How to Eliminate Various Odors

The smell of new furniture: Newly purchased furniture can fill your home with the strong smell of oil and paint, causing headaches. In such cases, tea leaves offer a simple solution. Simply wipe the furniture with a cloth soaked in tea-infused water to eliminate the odor. Finishing with a dry cloth helps extend the furniture's lifespan. Alternatively, wiping with a cloth dampened with vinegar and soju (Korean liquor) can also remove the smell. Egg odor: To eliminate the distinctive smell of egg dishes, sprinkle finely chopped parsley over the eggs. This not only removes the odor but also enhances the presentation. Use a small amount as a little goes a long way. Shoe odor: For those who sweat a lot and experience strong foot odor in their shoes, placing a refrigerator deodorizer or charcoal inside can effectively remove the smell. Odor in dishes from kimchi or fish: When storing fish or kimchi in plastic containers, the odor tends to permeate. Once absorbed, these food odors are difficult to remove, even with thorough washing. In this case, finely chop some leafy green vegetables and place them in the dish, cover it, and leave it for a day. Surprisingly, all odors within the container will disappear. Musty smell in the refrigerator: Even leftover, flat beer can be useful. Dampen a cloth with beer and wipe down the dirty areas or the entire interior to remove stains and eliminate odors. Charcoal's strong adsorption property can also deodorize the refrigerator. Placing activated carbon (baektane) in the vegetable compartment not only removes odors but also keeps vegetables and fruits fresh for longer. Dried used green tea leaves placed in the refrigerator can also eliminate unpleasant odors. Similarly, for containers with lingering kimchi or other food smells, adding green tea leaves, closing the lid, and leaving it for 2-3 days will eliminate the odor. Chicken odor: It is said that alcohol is the best way to remove the distinctive smell of chicken. Place the chicken in a dish, sprinkle it with alcohol, and let it sit for about 15 minutes. If the smell persists, mix the alcohol with grated radish juice and sprinkle it over the chicken. The same applies to fishy odors. The alcohol evaporates, carrying away the fishy smell. Fishy odor on a cutting board: To remove the fishy or musty smell from a cutting board, sprinkle salt on it, scrub it with a brush or sponge, and rinse with running cold water. If grease remains, wash it with a sponge dipped in detergent. If the odor persists, wash it with a bleach-containing detergent. Use hot water only for the final rinse, and make sure to dry it thoroughly with a dry cloth. Odor after eating garlic or onions: The strong odor from eating garlic or onions can be a concern for those around you. It is said that eating parsley leaves can eliminate the odor completely. Garlic odor: For those who are constitutionally averse to garlic but need to use it in cooking due to its flavor, and find the smell unpleasant, try this: Do not peel the garlic. Wrap it whole in plastic wrap and heat it in the microwave for 1 minute. This removes the odor. Mayonnaise odor: If your mayonnaise develops an unpleasant odor, adding a drop of soy sauce surprisingly eliminates the smell. Mayonnaise is sensitive to high and low temperatures. Therefore, in summer, store it only in the refrigerator door compartment. In spring, autumn, and winter, it can be kept at room temperature. Fishy odor of dried anchovies: When using dried anchovies for stews or soups, they often have a strong fishy smell. However, if you lightly roast them in a pan until they are dry before cooking, the distinctive fishy smell will disappear. Water bottle odor: After cleaning the inside of the bottle with hot water, finely chop charcoal and place it inside for a day to eliminate odors. Alternatively, you can prevent odors by placing charcoal in the bottle before storing it. Mothball odor on clothes: When taking out clothes that have been stored in a closet, they often have a lingering mothball odor, which can be unpleasant for the wearer and those around them. To remove this odor, you can air out the clothes beforehand. However, if you don't have enough time, place a hairdryer inside the clothes and run it on the cool setting for about 5 minutes. This will quickly eliminate the mothball odor. Toilet odor: It is said that cleaning with a vinegar solution using a clean cloth washed with laundry soap will eliminate the odor. Musty odor in a thermos: Finely crush eggshells, add a little water, and shake vigorously. The egg white attached to the eggshells dissolves the scale and sediment, removing dirt and odors. Fishy odor in a pot: Add some orange peels and water to the pot and boil to eliminate fishy odors. Fishy odor from a grill: After grilling fish, dispose of the water in the drip pan before the grill cools down and sprinkle plenty of baking soda on it. It absorbs the fish oil and removes unpleasant