How to Get Rid of Lingering Odors

by | Updated: December 2nd, 2016 | Read time: 2 minutes

Sniff..sniff…what’s that smell? Ever notice that even after scrubbing a surface, lathering up post-garlic chopping or rinsing and repeating Fido’s weekly shampoo that the odor persists? Maybe you’ve tried splashing on tomato juice or peroxide to snuff out the lingering scents. But do these remedies actually work?

chopping garlic

In order to get rid of the reek, it helps to know why it’s stinking in the first place. It’s probably been a while since your last chemistry class, so here’s a quick refresher. Odors around the house typically fall into three classes of chemicals:

Sulfur compounds – think skunk, onions, garlic – called thiols or sulfides

Nitrogen compounds – think fish, pet urine – known as amines or ammonia

Organic and fatty acid odors – think sweaty clothing, smelly feet

Sometimes, good old-fashioned cleaning just isn’t enough. Look at this way: Cleaning washes away dirt and things you might not even realize are there (i.e. bacteria and odors). Soap and water, or solvents and surfactants, usually do the trick; but when there’s a particularly stubborn stink, something more may be needed to counter the chemical compounds responsible for the offensive odor.

Luckily, Method’s got the magic. Our Odor Eliminating Hand Soap is formulated with natural ingredients that specifically target lingering odors on skin—keeping chefs happy and hands smelling fresh. Not convinced? Do a simple test. The next time you chop garlic, wash one hand with ordinary soap and the other with method odor-eliminating soap. Wait an hour, take a whiff and smell the difference!