12 Tips to Eliminate Fishy Smells in Your Home After Cooking

To get rid of the smell of fish after cooking, choose a fish that doesn’t smell as bad, or use these tips to help you prepare the fish.

If you are hesitant to cook fish at home because you are worried about the smell, don’t be. Fish that has been cooked tastes great and is good for you. Here is some information and some tips on how to keep fish smells from spreading.

Trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), which helps fish keep their fluid balance, changes naturally into fishy-smelling trimethylamine (TMA) when it comes in contact with air. This is how saltwater fish smell. Freshwater fish can give off a “muddy” smell due to geosmin and methylisoborneol from their environment. The smell intensifies the longer the fish is dead.

Buy fish that are less likely to have that smell. This can help cut down on the smell.

If you want to avoid the smell of fish when you buy fish, here are some things to think about:

The best choice for people who want to avoid fish smell is a fresh anadromous or freshwater fish that doesn’t eat the bottom. Fish like Arctic char or tilapia are great options.

A lot of people like fish that tastes like seafood, but they don’t like how it smells in their homes. There are a few steps that you can take to keep your house from smelling like fish.

Cooking fish is a great way to get healthy omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. However, it can leave behind a stubborn fishy odor that lingers in your home. If you love seafood but hate the smell, don’t worry. With the right techniques, you can cook fish without stinking up your house.

Here are 12 tips to get rid of fishy smells after cooking

Choose Less Smelly Fish

Some types of fish give off less odor than others:

Freshwater fish like tilapia and trout tend to smell less than saltwater varieties. That’s because they lack trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), which produces fishy odors
Lean fish like cod and halibut produce less smell than fattier fish like salmon and mackerel. The fat causes more oxidation and odor.
Anadromous fish like salmon live in both fresh and saltwater. So they smell less than fish that live only in the ocean.

Rinse, Soak, or Rub

Rinsing, soaking, and rubbing fish can help remove odors before cooking:

Rinse fish fillets under cold running water to wash away fishy amines on the surface.
Soak fish in milk or a mixture of water and vinegar for 20 minutes. The proteins and acids help neutralize odors.
Rub fish with acidic ingredients like lemon, lime, or tomato to mask smells. The acids break down amines.

Contain Smells While Cooking

Certain cooking methods prevent smells from spreading:

Bake, grill, or broil fish to contain odors in the oven or grill.
Pan fry fish outdoors or use your stove vent hood to direct smells outside.
Wrap fish in foil or parchment to seal in odors before baking or grilling.
Poach fish in a pot with water, wine, or milk to absorb smells.

Clear the Air After Cooking

After cooking fish, let some fresh air in:

Open windows and turn on exhaust fans to vent smells outside.
Set out bowls of distilled white vinegar around the kitchen. The acetic acid absorbs odors.
Simmer citrus peels, cinnamon sticks, cloves, or other spices on the stove. The pleasant aromas overpower fishy smells.

Eliminate Odors From Fabrics

Fish odors can cling to fabrics. To remove them:

Machine wash fabric items like clothes, towels, and aprons with detergent, vinegar, and baking soda.
Hand wash delicate fabrics by soaking them in a mixture of cool water, vinegar, and baking soda for 30 minutes before laundering.
For tough odors, soak or spray fabrics with vodka or rubbing alcohol before washing. The alcohol helps break down amines.

Clean Surfaces With Baking Soda

Fishy smells can linger on counters, utensils, and appliances. Baking soda is a natural deodorizer:

Make a baking soda paste with water and scrub down surfaces. Rinse thoroughly afterward.
Fill your dishwasher and run it empty on a hot cycle with 1⁄2 cup baking soda to freshen.
Set out small dishes of baking soda around your kitchen and fridge to absorb odors overnight. Replace weekly.

Take Out the Trash

Don’t let fish scraps sit in your kitchen garbage can:

Remove trash bags containing fish waste right after cooking.
Double bag trash that held fish parts or packaging to contain leaks and smells.
Clean trash cans with baking soda and vinegar to eliminate residual odors.

Mask Smells With Other Cooking

The smells from baking or simmering other ingredients can override fish odors:

Bake cookies, bread, or other sweet-smelling desserts right after cooking fish.
Brew a pot of coffee to fill your home with the pleasant aroma. Leave used grounds out overnight to absorb odors.
Simmer a fragrant soup stock or chai tea to overpower leftover fish smells.

