How to make a kitchen smell good at all times – 11 easy ways to get rid of cooking smells

As the heart of the home where we prepare meals throughout the day, it's understandable that kitchens can become overwhelmed with scents. With all the constant cooking there might be times you wish to make your kitchen smell good by looking at how to get rid of cooking smells.

There's nothing quite like the smell of delicious food when cooking at home, but certain odours can become unpleasant if left lingering. Ingredients such as fish, strong spices, onions and garlic all tend to be repeat culprits when it comes to leaving unwanted smells in the kitchen. 

Luckily making your house smell good after preparing food is easily achievable with a few simple tricks. Experts reveal the easy ways they prevent lingering cooking smells from their kitchens from ruining an otherwise beautifully scent-scaped home.

How to make a kitchen smell good: 11 easy methods

You certainly won't be alone in seeking a scent-busting solution because according to Google search data, there has been a significant increase worldwide over the past few months in searches for “how to get rid of cooking smells”. 

Using any of the methods below will help counteract any lingering food smells and restore freshness at all times.

1. Clean up while you cook

An easy way to stop food smells from lingering is to eliminate all traces of food as soon as you can with regular kitchen cleaning chores.

Clean up as you go while cooking to limit the exposure to the ingredients by promptly wiping down surfaces from any spills or grease. You can tend to cleaning grease off kitchen cabinets with baking soda later, but for now, a quick wipe is sufficient.

Cleaning your induction hob immediately after using it to prevent food spills from lingering. Rinse and wash up your best induction pans, roasting dishes or utensils you no longer require as you continue to cook. This will prevent food particles from accumulating and odours from building up over time.

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2. Welcome plants

Filling our homes with plants has never been more desirable, and for good reason. Some of the best plants for health and well-being are also fragrant, from sweet-smelling roses to aromatic herbs. Thankfully the best houseplants for a kitchen can also help to eliminate odours and purify the air, helping to keep it smelling fresher – rather than merely masking strong food smells.

In addition to the best fragrant houseplants, these specific species are perfect for thriving in an everchanging kitchen climate subjected to heat, fumes and grease in the air.

3. Select the best scent to cut through

The best scented candles can go a long way to enhance the aroma in any room but it's worth considering what scent is best to make a kitchen smell good. 

Taylor Perlis, Fragrance evaluator at Yankee Candle shares expert recommendations: “Citrus fragrances work well in the kitchens, as the aroma cuts through the intensity of cooking smells."

"Iced Berry Lemonade is one of my favourites, it is a modern and updated take on a citrus scent. The zesty and bold citrus fruits are balanced with the perfect amount of berry sweetness. It is one of those fragrances that makes you smile when you smell it.”

4. Keep your kitchen well ventilated

Ventilation is key to eliminating odours in any room because the smells disperse as the fresh air circulates. "One of the most important factors behind preventing bad odours from forming is to ensure adequate ventilation throughout your kitchen," says Henrique Conceicao, area manager at commercial cleaning company Total Clean.

"Invest in high-quality ventilation systems or make sure there is a passage of airflow that goes throughout the kitchen to stop smells from stagnating." When cooking in a kitchen, the most effective way to dilute any lingering smells is to use an extractor fan whilst cooking and for a short time afterwards to ensure the pungent air is filtered out efficiently by the fan.

If you don’t own an extractor fan, fear not because you can still ventilate your kitchen sufficiently. As Henrique explains: "One of the best ways of doing this is to open diametrically facing windows in the household so air can naturally pass throughout the room."

Not only will this get rid of unwanted smells it can also help to improve indoor air quality, as can one of the best air purifiers.

Henrique Conceicao

Having been involved in the cleaning industry since 2010, Henrique Conceicao started as an office cleaner and worked his way to the position of Area Manager at Total Clean - managing countless cleaning projects covering offices, medical facilities, retail and leisure properties, and hospitality venues. As a veteran of commercial and domestic cleaning services, Henrique Conceicao is well-versed in the best ways of combating nasty kitchen odours.

5. Cook up a fragrant ‘simmering potpourri’

Certain pantry ingredients that you might have lying around the house can end up being effective natural deodorisers. This is why we use lemons to clean microwaves.

Citrus lemon and orange peels or seasonal cinnamon sticks and cloves all make for a great homemade potpourri that can be simmering on a stove to combat smells while you cook.

"If you’re looking for a short-term solution behind lingering kitchen smells, you could consider creating a ‘simmering potpourri’ - this is where you create a natural air freshener by simmering a pot of hot water with various additions like citrus slices, herbs, and spices," suggests Henrique. 

"You could also use essential oil diffusers or automatic air fresheners for more convenient ways of covering up odours in the kitchen. However, it’s important to keep in mind that covering up the smell with something nicer will not combat the cause of the smell in the first place."

