6 Effective Ways To Remove Icky Garlic Smell From Your Hands

I absolutely love garlic and use it all the time in my cooking. If you are a garlic lover like me, I’m sure you are also familiar with “garlic hands”.

That stubborn garlicky smell on your hands comes from sulfur molecules in the garlic and when you chopped them, you release the sulfur molecules.

As much as I love garlic, honestly, it’s a love-hate relationship. There are times when the potent odor on my hands lingers days even after vigorous hand-washing. 

Not sexy at all.

So I would understand if most of us don’t want a whiff of that garlicky smell when we are applying face cream or putting our glasses on. 

Surprisingly, it’s quite easy to get rid of the garlic smell on your hands. Here’s how.

Garlic Removal Tip 1: Coffee Grounds 

Coffee grounds are known as odor absorbers and work as an exfoliator to remove the garlic or onion smell from your hands.  All you have to do is pour a spoonful of coffee grounds into your palm, rub your hands together for 30 seconds, and followed by soap and water. 

Voila! It removes eu de garlic and leaves you with hands that are soft and smelling delicious.

Related: 8 Amazing Things To Do With Your Used Coffee Grounds

Garlic Removal Tip 2: Squeeze Some Lemon

Caution: Check your hands for nicks or cuts before trying this method. What’s worse than smelly hands is stinging hands. Ouch.

Slice a lemon in half and squeeze the juice into your palms, rub the juice with your fingers, and work it under your nails too. Lemons will neutralize the smell and leaves your hand smelling lemony fresh! 

Related: 10 Ways To Clean With Lemons

Garlic Removal Tip 3: Rub-On Stainless Steel

Simply rub your hands with a stainless steel spoon, pan, or any stainless steel utensils, or a stainless steel soap bar for 30 seconds. Then wash with soap and cold water.

How does stainless steel remove the garlic smell?

The molecules in stainless steel bind with the garlic’s sulfur molecules that were released during chopping and transfer those molecules (and that garlic smell) from your hands to the stainless steel.

Personally, this is my favorite method because it’s super quick and easy. Just a quick rub on the stainless steel kitchen faucet, wash and go!

Related: Best Stainless Steel Soap Bar

Or you can buy them from Lazada HERE

Garlic Removal Tip 4: Baking Soda And Salt

Caution: Check your hands for nicks or cuts and do be careful if your skin is dry or sore before trying this method as it might sting.

Baking soda is a useful ingredient to have in your kitchen and works as an amazing deodorizer too. It is perfect for neutralizing bad smells and the salt works as an exfoliator.

To get rid of the garlic smell from your hands, mix 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of baking soda with a little bit of water (just enough to make it into a paste). Then rub the paste on your hands for 30 seconds, followed by soap and water.

Baking soda is alkaline and can potentially dry out your skin, so don’t forget to treat your hands to a squirt of hand cream after.

Related: Other Baking Soda Uses At Home

Garlic Removal Tip 5: Toothpaste

Say goodbye to garlicky smell and hello to fresh minty hands! 

Squeeze a dollop of regular mint or spearmint toothpaste onto each hand, rub your hands to spread the toothpaste evenly covering your palms, fingers, and the backs of your hands. Then rinse with soap and water. 

Toothpaste is slightly abrasive so it will exfoliate the skin while its alkaline properties react with the allicin in the garlic to neutralize it. 

Related: Other Ways To Use Toothpaste Around The House

Garlic Removal Tip 6: Mouthwash 

Caution: Check your hands for nicks or cuts before trying this method as alcohol in the mouthwash might sting.

This is a great method if you need a quick fix to remove that garlic smell on your hands. Just pour a capful of mouthwash into your hands, rub your hands together covering the palm, fingers, and back of your hands. Then follow up with soap and cold water. 

If it works on your breath, it definitely works on your hands. A strong-smelling mouthwash, such as peppermint or spearmint, can mask the smell of garlic both on your breath or hands.

Talking about killing two birds with one stone. 

There you go, 6 easy peasy tips to remove the garlic smell from your hands. I hope this helps.

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