Get rid of the smell of garlic: home remedies for hands and mouth

Garlic is a very popular spice with only one disadvantage: it is very difficult to get rid of the penetrating smell of garlic. It sticks to the fingers after cutting or pressing the white bulb and sometimes causes bad breath after eating until the next day. Fortunately, there are some home remedies that can weaken the "fragrance" or at best even eliminate it altogether.

What helps against the smell of garlic on the hands?

For example, garlic is one of the essential ingredients in dishes from Italian, Eastern European and Asian cuisine. No wonder - the tuber not only has an intense spicy taste, it is also said to have a healthy effect. For the cook, the problem of the typical garlic smell arises not only from the food, but also from the preparation. Peel and cut the cloves of garlic with your hands, your fingers smell strongly of it. However, with a few tricks or home remedies you can remedy the situation.

• Cut the garlic, you can put on gloves.
• If you use a garlic press, your hands never come into contact with the garlic.
• You don't necessarily have to cut your toes to use the garlic aroma: use the broad side of the knife to press the peeled clove of garlic until it cracks. Then just add the whole toe to the food. When serving, however, make sure that nobody gets the whole clove of garlic, or simply remove it from the pot or pan.
• If you have the smell of garlic on your fingers, wash it immediately after cutting the garlic with warm water and soap or detergent. So-called stainless steel soap works particularly well.
• Alternatively, you can rub your hands with salt and lemon juice or vinegar, because these home remedies also neutralize odors.

Bad breath: Get rid of the garlic plume

The problem of the penetrating smell of garlic is of course also a problem for the eater: after a serving of aioli, a kebab, a strong garlic soup or tzatziki, the smell sometimes persists until the next day. Even repeated brushing of the teeth will not help. Some home remedies can help you neutralize the smell:

• Eat half a lemon to neutralize the smell and taste in your mouth.
• Chew a handful of herbs such as parsley, sage, cardamom, ginger, or mint. These contain oils that can drive out the smell of garlic.
• Drink a glass of milk: keep a mouthful of milk in your mouth for about a minute and then slowly drink the rest of the glass afterwards.
• Chew on coffee beans for 5 to 10 minutes - this also dispels the aroma as well as the smell.