:

Olga92Bir:
When washing, I was pleasantly surprised at how well my husband’s jeans washed (they were somewhat rusty), I couldn’t do anything before, this was at a water temperature of 40 degrees. I wash some light ones at 60 or 90 degrees, they become like new and acquire a brighter color, although they do bleach. And the price is simply pleasing to the eye. Now I wouldn't trade this stain remover for anything.

Bos plus Maximum

Bleach Bos plus maximum

What the manufacturer promises:

removes stains efficiently;
removes even the most difficult stains;
Gives your laundry a fresh smell.

Volume: 250 g.

Price: 68 ₽.

How to use:

soak the laundry in a small basin;
add 2 tbsp. l. Bos Plus;
leave to soak for 4–5 hours;
wash the item in the washing machine.

Review:

vikimikitak:
Bos bleach is fully worth the price; I use it along with powder when washing. It whitens normally, but it doesn’t remove stains completely, but nevertheless it gives it whiteness. The fabric does not corrode. Therefore, it completely copes with the role of a cheap bleach option. It rinses well with water, which is important. No allergic reactions were noticed in our family. Of course there are downsides: it does not bleach light-colored fabrics well, if the cardboard packaging gets wet, throw it away, it is not convenient to open the packaging, there is no measuring spoon.
But there are also advantages: it can be used for all fabrics, it still bleaches, it does not destroy the color of fabrics, add it to the washing machine.

Frau Schmidt “Perfect whiteness”

Frau Schmidt laundry whitening tablets “Perfect whiteness”

What the manufacturer promises:

effectively whitens difficult to remove stains;
one tablet of the product will give your clothes a flawless look;
for bleaching only light-colored items;
leaves a pleasant aroma of freshness.

Volume: 10 tablets.

Price: 182 ₽.

How to use when washing in the washing machine:

take one tablet of the product and put it in the drum of the washing machine along with your clothes;
add powder and fabric softener as usual;
wash, then dry.

How to use when hand washing:

take a basin, pour hot water;
dissolve one tablet of the product in it;
add washing powder;
leave for 10 minutes;
wash and dry.

Review:

Olealovevova:
You can bleach both in a washing machine and by hand. It’s easier for me in the machine, I threw it in, poured in the powder and conditioner and washed it as usual, the things were like new. Does not contain chlorine. I definitely recommend it. Things are white and pleasant.

Eliminate fishy smell in your car

If the car interior smells like fish, there are ways to get rid of this problem:

You can remove the smell from your car with a simple wet cleaning:

take a special cleaning product for the car and wipe all necessary areas;
Pay special attention to the places where the fish were lying.

You can remove the smell of fish from your car using air fresheners:

take several air fresheners and hang them throughout the salon;
change them depending on the loss of smell.

open all doors and windows in the car;
leave for at least 12 hours.

Boiling

If the smell of fish cannot be removed by regular washing, you can use boiling. This method is suitable for white natural fabrics that are resistant to high temperatures.

For boiling, you will need a large enamel container and tongs for hot laundry. A basin or pan is filled with water and placed on fire. Add crushed laundry soap.

When the water boils, the smelly clothes are completely dipped into the container. Keep the basin with laundry on the fire for 30-40 minutes. Then it is taken out and put into the washing machine.

Boiling even gets rid of the smell of rotten fish.

General breeding rules

It is important to remember that improvised means and household chemicals will not always give a positive result in the fight against fish odor. You can remove it from cotton fabrics yourself. If outerwear, silk, satin, lace or thin synthetic items have been soiled, you will have to take them to the dry cleaner. At home, when using traditional methods, the above-described items of clothing can easily be damaged, so it is better not to take risks and entrust the work to professionals. In other cases, you should try to get rid of the smell on your own.

It is important to remember that products such as citric acid, baking soda and vinegar can cause brightly colored items to fade.