How to Remove the Onion Smell From Your Hands

(photo credit: L. Marie)

I love onions. I love the way they taste when they’re sauteed and mixed with other vegetables. I love spring onions rubbed in salt and eaten raw. And I love onions diced into tiny little rectangles and placed nicely across a well-done cheeseburger.

But I hate the way they make my hands smell.

When I cut an onion and the juices touch my hands, I can smell it for days. I’ll be washing my face in the morning and catch a whiff that will turn my stomach. My eyes will water as I take my contacts in and out. In the shower I can still smell the onion as my hands move past my face to wash my hair.

Did you know that there’s a quick and easy way to remove that smell from your hands immediately after cutting the onion? Luckily, I remember it last night as I prepared tortellini and vegetables for my family!

Instead of washing your hands in soap and water, grab your salt shaker – yes, your salt shaker! – and wash your hands with salt and then warm water. It removes the smell completely with just a palm full of salt.

A couple of other favorite in the kitchen tips are:

• Clean your fruit and veggies by spritzing lemon juice and rubbing lightly – removes the waxy coating.
• If you’re disinfecting your preparation service, don’t follow with a dry cloth for 2 minutes post application of product or you may not kill all of the germs!
• When you’re cleaning the kitchen sink, begin by pouring some baking soda down the drain – kills that icky sink smell.