Help with Onion Smell

great question! I never thought that much about the smell on the hands. It's the crying that always got me. And bad. But I put on a pair of swim goggles before chopping onions and NO MORE TEARS!

Stainless steel. I have a soap shaped bar of stainless steel that sits in its own 'soap' dish behind my kitchen sink. I cant remember where I got it, but it wasnt real expensive and it works like a charm. I just wet my hands, grab the 'bar' and rub on my hands like soap. Works for other nasty smells too, like garlic!

Fresh lemon juice will eliminate the smell of both onions & garlic. It will also take care of that "sticky fingers" feel that you have after messing with fresh garlic.
Also, if you peel and slice the onion under cold running water, you won't have so much of a problem with the smell and it will make the onion sweeter.

Rubbing your hands on a stainless steel spoon underwater will take the smell away.

slice a lemon and aqueeze the juice on your hands. You might also aprinkle baking soda and rinse. Vinegar is also good, if you can stand the vinegar smell. I personally prefer the lemon.

Do you remember those metal bars shaped like soap? Basically its chrome that is suppose to elimnate the smells from you hands. I have also read where you can just rub your hands on the chrome (sp?) fixture at the sink. Hope this helps.

"They" always recommend lemon for fish smell on your hands, but you could try it for onion. Lemon is great for disinfecting and cleaning. Also, a little baking soda rubbed in your hand (with some water) might really work! I use lemon and baking soda (along with vinegar) to clean much of my house, and I think they would really work for your onion dilemma.

Hey C.,
Is your kitchen sink stainless steel? If so, you can rub your fingers/hands on your sink and it takes the odor away ~ really it does!
After I found out this little tidbit I bought a stainless steel "bar of soap" created for just this purpose ~ it's called rub-away and works great. Hope this helps!!

I just wanted to add that if you put the onion in the freezer for about 5 minutes before you begin chopping this will cut down on the odor that causes your eyes to water and some of the smell left on your hands.

Hi C.
I discovered this silver thing that looks like a giant peanut. Its sold at "kitchen" stores. You just rub (wash) your hands with it and the smell goes away. I don't know where you live but there is a "kitchen" store in New Braunfels in the Marketplace shopping center. It costs about $3.00 but it works on any odors.....
Good luck

Lemon juice works wonders with taking off bad smells..

I've heard that lemon will take away the onion smell. Or you could buy your onion already chopped, in the frozen section.

C.,

I rather enjoyed reading all the suggestions so far. I'd heard about citrus before, but the stainless steel bar sounds pretty cool.

My first reaction, when I read your post - buy a box of latex gloves (like the doctors use), for when you're chopping onions. We keep them on-hand for when we're preparing a turkey for frying. You can get them pretty cheap at most stores.

Happy cooking!
M.

I just use laytex free disposable gloves and it works for me.

Hi C.
Onion juice- I keep onion juice handy for all things- not only for seasonings but for cleaning and ordor control- just rub a little on your hands before washing- you can also use it to keep the onion smell of your knives used for slicing the onions and almost everything in your kitchen that would retain odors. It does not take much- just a little bit goes long way.
good luck and blessings

Try vinegar. I have heard that helps.

Use a soap that has a strong citrus scent in it. Citrus kills the onion odor.

There are stainless-steel bars they make now that look like little bars of soap. If you wash under warm water with the bar it takes the smell away. I got one as a gift, but I beleive they sell them at specialty kitchen shops and places such as Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Good question! I hate that onion smell on my hands. I don't have any remedy suggestions, except stop chopping onions! I hated doing it so I bought a cheap small food processor and now just quarter the onion, throw it in and pulse it a couple of times. Good luck to you!!

Good old fashion lemon juice. You can buy it in a bottle or squeeze it yourself. We always have some in the fridge to add to our avocado to keep it from turning black before we can eat it. Or you can buy the thin plastic gloves like doctors use and wear them. I have found them almost anywhere.

Wipe your hand with a piece of bread afterwards. Somehow it absorbs the small. Make sure you do this before you wash them with water though.

stainless works! i use my sink, too. :o)

They have a gadget at the kitchen stores that is shaped like a bar of soap but made of stainless steel. Rubbing your hands over the bar under water makes all the onion and garlic smell go away and has been very effective for me.

I have also seen directions for using your stainless steel sink the same way, but it calls for the addition of some salt (not necessary with the stainless 'soap'): http://www.ehow.com/how_###-###-####_remove-garlic-onion-...

Looks like stainless steel is a popular choice- I use a little salt and it is good for dead skin on hands and like a quick little spa treatment for your hands. Don't wet your hands first - soap first, a little shake of salt, rub vigorously and rinse!

Try using a lemon. Slice it in half and scrub it all over your hands. I heard this works. Good luck.

Take a silver/metal (not real silver) spoon and rub it on your hands under running water... it really works! I learned it from rachel ray!

Use baking soda and pour some in your hands with or without soap and it will do the trick! It works really well for garlic, peppers and other food items that sting your hands and for the odor. I saw this on the food network and use it often. It really works.

-M.

It's really easy!! Turn the water faucet on, hold a stainless knife under the running water. Then hold your other hand under the water that is running off the knife and rub your fingers together. Then switch hands. It really works. (Maybe someone could hold the knife for you so you can rub your hands together.)

J.

Do you have a stainless steel sink? If so, while you are washing your hands, rub them on the sink. I do this everytime I cook with onion or garlic and the smell is gone. Someone mentioned the stainless steel bars, those would work, but if you have a steel sink, just use it!

I think lemon juice is suppose to help. Also, a raw potato.

It might be as simple as the way you are holding or becoming incontact with the onion. If you are cutting it properly, you should have very little contact with the juice of it all. Check YouTube on how to cut/slice/dice an onion. That may help, if not, lemons should do the trick.

hi lemons will help or lemon soap I get the kitchen spice or lemon from bath and body works it helps.. wow I just went and read all the reply's to your email and I have never heard of using stainless steel and I am going to get one of those bars and try it and if it works one for each of my daughters and daughter in laws... I am 59 and never heard it... Thanks to all of you and to you C. for sending in your problem... it helped me too...

Hello C.!

This is my first response on this site. I can tell you a 100% tip for onion smells on your hands. If you have a stainless steel sink, rub your wet hands on it. If you don't have a stainless steel sink, you can rub them carefully on a kitchen tool made of it...be sure your hands are wet. Works every time and it is a tip I have passed on to many people. It never fails!

A.
Texas

I know it sounds crazy but I do recall my grandmother and godmother telling me that to take the onion or garlic smell away rub your hands on stainless steel. So if you have a kitchen sink that is stainless steel rub your hands on it or there is also a thing I believe they have it at bed bath and beyond and is a stainless steel bar about the size of a soap bar that you rub your hands on. Good luck!

Silver -silverware works. Wash your hands with soap while rubbing your hands on like a silver spoon works.

Rub your hands with a fresh lemon-just a slice...or there is this little metal thing you can get at kitchen gaget stores that you rub your hands on-it takes the smell away.

Wanna come cook dinner for us? heeeheee

Have fun...

Hey C... plain ole salt works. you can rub the salt on your damp hands and viola the smell is gone. Also if your cooking with onions and want the faint taste but not one that over powers.. cut the onions and take the salt and scrunch then together. Rinse them well and you keep some of the taste but not have it over power everything. Works great for onions in a salad too..

M.

Slip your hand into a small zip lock bag to hold the onion, so you don't have smelly hands! I got my adult daughter a small, electric food chopper and she uses it for everything! I use dried, minced onion for a lot of my meals. Hope these things help!