How to get rid of fish smell: proven and effective methods

Remember, after cooking the fish, you need to immediately take measures to prevent the smell from spreading throughout the kitchen and especially the apartment. To do this, take salt, vinegar and lemon. Of course, you can only use one of these products. But to remove the smell for sure, we recommend using all of them at once.

Heat the salt in a frying pan and leave on the stove until it cools.
Peel the lemon and also heat it over the fire, you can even just hold the zest over the burner.
Take a small saucepan and pour water into it, add vinegar and lemon juice (two tablespoons per two liters). Boil and then open the windows in the kitchen to properly ventilate it.

Important Tips

Always seal food containers and bags tightly.
Ventilate the premises.
If you feel that the fish has begun to rot, throw it away immediately.
After cooking fish, wash the dishes thoroughly, and do not just rinse with water.
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.
Always use different cutting boards for fish and other foods. This way the smells won't mix.
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.
Always wear gloves when handling fish or other strong-smelling foods, as skin absorbs odors, especially when wet.
Before frying fish, marinate it, for example, in vinegar. Or add parsley and celery to it, they neutralize odors perfectly.

Helpful information

Tips to help you effectively get rid of fishy smell:

You should wash dishes immediately after preparing and cutting fish.
To remove the smell from a meat grinder or food processor, you need to swirl a few slices of lemon into them.
Store fish in the refrigerator in airtight packaging.
To prepare fish, practical housewives have separate dishes and cutting boards.

You will find a lot of useful and important information on how to remove smell from different types of meat and cook it correctly here.

Natural neutralizers and flavors

If the smell of fish has filled the refrigerator, then for the methods listed below to work, you need to remove everything from it and put the peels, tea, etc., on the shelves. If the stench is in the apartment or car, then it will be enough to simply place several cups of coffee beans or cans of soda and cinnamon in the rooms or in the salon.

Orange or tangerine peel.
A little tea in gauze.
Activated carbon.
Jars of coffee. You've probably noticed that they are often placed in stores and confectionery shops. This is no coincidence, because coffee beans are one of the best natural neutralizers. Just 10 grams of this product is enough.
Cinnamon soda. Mix them and pour them into a jar, closing the lid and making holes at the top.

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.

Where does the smell of fish come from in the refrigerator and how to prevent it?

An unpleasant odor appears when food storage conditions are violated; it eats into the walls of equipment and persists for a long time. Therefore, you need to keep slaves and other foods with too strong or specific aroma in tightly closed containers.

If you open the refrigerator and smell the product, you should immediately transfer it to an airtight container. Also, you should not keep meat or fish dishes open for a long time - it is better to eat them within 1-2 days. Remember that the smell of rotten fish is much more difficult to remove.

What to do if the fish is rotten?

To eliminate the smell of rotten fish, first throw away the spoiled product, not in the trash, but straight into the garbage disposal (after wrapping it tightly in several bags). Then unplug the refrigerator and clean it completely. Mix baking soda with water (2 tablespoons per liter) and rinse again. The first can be replaced with vinegar or ammonia. Another option is to wash all the shelves with water mixed with mustard powder (in the same proportion). When the refrigerator is completely cleaned, you can turn it on and put a few activated carbon tablets inside.

Important! Don't forget to check the food that was lying next to the fish, they could have picked up the smell. If this happens, it is also better to throw them away.

Special preparations for eliminating odors in the refrigerator

Special means will help eliminate the smell, for example, “absorbers” - balls containing gel inside. They not only neutralize stench, but also leave a pleasant aroma, such as citrus. Their price ranges from 80 to 300 rubles.

You can also purchase a “smart” absorber with an indicator that is placed inside the refrigerator and controls the amount of aromas emitted. When it’s time to clean, the device will notify you. It also works as an odor neutralizer.

More expensive options include battery-powered ionizers, which are placed in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to purify the air. They cost about 1000 rubles.

Causes of unpleasant odor:

Fish meat contains unique proteins that are not found in livestock fillets. They decompose incredibly quickly. Some 5-6 hours after being caught from the reservoir, ammonia substances and sulfur compounds begin to be released. They also have a sharp amber.

Predatory fish eat their fellows. This forces their digestive system to produce enzymes in huge quantities so that the sea food can be digested. When, after the catch, the enzymes are on the predator, then after a certain time they will begin to digest it from the outside, which leads to a bad aroma. Therefore, it is recommended to gut the product as soon as possible after catching.

Unsaturated fatty acids also smell bad.