Use Scented Candles or Oils

Candles and essential oils add masking scents to the air:

Burn scented candles with strong aromas like citrus, vanilla, cinnamon, or floral.
Put a few drops of essential oils like lemon, lavender, eucalyptus, or peppermint into a diffuser.
Add essential oils to an all-natural room spray. Spritz it around smelly areas.

Let In Fresh Air

Nothing beats some fresh outdoor air for removing fishy cooking odors:

Open up windows and doors to create cross-breezes through your home.
Run ceiling fans on high and point window fans to blow air out, not in.
If it’s too hot or cold out, run your HVAC system fan to circulate fresh indoor air.

Be Proactive in Your Meal Prep

You can take some steps before cooking to prevent fish smells in the first place:

Buy the freshest fish possible and use it within a couple days. Freezing can also maintain freshness.
Thaw frozen fish gradually in the fridge, not on the counter. Quick thawing causes more oxidation and odor.
Store fresh fish on ice or ice packs in the fridge until ready to cook. The chill minimizes bacterial growth.
Clean up right after eating. Don’t leave dirty dishes sitting around to make smells stronger.

Fish is delicious and nutritious. With the right prep and cleanup methods, you can enjoy it without stinking up your house. The next time you cook fish, try ventilating the kitchen, eliminating odors from fabrics, and masking smells with other scents. A few simple tricks can keep your home smelling fresh.

how to get rid of fishy smell after cooking fish

Keep Fish From Smelling While Cooking

Applying heat to fish releases its odors. Cooking with fish will inevitably cause your kitchen to smell a little fishy. However, some cooking techniques can help keep the smell from spreading.

Make a pouch: Wrap your fish in foil or parchment paper to help keep the smell inside and stop it from spreading to the rest of the house. The fish will also get the flavors of whatever else you put in the pouch.
For a poached fish, cook it in boiling water. This will help keep the TMA in the water. If you use milk instead of water, the smells will stay trapped, and the fish will be flaky and creamy.
Grill your fish. If you cook your fish outside, the smell of fish won’t get into your house.

After cooking with it, your house will smell a little like fish, no matter what you do. If you use the above methods, the smell should dissipate quickly.

Get Rid of Fish Smell During Prep

Before you start cooking, there are some steps you can take to reduce the fish smell.

The fish should be kept in its original package until you are ready to cook it. That way, the fish will stay fresh and smells won’t spread. If you want to get rid of smells, keep a box of baking soda, activated charcoal, or something else that absorbs smells in your fridge.

When you are ready to cook it there are a few steps you can take to reduce the smell:

Rinse the fish with tap water. This will wash off any TMA on the fish’s skin.
For about 20 minutes, soak the fish in milk. Then, wash it under cold running water.
Put something acidic on top of the fish, like vinegar, lime, lemon, tomato, or lime. This will add bright flavors to the fish when cooking.

Acids and milk are both great odor absorbents. They work similarly to baking soda only you can apply them directly to the fish.

How does an acid like lemon juice get rid of the smell of fish? Citric acid neutralizes the amines in fish by changing them into healthy salts that won’t let the amines get into the air.

Super Quick Video Tips: Removing Fishy Smells From Fresh Seafood

How to remove fish smell when cooking?

When the poaching liquid is drained, so is the trimethylamine, removing the fishy smell. Your fish will still taste amazing. In fact, it should be perfectly cooked, tender, and flaky, thanks to the poaching liquid — without any of the offensive smell. 3. Boil cinnamon Boiling cinnamon to remove fishy odors from your house while cooking fish?

How can one make rice water smell good?

You may add vanilla essential oil, citrus peels, lavender essential oil, lemon grass essential oil, peppermint essential oil, jasmine oil, chamomile essential oil.

How do you get rid of fish odors?

You can boil this on the stove while cooking your fish or afterward to reduce fishy odors in your home. Soaking your fish in a diluted solution of vinegar and water for around ten minutes before cooking is another way to get rid of unpleasant smells.

How do you stop a fish smell when chucking it out?

How to stop fish smells when throwing fish away: Freeze your fish. CJ reveals an incredibly nifty way of reducing the smell of out-of-date fish when you’re chucking it out. Freeze it. ‘No one likes dead, raw fish in the food bin,’ she says.