Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your Hands

Want the quickest and easiest way to get the smell of onion, chives and garlic off your hands?

Simply rub your fingers on anything stainless steel (the smooth blade of your kitchen cleaver, sharpening rod, or the side of a pan). The smell is gone quickly and efficiently and no mess to clean up. Try it, you'll be glad you found this secret.

By Penny

Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your Hands

Want the quickest and easiest way to get the smell of onion, chives, and garlic off your hands?

Simply rub your fingers on anything stainless steel (the smooth blade of your kitchen cleaver, sharpening rod, or the side of a pan). The smell is gone quickly and efficiently and no mess to clean up. Try it, you'll be glad you found this secret.

By Penny

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your Hands

Rubbing your hands with cooking oil does this as well and it also is good for your skin (olive oil smells wonderful). You wash off the excess, ending up with lovely smooth sweet-smelling hands. (06/03/2004)

By Gill

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your Hands

I've heard that running your hands over your kitchen faucet will do the same thing. I've tried it once and it worked, much to my surprise! (06/05/2004)

By Terri H.

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your

When lemon juice won't remove onion smell, I either rub the back of stainless steel spoon over hands, while holding both under water, or with water running, I run my hands around my stainless steel kitchen sink. The make up of the stainless steel interacts with the chemicals, causing the onion smell to simply wash away.

Gladys (10/28/2004)

By ThriftyFun

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your Hands

I sprinkle a little table salt on, rub until dissolved and then wash with water. (10/31/2004)

By seeyude

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your

Once you get the onion or garlic on your hands, rinse with cool, not hot water. The hot water seems to make your hands absorb it. Once it has been absorbed, it is much harder to get off. You can also try rubbing baking soda between your hands and around your fingers, that should absorb some of the odor.

Susan from ThriftyFun (01/13/2005)

By ThriftyFun

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your Hands

This does not work! (04/21/2005)

By mj

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your Hands

I used a nickel. (03/01/2006)

By Patrick

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your Hands

This trick surprisingly actually worked more than I thought it would. (05/24/2006)

By stani stan

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your

You can also dip your hands into lemon juice or vinegar. Both will remove the smell. Both, also, act as a mild bleach for removing stains around your fingers, good for the gardener to know. (05/27/2006)

By gator10tx

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your Hands

Try olive oil plus coarse salt (kosher-ing salt). (05/28/2006)

By kiwi eema

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your Hands

Try using coffee grounds. Put them in a cup with a little bit of water until it forms a paste then rub it over your hands. It works quite well if you don't mind your hands smelling like coffee. (12/29/2006)

By Molly

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your Hands

Try rubbing your hands with a mix of hydrogen peroxide and common salt. (10/12/2007)

By Bhaskar

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your

I work at a sub shop, and I work with onions almost every day, and I'm sorry to say that none of these tricks work. There are however ways you can get around the smell in general. When you're working with onions, wear gloves! If that's impractical, when you're done using the onions, wash your hands thoroughly in COLD water. Hot water opens the pores in your hands, allowing the odour or onions to get stuck in the pores. Cold water keeps them closed and lets the smell run off.

The only trick that may work is rubbing dry baking soda on your hands thoroughly and then washing it off. Do it twice, and then rise the second batch off with soap. Hope this helped anyone, (10/19/2007)

By Steve

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your Hands

Try rubbing your hands with tomato. (11/16/2007)

By Nancy from Jamaica, NY

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your

A British 1 pound coin worked on my fingers, used garlic 2 days ago and couldn't get rid of smell. I just did the 1 pound, and now 1hr later still no garlic smell! wooohoo! (11/19/2007)

By Darren

RE: Removing the Smell of Onions, Chives or Garlic From Your Hands

Just about the best thing to get rid of onions, garlic, etc. is washing your hands with strong mouthwash. (Scrubbing with coffee grounds will work too if the smell isn't too strong.) You may need to wash, rinse, and repeat, but the mouthwash will work. (02/27/2008)

By Peanut