One of my favorite dishes to eat is curry, I absolutely adore the flavors, but I don’t love the after smell! If you’re a curry lover like me, you also want to know how to get curry smell out of house…..fast!
If there’s a question that unites curry lovers everywhere, it’s this one right here — “how do you get curry smell out of house fast?”
The good news is, there are several ways to get rid of the strong smell of Indian curry, and I’ll go over each one of them in this post.
Curry powder’s unique aroma turns the most basic recipe into a lip-smacking masterpiece, that’s for sure.
But this very same signature aroma that gives curry dishes a delightful kick can make you want to chop off your nose when it lingers in the house long after you’ve enjoyed the meal.
If you’ve been hesitant to prepare your favorite curry dish because you don’t want your whole house to smell like the parking lot of an Indian food joint for hours or days, I assure you there’s a way out.
Read on as I explore several little-known remedies to remove curry smell that you’ll find helpful.
*This post contains affiliate links. Full disclosure here.
10 Ways to Get Rid of the Lingering Curry Smell
I’m sure you’ve at some point wondered what it is about Indian curry that makes its distinct smell linger in the house for too long.
Well, there are two good reasons for this.
Curry powder is like a cocktail of strong spices — onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, turmeric …………..the list goes on.
This blend of different aromatic spices gives curry powder a powerful smell.
Plus we all know heat makes spices more fragrant. So as your curry dish is cooking, all the strong-smelling ingredients in the powder burst to life at the same time and, unfortunately, stick around longer than you’d like.
The other reason is this — curry is notorious for releasing greasy steam when it cooks. This vapor may settle on the walls, kitchen counters, carpets, and other surfaces, making the entire place smell for hours.
That said, here are easy, tried-and-tested methods of eliminating curry smell that I recommend:
How to Get Curry Smell Out Of House Fast!
1# Air Out the Room
It’s important to open your windows before you start cooking a curry dish and leave the windows open for as long as possible. This will let in lots of fresh air and kick out the strong smell and steam being released as the food boils.
And as you’re getting ready to cook, remember to close the main kitchen door to prevent the smell from spreading to the other rooms.
But if the smell still finds its way into another area, leave the windows in the smelly room wide open for as long as possible.
#2 Use Baking Soda to Neutralize Odors
At this point, I’m tempted to think that what baking soda can’t do doesn’t exist.
This non-toxic pantry staple has a million uses, including getting rid of nasty odors for good. It does this by absorbing the odor molecules.
Using baking soda to tackle Indian curry smell is pretty easy.
Get ready for this genius hack! Simply pour baking soda into a bowl (or several bowls, depending on how many rooms reek of curry) and leave the bowl uncovered in the odorous rooms for a couple of days.
Baking soda will suck up the pungent odor, and by the time you realize it, your house will be curry-smell-free.
If your kitchen is the worst affected area, go the extra mile and sprinkle baking soda on your countertops, stovetop, and other kitchen surfaces.
You can also make a baking soda solution by mixing baking soda with water in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture on your kitchen curtains, cabinet surfaces, carpet, and any upholstered furniture stinking of curry — it will deodorize these areas.
#3 Try Coffee to Eliminate the Smell
If you’re a devoted coffee drinker, what if I told you the benefits of this magical bean don’t end with you sipping your perfectly brewed cup of coffee?
From keeping annoying pests out of the garden to removing unpleasant smells, there’s a lot that coffee can do besides caffeinating your mornings.
If you have a curry odor problem, coffee grounds will come to your rescue since they have odor-absorbing abilities, just like baking soda.
Simply fill a bowl with dried coffee grounds and leave the bowl to sit overnight on your carpet and in the room stinking of curry.
#4 Boil Lemons
If you’re looking for an effective, eco-friendly way to drive out curry smells from your house, lemon steam will save the day.
The steam from boiling lemon juice will neutralize the odor and freshen the air with a citrus aroma.
Just pop several lemon wedges into a pot filled with water, and bring it to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for a few hours.
For that extra odor-elimination effectiveness, add about two tablespoons of baking soda to the boiling mixture.
Besides acting as an odor eliminator, the citric acid in lemon juice also does an excellent job of degreasing surfaces.
When the lemon solution cools down, you can transfer some of it to a spray bottle and use it to wipe down the kitchen walls, cabinets, and stovetops covered by greasy curry steam.
#5 Potatoes Can Absorb Bad Smell
You’ll be surprised to know that potatoes — specifically salted potatoes — tackle awful smells in the house.
Just like baking soda and vinegar, potatoes are literally odor-absorbing superheroes!
Salted potatoes act like sponges — they soak up nasty odors hovering in the air.
All you need to do is grab several potatoes, cut them into halves, and sprinkle salt generously on the cut side.
Then, place these potato pieces (with the cut side facing up) at different spots in the curry-smelling areas, and let them stay there until the curry smell disappears.
You can also place the salted potato slices in the cooking pot and dishes that still have the smell of curry.
#6 Keep Your Workspace Clean
Cooking curry is often a messy affair — your stove may end up with spills everywhere as the thick stew boils.
But don’t wait for deep cleaning day to give your stove a proper wipe-down. Letting these spills linger on the stovetop means the curry smell will gladly stick around.
