Martha Stewart Shares Ingenious Hack to Quickly Remove Garlic Smell From Your Hands

TV cook and author Martha Stewart, best known for her hospitality and culinary skills, is here to save the day once again! The homemaking mogul shared her secret tip for getting rid of the persistent garlic smell off our hands after cooking something delicious. The initially mouth-watering garlic scent can quickly seem bothersome as it can take over our sense of smell, blocking the aroma of any other ingredient or food. Although garlic-based dishes are undeniably worth the pain, Stewart suggested how simple kitchen resources can easily take off the smell within seconds. 

The 83-year-old personality shared that warm water paired with a stainless steel knife or any steel object can remove the smell of garlic from your fingers in a jiffy. In a viral TikTok video (@marthastewart), Stewart explained, “Run your water warm…you can use a knife…anything stainless steel. Just rub your fingers on it under running water and the smell of garlic disappears.” This was one of her ingenious tips to maintain hygiene and taste while cooking. Prolonged exposure to garlic smell can also interfere with our taste and appetite. Hence, the hack was celebrated by internet users under the post. 

“I have a stainless steel “soap” bar by Martha Stewart,” one user (@brittany.mcd) wrote while another TikTok user (@jujubees85) vouched against the tip to remove the garlic smell. “Why would I want to do that? I love garlic,” the comment stated. @jiniatheroot pondered about having garlic breath, and jokingly wrote, “Does this work on breath as well?” “Martha always knows! She’s THE BEST,” a fellow TikTok user (@doublewide_la) hailed. However, many people were alarmed by Stewart’s suggestion to rub their fingers on a sharp kitchen knife. They wondered if it was safe enough while others joked about retaining fingers over the garlic smell. 

On that note, the cookbook author had already emphasized that any material made up of stainless steel shall do the trick. So, in case you have a stainless steel sink, rubbing your fingers will be equally effective, and safer, to be honest. A report by Taste of Home recommended using stainless steel odor absorbers like metal bars meant to remove odors off hands. Nevertheless, if all of this seems a bit overwhelming, just rubbing lemons or citrus fruits like lime, can discard the smell for good. Alternatively, coffee grounds also absorb the smell of garlic or any other persistent smell for that matter. A combination of salt and baking soda may be used as a scrub or simply using vinegar or tomato juice are all good solutions to dispose of garlic smells. 

According to Real Simple, garlic odors tend to last longer than other vegetables because garlic releases an oily sulfur compound called alicin when crushed, chomped, or cut. This compound is water insoluble and can bond with proteins in human skin, said expert Brendan Camp, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. “The lingering odor of garlic can last hours or days depending on how much garlic your hands were exposed to and how often you wash your hands,” he explained. Hence, even mere washing with soap and water fails to remove the scent because the oily substance has the potential to penetrate deeper into the skin. 

You can follow @marthastewart on TikTok for more kitchen tips and hacks.