4 Spots That May Be Causing a Stink in Your Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the busiest spaces in a typical Filipino home, particularly when there are events and holidays that friends and family members elect to spend together. Good company and good food, however, are not the only constants in the kitchen. Since this space is where perishables are processed and it has spots that are constantly exposed to moisture, the kitchen can also be prone to having weird smells. This is especially true during the hot season when humidity is high and the increase in temperature can help speed up the breakdown of organic matter.
It can be difficult to detect minor changes in how your kitchen smells if you tend to spend a good portion of your time in the area. If something smells funky and you’re able to notice it, then there’s a chance that the odor emanating from your kitchen is stronger than you think it is. To eliminate the odor, the first thing you should do is to find where it’s coming from and clean it up. Here are four areas in your kitchen where you’re most likely to spot the source of unpleasant smells.
The Oven, Stove, and Other Appliances for Cooking
More often than not, the level of functionality you can expect from a kitchen depends on the appliances available in the room. While there are simpler and slower ways of baking bread or thawing meat, today’s fast-paced lifestyle requires the use of modern appliances like ovens, stoves, rice cookers, and air fryers. With more manufacturers producing budget-friendly appliances, you may even find a microwave oven price for just a few thousand pesos, so you can easily get an affordable addition to your kitchen.
Though they are integral to the cooking process, ovens, stoves, and other appliances can be a source of funky smells in the kitchen. Spills are a regular feature of kitchen messes, and it can be easy to forget to clean the appliances that you used to cook your food after you finish preparing a dish. A compromise to this would be to wipe down the appliances that you use regularly at the end of every day. This should help clear the bits of food and debris that accumulate in these appliances and cause unpleasant odors. You can schedule a more thorough cleaning, which includes scrubbing or washing every nook and cranny of these devices, during the weekends or immediately after cooking for an event or holiday.
The Garbage Can
The garbage can is another potential source of foul smells in the kitchen. Organic matter that has been left over from the food preparation process, such as vegetable and fruit peels, bits of bone and meat, or shells and fish parts, can start to smell bad after a few hours of being left at room temperature. The same can be said of leftover food. It’s important to get biodegradable trash out of your kitchen as soon as possible and prepare it for composting. On the other hand, non-compostable and non-perishable refuse like empty plastic containers and glass bottles can be kept in the kitchen for longer without contributing to the room’s funky smell if they are cleaned and stored properly.
In addition to taking the trash out at the end of every day, it’s also important to wash and scrub your garbage cans thoroughly on a regular basis. This will not only keep them looking clean, but it will also keep them free of funky odors.
The Refrigerator
The refrigerator can also be a source of bad smells. This can happen if the fridge is too musty or if something that’s stored in it has gone bad. Remember that storing ingredients and food items in the ref can extend their shelf life, but this doesn’t mean that they will be preserved indefinitely. If your refrigerator is starting to smell weird, check its contents and ensure that everything is still in good condition. Get rid of food items that are showing signs of spoilage and remove ingredients that might be encouraging mold growth, such as discolored bread or vegetables and fruits that have gone bad.
To remove the musty smell, clean up spills thoroughly and tweak the refrigerator’s humidity controls to prevent moisture from accumulating and promoting mold growth. You can also try placing natural deodorizers like baking soda, coffee grounds, or activated charcoal in the chiller compartment to neutralize the odor, but remember to replace them when necessary to retain the desired effect.
Kitchen Towels, Rags, and Mats
Kitchen implements made of cloth, such as pot holders, hand towels, and rugs and mats, often absorb excess moisture and retain the distinct scent of the spills and liquids that they have been in contact with. Make it a habit to clean and replace the pieces of cloth and fabrics that you regularly use in the kitchen. Washing these accessories regularly can help clear your kitchen of musty smells, and it will also help you maintain good hygiene while you’re preparing food.
If you ever smell something out of the ordinary in your kitchen, check these four spots rather than trying to cover up the odor with an air freshener. Doing so will give you a better chance of discovering the source of the offensive odor and getting rid of it immediately. This, in turn, will improve the atmosphere of your kitchen and turn it into a more pleasant space to work in.