EFFECTIVE NATURAL WAYS TO DEODORIZE YOUR KITCHEN

Keeping our homes clean doesn’t end at getting all the clutter out of the way and disinfecting it. The icing on the cake is that whiff of fresh scent that comes with a clean home. It serves as a seal of approval that your home is orderly and spotless clean.  This goes the same for your kitchen.

There are times though when no matter how much you cleaned your kitchen there is still that lingering unpleasant smell.  It could be an aroma from a meal prepared days ago, or a burning smell.  It could be a pungent or mouldy smell.  No matter what it smells like – it makes your kitchen seem unclean.

What Needs Deodorizing In Your Kitchen

The kitchen is on the top of the list of rooms in your home that needs serious deodorizing.  Here, you deal with food – meat, fish, vegetables, canned goods, beverages, dairy and all other kinds of food.  It is in this room that food is being stored, prepared, cooked, heated, disposed and sometimes, they get spoiled and rotten.

Here’s where you keep leftovers, wash dishes, stash your trash, and all other kitchen cleaning activities.  You have things in the kitchen that can be the source of unpleasant odour but, there’s always a way to get rid of them.  We rounded up things in your kitchen that needs deodorizing:

Kitchen Sink

Your kitchen sink has become a catch-all basin of everything unpleasant – food, dirt from hands, oil, grease and grime.  The residues and build-up in the drain and in the surface of your stink can produce unpleasant odours.  Water may not be enough to wash out the smell.  You can sprinkle baking soda on the surface and rub it with a sponge.  You can also pour baking soda down the drain, let it sit for several minutes before running warm water. 

Refrigerator

Your fridge is a treasure chest of aroma – most often than not, it’s reeking.  You keep in there, leftover dinners, eggs, vegetables, cheeses, sauces and practically every food that you need to store for later.  If they are stored in open containers, say plates or other carriers, the smell of each food stored in the fridge gets mixed – that smells disaster.

Those that were stored for a long time and those that are already expired must be disposed.  Spills must be immediately wiped off.  You can then store an open box of baking soda inside the fridge as it will absorb the unpleasant odour.  If you are to keep leftovers and pungent foods, be sure to keep them in covered containers.

Microwave

You may have heated several dishes in the microwave.  As you do and especially that you’re closing the microwave door after every use, expect the smell of your food to linger inside.  There’s already a mix of fish and meat and vegetable smell inside your microwave.  All the more the smell will linger if there are bits of food stuck on the walls of your microwave.

Wipe your microwave then you can boil water in it with lemon slices and run for several minutes.  Also, you can leave your microwave door open to allow it to air out.

Dishwasher

We often disregard cleaning the dishwasher because after all it runs on water and soap.  But it might have gathered residues or bits of food during the washing process.  These might cause them to smell and also be a breeding ground for bacteria.  Clean the drain filter at the bottom of your dishwasher by removing the food particles that got filtered.  

You can place a cup of white vinegar in a dishwasher-safe container at the top rack then run on a hot-water cycle.  After, you sprinkle baking soda on the dishwasher floor then run a short cycle on high.

Trash Can

It is a common thinking that when you take out the trash, the smell is taken out as well.  Then you wonder why the smell of trash still lingers in the kitchen when trash has already been taken out.  Sometimes, it is the trash can that smells.  As it has held on to different kinds of trash every day, expect that the trash can might have absorbed residues that can cause the unpleasant odour.

You can clean and deodorize your trash can by sprinkling it with baking soda inside and the inside of the lids.  You can also use the same method for your trash can outside.

Pantry

You store food in your pantry – sauces; canned vegetables; processed canned meat; chicken, beef or vegetable stock; garlic; potatoes; rice; condiments; pasta and others.  Sometimes you overlook the best before date at the bottom of the can or bottle.  You also might have left opened a container of sauce or the garlic has gone bad.  All these emit an unpleasant smell that can fill your pantry.

As a way to keep this from happening, always check from time to time the stuff that you store in your pantry to ensure that they are still unexpired.  You should also practice the first in first out method when the new ones of the same thing are stored further than what you currently have. 

Baking soda is still a go-to to deodorize your pantry.  Another contender would be coffee grounds – not only do they absorb the odour, they have a scent of their own.  If you like the smell of coffee then this is a good choice.

Chopping Boards

You have used your chopping board to cut vegetables – think, onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and others.  You may have also used the same chopping board to cut meat or fish.  Imagine juices draining on to your chopping board and even if you rinse it the smell just sticks.  The smell would be absorbed more if your board is made of wood.

As a natural remedy, you can rub half of a lemon over the board.  Then, sprinkle liberally with salt and rub again using the half of a lemon.  Let this sit for an hour then rinse with hot water and a clean cloth.

A Fresh Scent for a Clean Kitchen

Another trick to keep your kitchen smelling fresh and clean is to simmer citrus slices like oranges and lemon, cinnamon, and, or herbs like mint and lavender.  Simmer this for a few hours and the smell will permeate throughout your whole house.

You always have to remember that the start of a fresh scented kitchen is to keep it clean.