So be sure to give your stovetop a good scrub. Don’t forget to clean the sides, behind the stove, as well as the interior and exterior of your range hood.
Ensure you also wash the cooking pot, dishes, and cutting boards as soon as possible so that the curry smell doesn’t have time to build up in the kitchen.
If the odor has found its way into your living area, you can steam clean your furniture and carpet with a steam cleaner, or call in professional carpet cleaners.
#7 Clear and Clean the Bins
Don’t let the curry meal leftovers sit in the trash bin for long. Even if the trash bag isn’t full yet, I would recommend taking it to your outside trash can, so the smell cannot linger on inside and stink up your house.
So, dump the trash and rinse the bin before lining it with a new bag. I recommend sprinkling baking soda in the bin before placing the new liner. This is a great way to help get rid of the smell.
#7 Use Vinegar and Water
White vinegar is one of the most versatile pantry staples as it has several uses — one of them being neutralizing gag-worthy odors.
Simply mix equal parts of water and white vinegar in a bowl, leave the bowl in the room with the curry odor problem, and let this odor-absorbing solution do its magic.
If you can’t stand how white vinegar smells, add a few drops of a fresh-smelling essential oil like citrus to the solution.
You can also boil the vinegar solution and let it simmer for some time. The vinegar-induced steam will neutralize the smell quickly and effectively.
#7 Microbial Solution
Sometimes, a little help from science may be all you need to remove a horrible smell in your home for good.
There’s a wide variety of commercial microbial products sold in hardware stores that help get rid of stubborn smells on carpets, walls, seats, and even ceilings.
So if you’re not in the DIY mood, get a live microbial agent from a nearby store.
These microbial agents usually contain live bacteria that specifically tackle the smelly odor molecules. The bacteria also break down grease on surfaces.
All you need to do is mix equal parts of the microbial agent with water and spray it in the smelly rooms, on your carpet, walls, and other spots. Leave the windows open to allow the sprayed spaces to air dry.
#8 Wash Your Hands With Citrus
To avoid carrying the smell of curry everywhere you go, wash your hands with lemon or lime.
Simply slice a whole lemon and rub the slices on your soapy hands before rinsing.
#9 Try An Ozone Generator
If you’re looking for a more powerful way to remove the frustrating smell, an ozone generator will come in handy.
These machines are specially formulated to get rid of persistent odorous molecules in the air and on surfaces like carpets.
Keep in mind, though, that ozone generators can have a negative health effect in the long haul. For instance, an ozone machine isn’t the best option if you have respiratory health issues.
#10 Change the Air Filters
Did you know air purifiers can become victims of the same odor they’re trying to filter? And by victim, I mean smelly.
It happens — especially if the smell in question is a pungent one like curry.
If you feel like you’ve tried almost all remedies but the smell is still there, replacing your air purifier might be the only thing you need to do to combat the odor.
Masking a Curry Smell (5 Easy Hacks)
If you’re looking for a quick fix to a better-smelling house when Indian curry smell has taken over your space, try these simple hacks to get rid of the smell so your guests don’t get overthrown by the pungent curry smell!
#1 Use Scented Candles to Mask the Smell
Lighting scented candles is an effortless way to cover up curry odors for some time.
Since these candles contain essential oils and other fragrances, they will cover up the strong curry smell and fill your house with a pleasant aroma in no time.
#2 Simmer Nicer Smelling Items
Get started on a simmer pot recipe with fresh-smelling ingredients like citrus, cinnamon sticks, cloves, vanilla extract, and fresh flowers.
Simply fill a pot with water, throw in the ingredients, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer. Your house will smell divine faster than you imagine.
#3 Use Air Freshening Products
I bet this is the easiest way of masking odors in the house — using store-bought air fresheners.
I recommend getting a scented plug-in air freshener to avoid going through the trouble of spraying a can-filled freshener every five minutes.
Once you plug the scented freshener into a socket, that’s it. The wonderful scent it releases will overpower the horrible odor in no time.
#4 Use a Scented Oil Diffuser
When it comes to masking curry smells in the house, air diffusers get the work done quickly.
Simply diffuse your favorite essential oil in an oil diffuser — your nose will thank you later.
#5 Repaint Your Walls
Okay, I know this sounds a bit extreme.
But if the smell has stuck on your walls despite trying out other odor removal methods, repainting your walls with an odor-absorbing paint will solve the odor problem once and for all.
And no, I’m not making that up. There are paints in the market specifically formulated to absorb stubborn odors on walls.
Getting Rid of Curry Smells: Final Thoughts
Anyone who prepares curry cuisines regularly knows too well the unmistakable odor that lingers around for hours or, worse, days.
Nobody wants to wake up to a house that smells like the curry dish they cooked two days ago. But this may be the norm if you have no idea what to do about the smell.
Luckily, there are several ways to prevent this odor from taking over the entire house and coming between you and your love for preparing curry meals.
From baking soda to salted potatoes, vinegar, and coffee grounds, the options to get rid of the smell are many.
So the next time you’re making a curry dish, be sure to try these hacks for getting the curry smell out of your house.
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