If you’re a curry aficionado, you’re in the majority.
It’s a flavorful dish that goes well with numerous ingredients, but its strong aroma can linger in your home long after the meal is finished. And getting rid of it can be tricky.
Let’s explore some practical methods that can help you eliminate this persistent scent.
Prevention Measurements
Here’s a suggestion—try to act before the curry smell overtakes your household.
You might not be able to prevent the odor completely, but there are a few ways you can try to keep it at bay.
When cooking curry, keep doors to other rooms closed and ensure proper ventilation. This should localize the smell in your kitchen and allow it to ventilate quickly.
Also, clean utensils and surfaces immediately after use to prevent smells from settling in and spreading.
Finally, consider using chef's candles designed to eliminate food odors before you start cooking.
As another prevention option, you can also try to take the smell-absorbing stuff out of the room. This includes curtains, dishcloths, and clothing as well.
Yes, it can be a hassle. But do you know what's an even bigger hassle? Washing all fabrics afterwards.
Natural Methods to Get Rid Of Curry Smell
Before you move to costly and long-term fixes, you can try leveraging some natural products.
Most of these, you already have hanging around. Let’s check them out.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a natural odor absorber.
You can try placing bowls of baking soda around the kitchen—and especially close to the stove or wherever you’re preparing your curry meal.
You might also mix it with water and essential oils to create a DIY air freshener.
Place bowls of baking soda around the kitchen to absorb odors. You can also mix it with water and essential oils to create a DIY air freshener.
Lemon Boil
Simmer lemon halves or quarters in water on the stove. The citrus aroma helps neutralize strong smells and “overtake” them.
Of course, this can only help if you’re fine with replacing curry smell with citrus smell.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are also effective coffee-absorbers.
Set out bowls of unused coffee grounds near cooking areas and it should neutralize curry scent.
Vinegar
There are two ways you can use vinegar in your battle against curry smell:
On the stove: Boil a small pot of water with a few tablespoons of vinegar. The steam will help neutralize odors in the kitchen.
In a bowl: Place a bowl of white vinegar in the room where the smell is strongest. It will absorb the odor over time.
Potatoes
Believe it or not, potatoes can also absorb unwanted smells.
Leave diced potatoes in pots for a couple of hours near the source of curry smell.
Commercial Products to Remove Curry Odor
Unlike natural and DIY solutions, you can try using certain products to help you remove unwanted curry scent.
Deodorizers and Vaporizers
Commercial odor neutralizers or air fresheners can be effective in removing lingering smells.
You can find products that are specifically designed for odor removal in any convenience store so it might be worth trying it out.
Odor Neutralizing Agents
Pure odor neutralizing agents (ONA) products that absorb smells without adding fragrances so you won’t have to worry about another scent replacing curry.
Long-Term Solutions
In some cases, the smell of curry can be long lasting and “stick” to the walls in your household.
This happens if you’ve prepared curry meals often and never tried any prevention or reduction measures.
For this, you might need to invest a bit more in:
- Professional Cleaning: For persistent odors, professional cleaning services may be necessary, especially if the smell has permeated fabrics or walls.
- Repainting: If odors have settled into walls, repainting may be required after thorough cleaning, as simply painting over them will not eliminate the smell.
If it came to this, then the best thing you can do is to try to regulate it or prevent it altogether.
Best Way to Get Rid of Curry Smell: Air Purifier With Activated Carbon Filters
Air purifiers equipped with HEPA filters can help reduce the smell of curry, but their effectiveness is enhanced when combined with activated carbon filters.
Why HEPA filters aren’t enough for curry smell removal
HEPA filters are designed to capture airborne particles such as dust, pollen, and pet dander and they can effectively trap fine particles generated during cooking.
This, of course, includes some smoke and grease from curry preparation. Howver, HEPA filters do not remove odors effectively because smells are often caused by gaseous compounds that are too small for HEPA filters to capture.
This means that while HEPA filters improve air quality by reducing particulate matter, they may not eliminate the specific odors associated with cooking curry
Role of Activated Carbon Filters
To effectively combat cooking odors, including those from curry, air purifiers should ideally include an activated carbon filter.
Activated carbon works through a process called adsorption, where odor molecules bond to the porous structure of the carbon. This allows the filter to trap and neutralize the gaseous compounds responsible for unpleasant smells.
How it works:
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The HEPA filter captures larger particles and some smoke.
The activated carbon filter adsorbs the smaller odor-causing molecules, significantly reducing or eliminating the smell of curry from the air.
Saying that, Rabbit Air Puriffiers with activated carbon filters are possibly the most effective solution to both prevent and remove the smell of curry and keep your household fresh.
De-spice your household
As you see, you can effectively neutralize curry smells in many different ways.
Depending on your budget, the scent intensity, but also your patience—you might be able to make your home fresh and odor–free, allowing you to enjoy meals without that lasting scent.
