If our taste buds could speak for themselves, they certainly would confirm that nothing leaves them a more memorable impact than curry dishes. But there is one thing we don’t like about using curry powder on food – it leaves everything in the house smelling like it.
So your cravings for spicy food lured you into using curry powder. Everything went as expected. The spice added a delightful kick to your meal. You enjoyed it to the last scoop and have even washed the dishes.
However, there comes the problem – every corner of your house still smells curry. All your efforts to do away with the smell have all turned in vain. The odor doesn’t seem like leaving your house any time soon. So, read on to find out what you need to do to get rid of the Indian curry smell from the house?
How to Get Rid of Indian Curry Smell From The House
Before we proceed any further, it’s good you know that getting rid of the curry smell isn’t the easiest of tasks. But with an extra bit of effort, you can eventually have your home back smelling fresh. So below are some of the tips you will find helpful.
1: Be The First To Act
The process of removing the pungent smell of curry begins before you commence cooking. You want to ensure that your house is well-ventilated before those greasy molecules start flying about your space. So yes, crack open all your kitchen windows.
If you have a fan in the kitchen, it will also be wise to turn it on and put it on high setting. The free flow of air will drive some of the scent molecules away. As such, you won’t have to deal with much trouble in the end.
In addition, shut all doors leading to other rooms. That simple act will go a long way to help keep the smell put within the kitchen so that you don’t have to face the smell issue in the entire house.
2: Ensure That Your Hands Are Free
Curry will leave some scent molecules on your hands. That makes it easy to spread the smell to your clothes, especially if you have the habit of rubbing your hands against your apron while cooking.
When that happens, you will have this smell follow you everywhere you go, making it impossible to know whether the problem is actually with you or your space. If you suspect that your hands are the ones carrying this smell, lemon juice, vinegar, or coffee grounds should help. Just rub any on them.
3: It’s Time You Invest in Odor Absorbers
Ventilating and cleaning your hands alone are sometimes not enough to do away with the smell. Where that’s the case, think about using odor absorbers. These substances do just as the name suggests – they absorb the curry scent molecules and any other they find in your space.
The first option here is baking soda. Baking soda has the natural quality to absorb smells. It will neutralize both acidic and basic odor molecules. So yes, place a bowl of this substance where the smell seems predominant. Baking soda will suck up any unusual scent smell it finds in your space.
If you don’t find baking soda ideal for whatsoever reason, try other options. Things like air purifying bags and charcoal bags should suffice. Air purifiers will also do and is even cheap in the long haul.
4: Simmering Lemon Could Help
We’ve all heard that there is no healthier way to start your day than taking a glass of lemon juice. Lemon has a plethora of uses, and that’s why it has slowly become a staple component for most kitchens.
But have you ever thought that lemon could be all you need to get rid of that unpleasant curry smell? Well, among the many uses of lemon is removing the pungent odor that remains in your house after cooking curry dishes.
It’s simple – simmer wedges of lemon for hours when adding water as necessary to maintain steady steam. You can also think of adding cinnamon sticks if you see appropriate. As lemon steam fills your space, the unwanted smell will gradually decrease.
Alternatively, you can boil sweet-smelling flowers and leaves. Vanilla extract or Kewra leaves are examples of things that will work. As they simmer, their fragrance will mask any other smell in your space.
5: Make White Vinegar Your Friend
White vinegar is also another product that will come in handy in lots of home chores, and that’s why you should always have it at your disposal.
And yes, one area white vinegar serves as a weapon is when fighting the smell of curry off your house. Just have a bowl or two of white vinegar next to your cooking area. It works much like baking soda and will capture any smell molecules from the cooking pot.
You can also spray white vinegar solution to the affected areas. Just ensure that you use two tablespoons of this product for every glass of water you add to the spray bottle. Then, spray all the affected areas.
6: Utilize Air Freshening Products
Air freshening products will also bring the solution to your problem. Here, I mean things like air diffusers, plug-ins, deodorizing sprays, and scented candles. While they won’t necessarily kill those oily molecules of curry, they will cover them and make the smell less powerful.
But beware – this way can be a bit expensive in the long term. As such, if you prepare spicy dishes more often, then you should consider an alternative way. But if occasionally, then this option should work just well.
How To Get Rid of the Curry Smell on Clothes?
Unless you also get rid of the curry smell on your clothes, there’s no way your house will smell fresh. Below are some tips on removing pungent odor from your clothes and carpets. Let’s begin with clothing.
Now, if you just realized that your apron, jacket, or any other clothe smells curry, one way to get rid of that smell is by steaming them. The heat will kill those scent molecules and more importantly, any microbes in the clothing.
If using heat doesn’t seem the most appropriate thing to you, you can do the exact opposite – freezing the clothes. It’s simple – just put the affected clothes inside a plastic zippered bag and leave the bag in the freezer overnight. The cold will eat away at the smell and any bacteria.
Lastly, you can also use baking soda to remove the odor from your clothing. Here, mix a cup of baking soda with four cups of hot water. Then, soak the clothes inside the solution and leave it for four hours before washing.
Either of the three ways should help remove the curry smell from your clothes. Sometimes the smell may not go away on the first try. Therefore, you may need to repeat the process several times before you can get your clothes smelling fresh as you would please.
Ensure that you avoid mixing the clothes carrying the smell with others. That will spread the odor to the rest of the clothes, making things even worse. So yes, always deal with the affected clothes independently. Not even when putting them in the washer.
How To Get Curry Smell Out of Carpet?
After you remove the curry smell from your clothes, the next thing will be to get rid of it from your carpet. Keep in mind that you have to work on anything bearing the smell in your house. That’s the only way you are sure you are fighting a winning battle.
In this case, you will also need to use baking soda. However, how you use it here differs from other times. For carpets, sprinkle baking soda on the affected carpet and allow it to sit there for long. You can consider leaving it overnight.
Then, vacuum it the following morning. By then, it will have absorbed any unwanted odors from your carpet, including the smell of curry. Only ensure that you keep kids and pets from the carpet as the substance sits on it.
Alternatively, you can steam-clean your carpet. Steam here will work much more like in clothing. What you need here is a steam cleaning machine. If you don’t have it and having one wasn’t part of your plan, get professional carpet cleaners to do the job. Still, if you know of a place you can borrow one, that will even be cheaper.
Lastly, consider getting an ozone generator to kill the smell of curry. These machines release ozone particles that help change the chemical structure of the scent molecules. That makes them lose the scent.
But let’s be honest – not many of us are ready to fork out for an ozone generator for the sole purpose of removing food smell from the house. As such, first, try other “cheaper” methods. If you have to use this method, renting one will be less costly.
Again, extended exposure to the ozone gas can attract some health issues. A case in point is lung irritation. With that said, we recommend that you stick to other safer ways of removing odor from your house.
Conclusion: Can You Get Rid of The Curry Smell From The House?
Yes, you can get rid of the curry smell from your house when you follow the provided tips. However, we won’t promise you that it will be easy.
It takes patience and some extra amount of effort. Sometimes you have to repeat the process a couple of times before the smell disappears from your house, clothing, or carpet.