How to get rid of fish smell - proven methods

Fish is a wonderful, tasty product recommended by all nutritionists in the world. Fish soup, sushi, rolls, dried, fried, baked fish... The list of dishes from sea or river life is limited only by the cook's imagination. But there is one drawback that forces you to refuse, if not from eating fish at all, then from cooking it at home - the stench.

Fish has a specific smell

Housewives have to solve a difficult task every time - getting rid of the smell of fish that permeates everything around during the cooking process. This article will help you avoid wasting time endlessly washing towels and washing knives and forks. We tried to collect all the recipes that help eliminate the hated “bouquet”. Choose the one that will be most useful to you.

How to get rid of fish smell in the refrigerator

Seafood cannot be stored for a long time, especially in summer. If you had to put fish in the refrigerator, then its smell will permeate everything: meat, milk, and fruit. The risk will be less if all products are kept in closed containers, and semi-finished fish products are not removed from the packaging immediately before the cooking process.

Fish should be stored in a special container

• If the “aroma” does spread, then you can get rid of the fish smell by using a vinegar solution. They need to wipe down all the doors, shelves, handles, etc. The refrigerator is pre-defrosted.
• An equally effective remedy is a solution of baking soda in warm water. Use it to rinse every compartment, even those where there have never been fish.

Black bread will help clean the refrigerator from the smell of fish

• Experienced housewives advise placing a saucer with crusts of black bread, slices of apple, potato or dry soda on the shelf. These products are good adsorbents for aromas that spoil your mood. Apples and potatoes need to be changed regularly so as not to get a new source of mold.

We remove fish traces from dishes, cutting boards, towels and other things

For preparing and cutting raw fish, it is best to have a separate board, and it is recommended to choose it from a material other than wood. Wooden boards (as well as old and not very high-quality ones) have the ability to absorb liquid released during the cutting process, and it will be almost impossible to completely remove this liquid later.

This is pretty good advice, and if you adhere to it, you will certainly be able to protect other products from fishy aromas.

Another remedy to combat this scourge is mustard.

The vinegar and salt already mentioned above will help greatly in removing odors from kitchen utensils. The kitchen must have paper towels, which must be used to thoroughly wipe the pan used for preparing the dish, after which it can be washed. Add a small amount of salt to the washed and dried frying pan, place it on the stove, heat it for about 5 minutes, and the aroma is gone.

Another remedy to combat this scourge is mustard, which is familiar to us all, and is probably present in any kitchen. Mustard (powder or ready-made seasoning) must be dissolved in warm water. The resulting solution is used to treat the dishes and, if necessary, the inside of the refrigerator. By the way, this method is one of the most common in the fight against fishy “flavors”.

Housewives should remember that after preparing seafood, the dishes must be thoroughly washed and wiped with vinegar or lemon juice. In addition to neutralizing the “aroma,” this often helps restore the original color.

Surfaces (not just dishes) are wiped with an onion or potato, cut into halves

Naturally, every experienced housewife has her own way of ridding dishes of herring or other fishy odors. As an example, here are just a few of them:

1. Surfaces (not just dishes) are wiped with an onion or potato, cut into halves.
2. The problem is eliminated by wiping with a rag soaked in sunflower oil. After this, the dishes must be washed with any detergent.
3. The fishy spirit is perfectly interrupted by the much sharper beer. Therefore, utensils can be treated with beer, which is then very easy to wash off.
4. To wash towels, aprons or other clothes stained with fish, items are soaked in warm water with the addition of table vinegar. In this case, use 2 tbsp. l. vinegar per 5 liters of water. After a couple of hours, rinse the items thoroughly and continue washing as usual.

As you can see, experienced housewives are not at a loss and know that the smell of fish in the apartment can be completely eliminated.

Join the discussion! We would be interested to know your point of view, leave your opinion

What home remedies will help remove odor?

The kitchen is a place where the family gathers together; spending time indoors should bring pleasure, not disgust, or a desire to leave quickly. The smell emanating from fish is not a reason to refuse a healthy product and privacy with your family. You just need to know how to deal with the stench.

Handy products

You can freshen the air in the kitchen by heating sugar and vanilla in a frying pan. A pleasant floral aroma will fill the room in a matter of minutes, you will forget about the discomfort you initially experienced.

Vegetable oil is a popular method of combating the smell of fish; it is enough to treat cutlery and rinse under hot water.

Beer will help get rid of oily fish and the unpleasant smell after it. We use the drink to clean kitchen utensils. Clean the cutting board with a slice of garlic, cut in half. Forks and knives are refreshed by holding them over a gas stove (burner).

A frying pan damaged by fish is cleaned with paper towels and covered with salt. The salt is heated over a fire until it darkens.

To prevent the refrigerator from smelling like rotten fish and containing unpleasant odors, put a lemon cut in half and mustard peas inside.

