It’s inevitable. You use and store perishable items in your kitchen. You cook in your kitchen. Sometimes you eat pickles out of the jar over your sink in the kitchen. Sooner or later, that kitchen is going to get a little, well, it will likely begin to stink. But fear not, you aren’t cursed to remain trapped in a smelly kitchen until the scent of last night’s aromatic dinner (or that garbage you let sit for far too long) dissipates on its own. It turns out there is one easy hack that will banish strong odors right away, and it’s as simple as leaving a bowl of vinegar out on your kitchen counter.
Vinegar is a useful household cleaner already. There are tons of vinegar hacks for a clean kitchen. Not only is it able to break down oven grease and disinfect messy areas, but it’s also great for stripping unwanted smells out of a room. All you need to do is pour a cup or two of vinegar into a bowl that can withstand slightly acidic soaks, like one made of glass. Leave that bowl on your countertop for at least eight hours, but preferably overnight. By the time you wake up, the last dredges of that lingering, awful aroma should be significantly reduced or perhaps be absent entirely.
The science behind why vinegar works
Why is a bowl of vinegar such a potent weapon against a smelly kitchen? Well, there is a scientific explanation for that. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which is what makes it so dang good at cleaning your kitchen, descaling your coffee maker, and unclogging sink drains. This acid alters and neutralizes alkaline chemical components in the air that come from other food sources like garlic, onions, oil, and even more potent items. It can also disrupt other non-alkaline molecules. In short, vinegar actually destroys foul-smelling molecules rather than just masking them.
Leaving a cup of vinegar on the countertop allows the evaporating vinegar to penetrate and disrupt other scent trails nearby, and it works great on fabrics, too. Some opt to make a spray with vinegar and water (or even just straight vinegar) that they can then mist on objects like dish towels and pot warmers to sap the stink right out of them. While the vinegar itself boasts a fairly strong aroma, it’s one that comes and goes quickly, so it shouldn’t be too much of a hassle unless you really hate the scent. Otherwise, it’s people-friendly, pet-friendly, and budget-friendly; an all-around excellent way to get your smelly kitchen back into shape.
