If you live in a small space, then even the smallest of smells can be a big problem. The way my apartment is set up, whenever we decide to cook bacon for breakfast, the entire apartment smells like bacon for at least the rest of the day, sometimes going into the next. If you like the smell of bacon, that’s great. However, going into day two, I’m usually looking for ways to replace the smell with something a little more neutral.
Whether you’re like me and need to kill the smell of breakfast, or you’re just looking for ways to keep your kitchen smell a little more under control in general, here are a few ways to make things a little more manageable that go beyond simply lighting a few candles or opening a window:
Make Some Coffee
No matter what you’ve cooked in your kitchen, my guess is your coffee machine can overpower it, especially if you’re grinding your coffee pre-brew.
Turn Your Oven Into an Air Freshener
There’s a reason why realtors like baking cookies before people come over to view a home. Cookie baking is a quick way to swap whatever your kitchen currently smells like for the scent of a delicious dessert.
If you don’t have cookies on hand, you can replicate the experience by preheating your oven to 200 degrees, turning it off, and leaving a baking sheet with a teaspoon of butter, some sugar, and cinnamon on a piece of tin foil on it. Leave the mixture in your oven for a few hours, and the scent will help take care of the smell. You can also bake apple cores or banana peels at the same low heat for an improved smell.
Soak Cotton Balls in Vanilla Extract
This is something my grandmother used to do. I always thought it was bizarre, but it works and uses things you likely already have in the house. Take a few cotton balls, soak them in vanilla extract, and then place them around your kitchen.
Boil Cloves
If you have full cloves, try boiling them on your stove for a quick fix. You can get a similar effect from boiling cinnamon sticks, or lemon or orange peels.
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