How to remove fish smell from dishes?

The most important thing is to wash the plates, frying pan, cutting board and knives on time, i.e. immediately after cooking. But the listed remedies will help even after 1-2 hours.

Wash all dishes with detergent, then wipe with dry cloths (it is better not to use a towel, as it will absorb the smell).
Frying pan – fill it with salt and heat it on the burner for a few minutes.
Plates, forks, knives - use dry mustard. Dilute a small amount of powder in water and wash all dishes with this solution.
Wipe the frying pan and cutting board with a slice of lemon and rinse again with water.
Wipe any dishes with vinegar.

Basic methods of disposal

The main problem with fishy odor is that even after washing your hands with soap many times, your palms continue to emit an unpleasant odor. This indicates that this substance has penetrated the structure of the epidermis. But, despite the fact that soap is not able to get rid of the fishy smell, other available means help to cope with this problem.

Lemon

Lemon helps remove fishy smell. To do this, just squeeze citrus juice onto your hands to refresh your skin. A similar effect occurs if you rub the peel of a fruit or use a tangerine or orange. After the procedure, it is recommended to wash your hands with soap, as lemon juice makes the skin sticky.

Vinegar

To give freshness to your hands, use a 9% vinegar solution. After this procedure, the skin will smell unpleasant for some time. But after a few minutes this aroma will disappear.

To remove fish odor, you will need to mix two tablespoons of vinegar and water. Then you need to wash your hands in the resulting solution.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste not only gets rid of unpleasant odor, but also gives freshness to the skin. To do this, rub a small amount of the product for one minute.

Alcohol

To clean your hands, you can use any type of alcohol (ammonia will not work because of the pungent odor). To remove an unpleasant aroma, simply wipe the skin with a moistened cotton swab.

Shampoo

The shampoo also refreshes the skin well, eliminating unpleasant odors, including fishy ones. This product is used as a replacement for liquid soap. That is, you need to take a small amount of shampoo and wash your hands, paying attention to the areas between the fingers.

Wash

Washing is used mainly to freshen up smelly items of clothing. But in some cases, washing your hands with powder or fabric softener also gives a positive result.

Essential oil

It is recommended to select essential oils depending on personal preferences and individual characteristics of the body. This product in rare cases causes an allergic reaction. Therefore, before the first procedure, you should apply a drop of oil to the skin.

If redness or rash does not appear at the treatment site, then you can use this recipe.

To remove fishy odor, you will need to mix a few drops of a suitable essential oil and clean water. Then you need to wash your hands in the resulting solution.

Stainless steel

This option is used when there are no other means at hand. Stainless steel helps freshen up smelly hands. To do this, you need to rub the metal several times over problem areas. It must be remembered that smooth stainless steel without traces of rust (corrosion) is suitable for this procedure. Otherwise, unpleasant consequences are possible, including a severe allergic reaction.

Coffee

This option is as effective as treating it with lemon juice. Coffee beans can remove many unpleasant odors, including fishy ones. Moreover, you can use ground product for this. To refresh your hands, you will need to rub coffee beans in your wet palms until the off-color aroma disappears.

Sunflower oil

As in the case of stainless steel, this option is resorted to if there are no other ways to eliminate the fishy aroma. To make your hands smell normal, you will need to rub 1-2 drops of sunflower oil between your palms. After the procedure, the skin becomes oily. Therefore, after completing the manipulations, hands should be washed under running water. Rapeseed, olive or flaxseed are used as a replacement for sunflower oil.

How to remove odor from clothes?

During cooking, an unpleasant aroma is absorbed not only into the dishes, but also into clothing, for example, an apron, robe, etc. The following tips will help:

Dissolve laundry soap in water (about 10 grams per liter) and soak all things in this solution for at least half an hour.
Another option is to use water with 9% vinegar (5 liters and 150 ml, respectively).
You can wash all your clothes and even curtains in the washing machine by adding regular soda instead of powder. Afterwards, it is advisable to rinse everything with conditioner and air dry.

Prevention

There are several secrets that can be used to successfully minimize odor not only indoors, but also in the refrigerator (freezer). To do this, fresh or frozen seafood does not need to be stored open, but only wrapped in foil. The packaging should be as airtight as possible.

In cooking, the first and main rule is that you need to put potatoes or onions cut into small pieces into heated vegetable oil prepared for frying fish. If these vegetables are not on hand, you can use lemon juice or at least citrus zest. The juice is poured into the oil in small portions, and then the container is closed with a lid for a few seconds.