odors. After it cools, wipe it with baking soda and wash thoroughly. The odor will be completely gone, even from the sponge. Another good method is to place a handful of used green tea leaves or coffee grounds in the grill. Eliminating fish odor: Soaking fish like mackerel or saury, which have a strong fishy smell, in leftover flat beer for about 10 minutes completely removes the odor. Then, wipe it with a damp cloth to remove moisture and coat it with flour before deep-frying for a delicious fish fry. You can also add a little beer to the batter for a crispier fry. When braising fish with a strong odor, braise it with soy sauce for 4 minutes and then add ginger to remove the odor and enhance the flavor. Beef and pork odor: Ginger is excellent for tenderizing beef and pork. It contains protein-degrading components. Applying ginger juice to meat purchased from a butcher shop removes the unpleasant odor and tenderizes the meat thanks to its unique aroma. Garbage can odor: Place old newspapers at the bottom of the garbage bag to absorb dirty water and dispose of dried green tea leaves or coffee grounds with the garbage. Spinach odor: If spinach has a grassy smell after being blanched, it is due to oxalic acid in the spinach. When blanching spinach, add about a spoonful of sugar to five cups of hot water. Sugar neutralizes the oxalic acid, removing the grassy odor. Sink odor: Pour a mixture of one cup of water and two tablespoons of vinegar down the drain. The acidity of the vinegar neutralizes the odor. Shoe odor: Apply ethanol to a gauze pad and wipe the inside of the shoes. Shoe cabinet odor: Place a suitable amount of charcoal in the shoe cabinet to eliminate odors. Sock odor: Socks can develop an unpleasant odor after being worn for a while. After washing the socks thoroughly, dissolve a small amount of boric acid in water and soak the socks in the solution to effectively remove the odor. Cabbage odor: While cabbage doesn't usually have a strong odor when eaten raw, it can develop a distinct smell when used in dishes like cabbage wraps or when blanched. To eliminate this odor, add a little vinegar when boiling the cabbage. The odor is caused by the decomposition of sulfur compounds, and vinegar prevents this. Pet odor: Placing soda wrapped in Hanji paper (Korean traditional paper) at the bottom of the pet's bed is effective. For urine stains, wipe the area with a tissue or cloth, sprinkle a little soda on it, wait a moment, and then vacuum up the soda to remove the odor completely. For carpets soiled with urine, wipe it with tissue or a cloth and then spray vinegar on the spot. This prevents odor. Then, wash the area thoroughly with hot water and allow it to dry to prevent staining. Musty odor in clothes during the rainy season: When washing clothes, add one teaspoon of vinegar to the final rinse water instead of fabric softener. This effectively removes odors and softens the clothes. For suits or women's formal wear that are difficult to wash frequently, spraying a fabric deodorizer can help remove odors. Milk odor: If you dislike the smell of milk, try adding a little lemon juice. Food waste odor: After brewing coffee or green tea, leave the grounds in the drain for a day. Bad breath: Bad breath is caused by a sulfur compound called methyl mercaptan (CH3SH). Seaweed is considered excellent for eliminating bad breath. An analysis of the odor-reducing effects of different types of seaweed showed that rhubarb had the highest effect at 99.2%, followed by Ecklonia cava (gamtae) at 98.9%, Hizikia fusiformis (gompi) at 95.9%, and hijiki (tot) at 90.2%. Compared to commercially available chemical synthetics like sodium fluoride and chlorophyllin sodium, these seaweeds showed 2-10 times greater inhibition effects and are completely harmless to the human body. So, consuming more seaweed could be beneficial for eliminating bad breath. Car odor: Placing activated carbon in the backseat or beside the driver's seat can eliminate gasoline or cigarette odors that seep into the car. The negative ions and humidity control function of charcoal create a more pleasant car environment. Microwave odor: After prolonged use, food spills can leave stains and a foul odor in the microwave. While stains can be cleaned with detergent, the odor can be a problem. In such cases, placing orange or lemon peels in the microwave and heating them can eliminate the odor and leave a subtle citrus fragrance. Lemons are effective for removing odors in the microwave. Place two slices of lemon in a cup of water and heat it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes to eliminate the odor. Heating a cup of barley tea or black tea can also reduce odors. To sanitize dishcloths, add a drop or two of neutral detergent to a wet dishcloth, rub it, place it in a plastic bag, and heat it in the microwave for 3 minutes.
Source: https://topkoreans.tistory.com/493 [Top Korean Blog: Tistory]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