If the smell has affected the towel, laundry soap and soda will help remove the aroma from the fabric. Leave the fabric in the solution for half an hour, then wash it in a machine. Cope with fish stains, stench, vinegar and dishwashing detergent. If washing is delayed, cover the damaged towel with newspaper. The paper will absorb the fat and aroma contained in the fibers.

Store products

A product for neutralizing unpleasant odors in the kitchen can be purchased at the store.

Fresheners cannot cope with persistent food aromas; it is better to pay attention to the following substances:

• OdorGone – a product that eliminates unpleasant odors in the kitchen;
• Top House – a set that includes wet wipes, air freshener spray;
• Clean Home - a product that neutralizes stench in the refrigerator, dishes, and kitchen furniture;
• Jerelia – spray to neutralize odors in the kitchen.

There is a wide range of products available on store shelves to combat kitchen fumes. Consumers are offered kitchen balls that constantly absorb odors, filters with activated carbon, and scented products that prevent the family’s favorite place from turning into a smelly dining room.

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

Cooking fish dishes means waiting for a delicious dinner and an unpleasant smell spreading throughout the apartment. You won't be able to get rid of it just by opening the window. More effective measures are needed. For those who don’t know how to get rid of unpleasant odors in the kitchen or throughout the apartment, we offer the following:

• “fry” or at least heat the lemon or orange zest in a frying pan. Grapefruit will also work. If you can't use a frying pan, place the zest near a candle or other heat source. The fragrance of citrus fruits will “displace” any other smell;

Fried zest overpowers the smell of fish

• Boil water in a saucepan with vinegar added. Even if the amber does not disappear altogether, it will become less intrusive;
• Coffee lovers can sacrifice a few beans by roasting them well in a dry frying pan. The smell of coffee can replace any other. Even the fish will not resist.

In the buffet, pantry, and kitchen, experienced housewives advise installing small containers with charcoal - an ideal natural absorbent.

From hand

A simple option to avoid an unpleasant odor on your hands, which can ruin all the pleasure from the taste of fish, is to use gloves. However, although this is a good option, it is not very convenient to cook in them. If you cook without them, the detergent will not be able to remove this aroma, so the following products can help out:

• vinegar - before starting to interact with the fish, wipe your hands with a vinegar solution. Then the aromas will not penetrate the skin;
• professional product - there is a special product that already comes with lemon and lime extract that eliminates odor - use it;
• lemon – after washing your hands, rub your hands with lemon or lime. It is necessary to wipe the back side and the place between the fingers;
• beer - it eliminates the specific odor quite well. Wash your hands in water and then rub thoroughly with beer;

Benefit!

In addition, beer perfectly softens the skin.

• essential oil – citrus aromatic oils are great. Add a couple of drops of oils to the water and dip your hands in it. After this, rinse your hands in cool water.

Why does fish smell so bad?

If you've ever fished, you've probably noticed that a freshly caught fish doesn't smell of anything, except perhaps the slight aroma of the pond from which it was taken. But the characteristic amber appears later, when decomposition processes begin to intensify in the carcass. No, this does not mean that the “odor” is evidence of staleness. It’s just that the peculiarity of the tissues of the body of an inhabitant of reservoirs is such that the smell appears almost instantly.

The proteins in fish differ significantly from the proteins in other fauna. And the main discrepancy is that fish amino acids are subject to degradation to a much greater extent. This means that decay products - ammonia and sulfur - will be formed within a couple of hours after the fish was caught. In addition, those bacteria that inhabit the body of the fish and contribute to the decomposition of proteins are not afraid of the cold, since cool or cold water is familiar to the inhabitant of the deep sea. By the way, due to the resistance of bacteria to cold, it is recommended to store fish at significantly lower temperatures than other types of meat. Most fish are predators. They feed on their smaller brothers. They need a special enzyme or enzyme to digest them. Most likely, some of the enzymes remain on the fish’s body after it is caught. This means that the fermets will begin to digest the fish from the outside, thereby causing an unpleasant odor. The oxidation of beneficial and important fatty acids contained in fish also causes the appearance of an unpleasant odor.

Fatty acids that are beneficial to human health, when oxidized, cause an unpleasant odor

Smell and type of fish

If you understand the intricacies of the repulsive fish odor, then it must be said that not all types of fish smell the same. Lake and river fish smell differently than sea and ocean fish.

This is interesting. Varieties of fish also do not smell the same. For example, the famous St. Petersburg smelt is characterized by the smell of cucumbers.

Frozen fish has virtually no smell at all before defrosting.

But if you decide to fry fish, then not only those who live in the same house with you will know about your idea (and it doesn’t matter at all whether you have a hood or not), but also your neighbors

But if the fish is rotten, then it’s a real disaster - the disgusting smell seems to permeate everything around.