6. Put out a bowl of baking sofa

Cleaning with baking soda has become incredibly popular because of its natural ability to cut through grease, but it is also capable of absorbing even the most enduring cooking smells – this is why cleaning an oven with baking soda is so effective as an expert cleaning hack.

"Baking soda is an extremely versatile and accessible cleaning product - it can be used for a plethora of purposes, including odour control," says Henrique. "If the nasty kitchen smell is coming from the fridge, you could leave a small bowl of baking soda open on the top shelf to absorb nasty odours."

"You can also leave it on a countertop if you’re unable to locate the actual source." Simply scoop a couple of tablespoons of baking soda into a bowl, leave it on the countertop, ideally near the source of the smell, and leave it to sit overnight. The granules will naturally absorb and neutralise any unwelcome odours still lingering in the air. 

7. Keep your bins in check

It's no surprise that bins are one of the most prolific offenders when it comes to unpleasant odours in the kitchen – be it general waste, food bins or recycling. It’s important to regularly take out the rubbish to avoid the accumulation of food waste and the subsequent smells that come with it.

There are several simple kitchen cleaning hacks that you can use to eliminate bin odours if your rubbish isn’t full enough to remove. Place baking soda or cotton wool balls soaked in the best essential oils in your bin bags before using them to dispose of rubbish, which will help to counteract any nasty smells and absorb any moisture. 

"I'd advise pouring ground salt in the bottom of the rubbish bin," says Dawnn Hilton-Lito, General Manager at One Less Thing. "While it might sound obscure, the salt can absorb any liquids causing the nasty small, and will also absorb some of the smells too.'

"It also doubles up as a good way of killing any bacteria or bugs in the bin, as the salt absorbs the water and causes cellular lysis. Having a small pool of salt at the bottom of the bin will go a long way in preventing nasty odours from building up in the kitchen."

Dawnn Hilton-Lito

Dawnn is the general manager at One Less Thing - a fast-growing domestic cleaning and home services company. Dawnn helps clients win back their quality time by taking home cleaning off their list, giving them ‘one less thing’ to do.

8. Keep a lid on pots and pans

Keeping the lids on your best saucepans while cooking is not only a great way to reduce humidity in a house, but experts suggest it can also help to limit the spread of pungent food smells while you cook.

"When cooking, use lids on pots and pans to contain cooking odours," suggests Darren Watts, showroom development and design director at Wren Kitchens. "This prevents the smell from spreading throughout the kitchen and the house beyond."

9. Keep the sink clean

Cleaning a kitchen sink drain and generally keeping the sink area clean is imperative for a pleasant-smelling cooking space. "Regularly running a mixture of vinegar or baking soda with hot water down your drains is a simple and effective method to eliminate lingering odours and maintain a fresh-smelling kitchen," suggests Darren. 

"Both vinegar and baking soda act as natural deodorisers and help break down organic matter, preventing unpleasant smells from developing in your plumbing system.”

"Try filling your sink with a little boiling water and slices of lemon work as a natural deodoriser, whilst leaving your kitchen with a fresh citrus scent," suggests Heather Nixon, Sustainability, NPD, and regulatory manager at Bio-D.

10. Don't leave dishes unwashed

Similar to washing up cooking utensils as you go it is equally as important to wash up dishes immediately after eating. Avoid piling the dishes up in the sink, as tempting as it can be after slaving away over a hot stove then eating a hearty dinner but it will cause food particles to linger for longer, making the kitchen smell unpleasant over time. 

Wash up and empty the water, ensuring you don't clog the kitchen sink drain while doing so. If you have a dishwasher, run it as soon as all your dirty dishes are loaded so that food smells aren’t left to sit and linger. 

11. Clean cooking appliances

The everyday appliances you use to cook the food can harbour lingering food smells when left dirty. Therefore cleaning the oven and cleaning glass stovetops are all essential chores to help make your kitchen smell good.

 “As two heavily used appliances, the oven and hob should be deep cleaned once a month," suggests Sophie Beckett-Smith, appliance expert at AO.com, offering advice for keeping your kitchen fresh.

“Using a dedicated hob cleaner or hot soapy water, wipe down the hob whilst turned off and using a cocktail stick – go around the edges of the hob and this will help clear away any dust or grime."

“For the oven, take out the shelves and wash with a dedicated oven cleaner in the sink. To clean inside, use an oven cleaner or mix a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water and rub it onto the oven door, leaving for 20 minutes before wiping off with a warm damp cloth."

"Often forgotten is cleaning the microwave. Once a month pop a bowl of water and a good squeeze of lemon in the microwave for a minute or two, to neutralise odours and loosen any tough stains for easy wiping down."

Ultimately making a kitchen smell good at all times by banishing cooking smells is a balancing act between efficient cleaning,  strategic use of odour-busting ingredients, and proper ventilation. Addressing these elements in the appropriate manner can help when maintaining a consistently pleasant aroma in your kitchen.