If you plan to make fish soup from fish, then add a little cow's milk to the broth. The liquid neutralizes stench, which then does not spread throughout the apartment. Everyone knows that when cooking food, the smell spreads not only throughout the entire apartment, but also through the exhaust ducts to the entrance and to the neighbors.

To prevent the fish from saturating the pan, it is better to purchase a separate deck specifically for these dishes. This way, the stench will not spread beyond this item. After cutting the carcass, all knives, cutting boards and other items are thoroughly washed under water with the addition of detergent.

Cleaning the kitchen does not take much time, but if you love fish dishes and cook them on a regular basis, wiping work surfaces and washing floors using household chemicals is imperative to maintaining a comfortable atmosphere in the room.

Fishy smell in the car

Try leaving a glass of vinegar, rubbing alcohol, or lemon water in your car overnight. Then ventilate the car and wipe all its parts with a disinfectant. If this does not help, professional cleaning using dry fog is an option. It neutralizes unpleasant odors by penetrating into the deep layers of seat upholstery. In some cases, it will be necessary to replace individual elements in the car (for example, carpet).

Check the operation of the air conditioner regularly and clean it!

Removing fishy aroma from the apartment

It is somewhat more difficult to freshen the air in a room where fish has been fried. The most effective is long-term ventilation. If you are preparing any type of seafood by frying or baking, be sure to immediately turn on the hood.

After airing the apartment, it is recommended to freshen the air in it using special means in the form of a spray.

If you don’t have an air freshener, you can use orange zest: place it in different corners of the room. Setting the zest on fire will have an even greater effect. It produces aromatic smoke that perfectly eliminates any unpleasant odor. This method also works for removing unpleasant odors from clothes: you need to fumigate your favorite items with aromatic smoke.

An unpleasant odor coming from your favorite coat that just can’t be washed? In this case, the item should be hung outside. Frost ideally removes various aromatic traces, so in winter it will be enough to hang the item on the balcony at night. In general, if things smell like fish, it’s better to just wash them.

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Eliminating stench 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.

The first thing to do is to ventilate all the rooms.

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The second is to carry out wet cleaning. You need to wipe all surfaces with a damp cloth or special cleaning wipes. Wipe the floor by adding specialized products with a lasting fresh aroma to the water. A small amount of aromatic oils, such as those used in aroma lamps, is also added to the water.

After this, they resort to other means. For example, they light a scented candle or roast coffee beans in a frying pan. Here the main task is to mask the remnants of the unpleasant odor.

To ensure that not a trace remains of it, use the following recipe: put a pan of water on the fire, add a little vinegar and bring to a boil. When the mixture boils, turn off the heat and evaporate the water. The resulting steam humidifies and purifies the air in the room.

You can replace vinegar with lemon and cloves, which you can buy in the spice department.

Be sure to read:

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

To avoid the smell of fish in your apartment, open the kitchen window while cooking. A fresh air flow will carry the “aroma” outside.
Before cooking, place lemon slices around the room.
How to remove fish smell from the kitchen? Coffee removes various aromas from the apartment well. To get the desired result, you need to fry the coffee beans in a frying pan. After that, put it on plates and place it throughout the room.
If you can’t get rid of fishy odors, call a cleaning service to your home. Workers will clean the kitchen, refrigerator and cutlery.

You can create a pleasantly smelling atmosphere even if fish dishes were prepared in the kitchen. It is enough to follow the advice from experienced housewives.

What to do if red fish spoils

Any fish fillet will not spoil quickly if you store it correctly. To ensure that pink salmon, salmon and other noble species do not lose their juiciness and delicate taste, after salting, place the pieces in a container with an airtight lid and put them in the refrigerator or any cool place where the temperature does not exceed 4-6 degrees.

You can use vacuum packaging for storage: this is convenient, and this way the fillet will not be saturated with foreign odors. You cannot leave sliced fish on a plate for more than 2 hours at room temperature. When meat is warm, harmful bacteria multiply rapidly, causing it to spoil and acquire an unpleasant odor.

If you bought too much smoked fish and you know that you won’t be able to eat it at once, then you can freeze it. After defrosting, the fish will retain its taste and aroma. Before freezing, wrap the pieces in several layers of parchment paper and then place them in a separate compartment in the freezer. You can store frozen food on the balcony if the temperature there does not rise above -15 degrees. Smoked fillet will keep quietly in the cold for up to 3 months.