Prevention

Instead of getting rid of the smell after cooking fish, it is better to use proven tips on how to prevent the spread of these same aromas.

• Next to the stove we place a small bowl of water (1–1.5 l), into which we add lemon juice (1 tbsp), 1 tsp. cinnamon, bay leaf and a couple of clove stars.
• While cooking the fish, place a container of melted sugar on the stove, to which we add a little vanillin.
• To prevent the smell of fried fish from spreading throughout the rooms, add 4-5 drops of lemon juice to the cooking oil.
• 3-4 bay leaves will help prevent the aroma of grilled fish from spreading. Place them directly on the grill grate.

It is equally important that the healthy product in its raw form should be in the freezer, carefully wrapped in a bag. And, as already mentioned, fish needs the lowest storage temperatures

The unpleasant smell of fish, wherever it penetrates, is quite difficult to remove. So you need to act quickly. Proven means for getting rid of ambergris are citrus fruits, table vinegar and mustard powder. However, it is still better to reduce the area where the fishy smell spreads as much as possible, using prevention tips.

How to get rid of fish smell on clothes and fabrics

Kitchen towels, aprons, and oven mitts may forever remain the “owners” of an unpleasant odor. If you do not take the necessary measures in a timely manner, the item will most likely have to be thrown away. This also applies to clothing.

Acetic acid solution

How to get rid of smell in your car

The methods listed below will help preserve your wardrobe, but you must take into account the manufacturer's recommendations. All options involve the use of ordinary laundry soap. It is better to choose dark pieces: they contain more alkali.

How to get rid of the smell of fried fish or fish soup on clothes:

• 2-3 tablespoons of acetic acid must be dissolved in hot water. Things are soaked for an hour or more. Then follows regular washing, but instead of powder, laundry soap is used. If it was not possible to completely get rid of the stench and stains the first time, the procedure must be repeated;
• If things emit an unpleasant smell of rotten fish, they are soaked in a concentrated solution of table salt. After half an hour, the towels and wardrobe items are transferred to the washing machine for regular washing with powder or other detergent.

Citric acid will help get rid of the smell of rotten fish. 1 tbsp. A spoonful of “lemon” is dissolved in 10 liters of water. Things must first be soaked, then washed, adding powder. It is important not to overdo it, otherwise thin T-shirts or blouses will become unusable.

Salt

You can get rid of the smell of fish on light-colored clothes by using the same laundry soap. It needs to be grated into a large container of water. Things, if there are no restrictions from the manufacturer, are boiled for half an hour in a strong soap solution. If this treatment method is not recommended, soak in the solution for an hour or more. Next, all things must be rinsed thoroughly, changing the water. Vinegar is added during the final rinse.

Grated laundry soap

How to get rid of smell in the refrigerator?

The listed products will be effective, and you can get rid of the fishy smell on things once and for all if everything washed after rinsing is carefully hung to dry and air. Things should not be kept in a basin or washing machine. It is better to dry them outside. The unpleasant aroma in the room will return, and all procedures will have to be repeated again and again.

How to get rid of fishy smell on your hands and mouth

The “aroma” ingrained into the skin of the hands can spoil the mood for a long time. The simplest and most affordable means will help you get rid of it: onions, lemon, vegetable oil. It is enough to rub your hands with a piece of lemon or onion, and the “fragrance” is gone. But in the case of onions, you will then have to solve the problem of getting rid of the new smell.

Lemon removes fishy smell

If there is no lemon in the apartment, do not rush to cut the onion “savior”. A vinegar solution will help get rid of fishy smell on your hands. It is enough to dissolve 2-3 spoons in water and wash your hands thoroughly. You can wipe your hands with a cotton swab dipped in vinegar. This option is worth remembering for those who don’t know how to get rid of the smell of fish in the refrigerator.

Vinegar is another remedy for fish odor.

After cutting up smoked fish of any kind, you should not immediately open the hot water tap, this will only intensify the stench. If you're having a beer party, leave some for hand rub. The strength of the drink and the color do not matter. Regular dry mustard will also help. Hands should be rubbed well with powder and rinsed with water.

Beer will help against the smell of smoked fish

Regular parsley will help you avoid feeling a very, very unpleasant aftertaste. Chew a couple of leaves and get rid of the fishy smell in your mouth. This remedy is relevant for those who are in a hurry to a business meeting, but could not refuse their favorite dish.

Parsley removes fishy smell from your mouth

In summer, you can recommend another method - strawberries or a fresh apple. Not only pleasure is guaranteed, but also complete elimination of unpleasant aroma in the mouth. Coffee lovers can chew one or two coffee beans.

