How to neutralize unpleasant smells in the kitchen when washing and cleaning no longer helps

How do I get rid of a bad smells in my kitchen?

What to do when we already care about cleanliness and still smell bad smells in my kitchen?

The kitchen is a special place at home. On the one hand we have quite a lot of odorants and on the other hand we prepare meals there and eat them. However, it often happens that cleanliness and hygiene alone is not enough.

Odorants that occur in the kitchen

The kitchen is a specific place, where we have many possible places where unpleasant odors arise:

Cooking and cooking fumes
Fat burnt
Waste garbage bin
Sink's waste pipe
Fridge
Odors of pet food residues
Larder

Due to its important role in the preparation and consumption of meals, the kitchen is a special place. Especially here you should avoid all kinds of artificial air fresheners or chemical, cheap neutralizers or odor absorbers.

Odor neutralizers for the kitchen

Using all kinds of odor neutralizers in the kitchen is like taking a toothache tablet - it temporarily eliminates the effects, but does not remove the problem.

Yes, in special cases it is necessary to use an odor neutralizer. After a thorough reading of the description on such a product (CLP description - allergens), it is best to use a spray neutralizer to temporarily improve the atmosphere. However, I would recommend avoiding permanent neutralizers such as gels, electric neutralizers (plug-in) or automatic dosing systems.

The kitchen is a place where it is especially important to remember that our olfactory system was created in an evolutionary way to save our lives and prevent food poisoning. Cheating this system by introducing a constant dose of the neutralizer is therefore not good for our health!

Kitchen - refresh and keep clean

We can create a beautiful smell in the kitchen in a natural and healthy way. The best and most effective solution is drying fruits in the oven. Low temperature - up to 60 oC during drying will make the fruits (especially citrus fruits) give us the most wonderful, natural aroma. Unfortunately, this method is quite time-consuming and not always possible for everyday use.

So it is best to use a good quality natural air freshener, with constant evaporation, especially reed diffuser / sola flower type or a good quality gel. Always remember to check the description on the package especially the description of allergens.

I do not recommend hot evaporation solutions, i.e. electrical systems (plug-in type) or automatic pressurized sprays. The former because of the way of hot evaporation, which destroys natural essential oils, and the latter because of the possibility of getting a significant amount of air freshener on food products by dosing product particles constantly in the same place (on food?).

Let us remember - the kitchen is the place on which our whole day depends. A good mood in the morning is worth a bit of effort!

Attention to health - Kitchen place especially important

When using air fresheners or odor neutralizers, always check the description on these products carefully! Particularly important is the description of allergens contained in such products. There are no natural air fresheners that do not contain allergens - this is simply not possible. If there is no information about allergens on the air freshener - throw it away immediately. Lack of descriptions usually indicates that we are dealing with a synthetic product or even worse, that the manufacturer is hiding something from us. This topic is described in more detail in Herbal Garden at Home - Always ask for an MSDS card.

Author: Waldemar Stasiak - ELiX Founder

Melissa - a wonderful herb

Melissa / Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Have you ever wondered how plants can affect your well-being and happiness? If you are looking for a natural way to boost your mood, relax your mind and create a pleasant atmosphere in your home or workplace, you should try our new aromatherapy air freshener with Melissa. Melissa is a herb with a lemony scent that has many benefits for your health and emotions. It can help you calm down, reduce stress, improve sleep quality, enhance memory and concentration, and even fight infections. Our air freshener contains pure Melissa essential oil, as well as other carefully chosen plant extracts that complement its effects. You can choose from different fragrance options, depending on your preferences and needs. Whether you want to feel more energized, more focused, more creative or more peaceful, we have the perfect air freshener for you. Try it today and discover the power of Melissa and aromatherapy!

Author: Waldemar Stasiak - ELiX Founder

Herbal garden at home

HERBS: In general use, herbs are plants with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances.

16-20% of the world production of herbs belongs to Poland, of which about 80% are herbs from cultivation (about 60 species) and 20% from natural sites.

Herbs were used in prehistoric medicine. As far back as 5000 BCE. Some plants contain phytochemicals that have effects on the body. There may be some effects when consumed in the small levels that typify culinary "spicing", and some herbs are toxic in larger quantities. For instance, some can be used for medical purposes to relieve depression and stress. However, large amounts of these herbs may lead to toxic overload that may involve complications, some of a serious nature, and should be used with caution.

Nowadays, herbs are becoming more and more popular because even a small amount can have a positive effect on us.

The question remains: How can we efficiently and easily use the beneficial properties of herbs at home?

Herbs at home:

Popular methods of bringing herbs home usually require a lot of time and energy:

You can start your own cultivation, but this is probably the most absorbing method, requiring a daily commitment of time and energy.

Herbal infusions are a good method, but they require finding a moment during the day to skillfully prepare the infusion. Herbal infusions, however, are a good solution because dried herbal infusions can be stored even for a longer time without losing their healing properties.

Dietary supplements, i.e. herbs in tablets - the choice here is very large. However, despite the assurances of the manufacturers of these preparations, it is always necessary to consult a doctor first.

Herbal essences or herbal air fresheners are probably the most dynamically developing method of delivering herbs. Therefore, I will pay a little more attention to them.

When buying essential oils or herbal air fresheners, pay special attention to the manufacturer and descriptions. According to REACH regulations in the European Union such oils or air fresheners are classified as chemical mixtures. In itself, such designation does not define their natural or artificial origin, because according to this classification ethanol mixed with water (C2H5OH + H2O) is also a chemical mixture, and we used to think that it is ordinary vodka.

It is important to avoid mixtures without description or with a very short description containing only the name of the herbs. Herbs are natural stores of various chemicals that have a positive effect on people if used in the right concentration. Like all natural substances, they can cause allergic reactions. From my experience I know that all preparations that do not have a description of allergens or chemical composition (although this composition looks "chemical") have something to hide. Of course, homemade herbal extracts will not have descriptions, but then we know who prepared them and we trust such a person.

Beware of preparations without any description of allergens, how to proceed in case of getting into your eyes and without chemical composition. This may mean that the producer himself does not know what he is producing or, what is worse, tries to hide something from us.

Always ask for an MSDS card - this is a standard document where you will find a full description of the product and the allergens listed. YES - herbs as a natural product can cause an allergic reaction.

And now, perhaps the most important thing - only synthetic replacements of herbs do not cause an allergic reaction!

I will say it again - only synthetic equivalents of herbs do not cause an allergic reaction and can be sold without this information on the label!

Be sure to ask your dealer for an MSDS card, you don't need to know or read this - just see the dealer's reaction. If it is a natural product, made according to the European Union regulations, such a seller will give you the MSDS card immediately. On the other hand, if you hear that the product is natural because it is so written on it that natural products do not require an MSDS card or other stories prepared to calm you down - think about what the seller is hiding from you!

Herbal essences and natural herbal air fresheners are chemical mixtures (because this is how EU regulations define it) and according to these regulations they must have an MSDS card.

Natural essences and air fresheners are available on the market and do not have to be significantly more expensive than synthetic ones.

The use of natural air fresheners is simple and does not require special treatments. We can find a number of variants here. From the simplest, where they simply have to be sprayed in the room through to reed diffusor solutions, where the aroma is released from various types of rattan sticks, natural flowers (sola flower) or other such elements.

I encourage the use of this type of natural solutions because of their relatively low price and ease of application.

Author: Waldemar Stasiak - ELiX Founder