How To Get Fish Smell Out Of The House
Fish is delicious! One would say it’s even better if you caught the fish yourself. There are so many different ways that you can prepare it, whether it is a simple baked dish or homemade sushi. However, there’s one thing that all fish lovers agree on; it stinks when you cook it! And the smell is hard to get out of your house. So, what do you do if you find yourself stuck in this position?
Removing fish odors from your house first starts with correct preparation. Only cook fresh fish, wash the dishes immediately after you’re done, and boil some homemade potpourri to keep the fish smell at bay! If your house smells like fish and you didn’t cook any, get any living human or creature out of the home, and call emergency electrical services immediately.
Nothing is more annoying than stubborn smells you can’t get out of your home, especially if that smell is fish. Yuck! Below, we will walk you through some steps to prevent and remove any fishy odor that gets stuck while you are getting your Gordan Ramsay on. Let’s get started!
Why Does My House Still Smell Like Fish Hours After Dinner?
Fish that has been fried or sautéed can stink up and entire house, for hours on end. So if possible, bake or roast your fish in the oven rather than poaching it (in seasoned water, fish stock, or even chicken stock).
If you must sauté your fish, keep in mind that the odor is caused by the oils that splatter on your walls and other things. You will need to wipe it up immediately to avoid any unwanted fishy updrafts.
How Long Will My House Smell Like Fish?
After cooking, a fish fragrance can linger in your home for up to 12 hours. The smell will linger longer if you charred the fish or sprayed grease all over the kitchen while cooking.
Make sure you bring any fish remnants out of the home in the trash bag to avoid the scent sticking around.
How Do I Cook Fish Without Stinking Up My House?
While cooking fish will surely make your home smell, there are a few things that you can do to make it so that it does not last as long. Below are a few tips:
- Immediately throw out any and all fish waste: It is better to rinse out the fish package and toss it right away in a trash can outside. Additionally, after washing, preparing, and eating the fish, if any trash remains, bag it up and discard it immediately away.
- If you’re cooking kippers, cover the dish with foil: Given that kippers are among the fish with the most pungent smells, it is best to keep the cover on the roasting dish to confine the fragrance and stop it from escaping.
- Use a bowl of vinegar to absorb the smell:Â When you fried fish, keep a basin of white vinegar nearby since it absorbs the pungent fragrance and makes the area seem clean and fresh. When it dries up, the vinegar smell will disappear.
- Wash all your dirty dishes immediately after eating: The longer you put off doing the dishes, the stronger and more lingering the odor will be. Use hot water to wash all the dirty dishes, including plates, pans, and pots, to get rid of the smell.
How Can I Remove The Smell Of Fish From My House After I’m Done Cooking?
It’s nearly impossible to keep your home from smelling like fish, especially if you cook it in your house. If you don’t prepare adequately, you will have to find some ways to get the smell out after you are finished. Here are a few techniques you can use:
Bake Some Pie Or Cookies
Baking something that smells good, like cookies, is another technique to get clear of the foul smell from your household after cooking. This will assist in masking the strong fish odor with something a bit more pleasant.
Change Your Tablecloth And Clean Your Furntiure
The pungent smell of fried fish might linger in your cushions, sofas, tablecloth, etc. even after everyone has finished eating and the table and dishes have been cleared away. This is because these textiles can easily trap aromas.
To get rid of any fishy odors, use fabric refreshers and spritz them on different items until they are damp. Then, you will want to pat them dry with a clean cloth.
Boil Some Spices And Citrus Juice
Using other delicious-smelling goods and simmering them is one of the most excellent ways to get rid of the fish smell.
As an example, you can simmer citrus fruit peels, such as lemon or orange, in a skillet or other cookware over the stove as you cook.
Use some cinnamon twigs or other odor-eating herbs like fresh rosemary or crushed cloves to accomplish the task at hand.
Additionally, if you microwaved or oven-cooked your fish, you could put one of these items in a bowl of steaming water and leave it within all night.
How Can I Prevent My House From Smelling Like Fish?
Perhaps the most important step in getting rid of fishy odor traveling throughout your house after a nice meal is to prevent the fish from stinking everything up in the first place! Here is a few ways that you can do that:
Prepare Your Fish The Right Way
Even more odors emanate from raw fish, therefore, it is essential to eliminate the cause of the odor to keep it to a minimum.
To get rid of harmful bacteria and TMA, clean the raw fish with ice water. Furthermore, you can immerse it in milk for 20 minutes to decrease the smell by causing the casein protein to bond to the TMA.
Make Sure Your Fish Is Fresh
Consider how much you are prepared to spend when buying fish, and choose the best and freshest variety. Choose milder varieties including sole, tilapia, Pacific cod, and turbot.
Use Baking Paper
Before cooking, wrap fish fillets in baking paper to maintain their moisture levels and keep odors at bay. Several recipes will instruct you to perform this “en papillote” phase.
Use Strong Scented Candles Or An Oil Diffuser
For a pleasant atmosphere at dining tables, scented candles are a terrific accent. The unpleasant odors can be lessened if you use some products throughout the house that have a soft fragrance like cotton, rosewood, grapefruit, or spices.
To get rid of the unpleasant fish smell, you can also use diffusers with sprays like Febreze that change odors after predetermined intervals.
Another choice that belongs to the same category as mildly scented candles is essential oils. You can use a few drops of Sandalwood and Patchouli to really pull that fishy scent out of the air.
Ventilate Your Kitchen
Once you remove your fish to prepare it, enhance the airflow in your kitchen because fish has a strong odor.
To ensure that the stench stays in the kitchen and exits the house solely from there, open the backdoor and all other windows in the room. Utilize exhaust fans above the stove as well to hasten the smell’s removal.
Why Does My House Smell Like Fish When I Didn’t Cook Any?
If there is a fishy odor in your house that you can’t place, your initial assumption might be that there is a plumbing or HVAC problem.
However, this fragrance is frequently released by overheated electrical components, and 90% of the time, it indicates a significant electrical problem.
Your walls, outlets’ electrical parts, and wires have heat-resistant coatings and plastic insulation. These substances emit a burning stench that may have a fishy scent when they heat up sufficiently.
What Should I Do If My House Randomly Smells Like Fish Without An Explanation?
You have to call an electrician as soon as you notice that fishy scent. The specialist will do a complete residential electrical inspection, identify the smell’s origin, and perform any required residential electrical repairs to stop an electrical fire.
You must call 911 as well as the electrician if you notice a very strong fishy smell throughout your home since an electrical fire may be imminent.
Heather is a passionate writer who loves anything DIY. Growing up, she learned everything from home repairs to design, and wants to share her tips with you. When she's not writing, she's usually hiking or searching for her next DIY project.
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