How to get rid of fish smell in your car

​Bad breath: causes and treatment

The car of an avid lover of sitting on the shore with a fishing rod can be easily distinguished by its specific aroma. It can be quite difficult to get rid of it. Experts and car enthusiasts offer several tips on how to get rid of the smell of fresh or rotten fish in your car:

• For starters, don’t put on deodorant. The smell from underwater inhabitants will not go away, and the mixture of “aromas” will turn out to be monstrous;
• You can leave a container with a solution of vinegar or water with lemon in the car overnight. The product will eliminate both the fishy “spirit” and the odor remaining from cigarettes. It is better to repeat the procedure every evening;

Smell of fish in the car

• wash all parts with chlorine solution. This advice is relevant if it is possible to leave the car all night with the windows or doors open;
• take the car to the dry cleaner. The method is expensive, but effective. Special reagents will eliminate all odors, no matter who their source is.

You can get rid of the fish smell. But this needs to be done in a timely manner, without putting it off “for later.” Otherwise, the stench will permeate both the apartment and the car. And neither general cleaning nor dry cleaning will save you. Towels and curtains will have to be changed. And the clothes will “remind” themselves for a long time with a rare “fragrance”.

Helpful information

Tips to help you cook delicious river fish without foreign odors:

1. 
   You can make the dish more flavorful with butter. It is added in small quantities to the pan during frying. If you add more than ½ teaspoon, the skin will start to burn.

2. If there is not enough time for soaking, then potatoes will help correct the situation. It needs to be cleaned and placed with the fillet during frying. It will take away some of the smell.
3. If you plan to boil the product, then you can add 100-150 ml of cucumber pickle to the water. When it boils for 10 minutes, start the fillet. Brine works on the principle of vinegar or lemon juice, correcting the unpleasant aroma.
4. When there is no milk on hand for soaking, the product is thoroughly washed and coated in sour cream. You can also stew the fillet in it to neutralize foreign odors.

Experts recommend choosing small fish. The younger and smaller it is, the more pleasant the aroma is, and the more tender the fillet.

You will find a lot of useful and important information about removing various unpleasant odors from objects and surfaces in this section.

Product processing features

Before cooking river fish, you need to consider the following points:

• the peel must be thoroughly cleaned - if the slave is scaly, it is removed with a knife;
• the skin of catfish, eel or burbot is lubricated with a mixture of salt and ash in equal proportions, after 10 minutes the composition is washed off with water - this will make the skin clean and light;
• to facilitate the process of cleaning fish, it is rubbed with coarse salt, so that it will not slip out of your hands;
• you need to cut the carcass carefully, trying not to damage the gallbladder - its rupture will lead to the product becoming bitter;
• Lemon juice will help improve the taste of the dish - sprinkle it on the meat 20 minutes before cooking;
• In order for the carcass to cook well and acquire a beautiful crust, before putting it in the frying pan, the skin must be dried with a paper towel.

How to get rid of mud smell in fish

Representatives of river breeds are distinguished by an additional unpleasant feature - the “aroma” of mud. He is capable of ruining the most delicious fish soup prepared by the best chef. To avoid wincing at the table, use the following methods:

The smell of mud in fish

• Add 5-6 drops of cow's milk to the pan. This will not only improve the taste of the dish, but also help get rid of the smell of mud in the fish;
• if the previous option is unacceptable for various reasons, you should put a whole onion, carrots, and celery root into the broth. The dish will acquire a special taste. Before serving, the vegetables are simply removed.

Important Tips

1. Always seal food containers and bags tightly.
2. Ventilate the premises.
3. If you feel that the fish has begun to rot, throw it away immediately.
4. After cooking fish, wash the dishes thoroughly, and do not just rinse with water.
5. Do not place knives, plates, or cutting boards in the dishwasher, as this will transfer the smell to other dishes. It is better to wash them with warm running water using a sponge with detergent.
6. Always use different cutting boards for fish and other foods. This way the smells won't mix.
7. If you are preparing fish soup or frying fish in the kitchen, you need to close the door to prevent the “aroma” from entering other rooms.
8. Always wear gloves when handling fish or other strong-smelling foods, as skin absorbs odors, especially when wet.
9. Before frying fish, marinate it, for example, in vinegar. Or add parsley and celery to it, they neutralize odors perfectly.

Diagnosis of pathology

The reasons for the smell of rotten fish can only be determined by a doctor, so if you feel an unpleasant odor, you should immediately consult a doctor. Especially if this continues for a long time.

To diagnose, the doctor will prescribe various tests, for example:

• Blood and urine analysis.
• Vaginal and urethral smear.
• Bacteriological culture.
• Other necessary tests.

When a patient complains that his urine smells like fish, then at a doctor’s appointment, a specialist collects the patient’s medical history. Then he clarifies the presence of chronic and acute diseases of the genitourinary system

Attention is also paid to genetic abnormalities and all metabolic processes in the body. Women being examined by a gynecologist

Then the patient is sent for examination:

• Ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs, bladder, kidneys, urethra.
• Cystography.