# Any way to get the 'burnt plastic' smell out of a kitchen? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 17, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-the-burnt-plastic-smell-out-of-a-kitchen/304327 "2005-05-17T23:52:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-the-burnt-plastic-smell-out-of-a-kitchen/304327/1 "2005-05-17T23:52:42Z")
Earlier today, I absentmindedly left a kettle on the stove without knowing the electric burner was on. The water boiled away and the kettle got so hot the plastic parts partially melted. I got it off the stove, but there is a haze in the kitchen and a sharp stench of melted plastic. I opened all the windows in the house and turned the fans on to try to get the smell out. Anything else I can do? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-the-burnt-plastic-smell-out-of-a-kitchen/304327/2 "2005-05-18T00:48:45Z")
Wipe everything down with a nice lemony cleaner like Mr. Clean. Then, give it time son. Give it time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-the-burnt-plastic-smell-out-of-a-kitchen/304327/3 "2005-05-18T00:53:30Z")
I think time is the big thing. I remember my mom accidentally burning some plastic in the kitchen when I was young, and it took most of the day for the house to be liveable again–even though it was misty and yucky outside, I stayed in the backyard rather than be in the house with the stench. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-the-burnt-plastic-smell-out-of-a-kitchen/304327/4 "2005-05-18T01:22:44Z")
Get a cheap tin of coffee powder, and spread it around the kitchen. Let stand for a few hours. Usually works for garbage smells. ---
**Author:** ![Euthanasiast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Euthanasiast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euthanasiast)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-the-burnt-plastic-smell-out-of-a-kitchen/304327/5 "2005-05-18T10:37:48Z")
Make about five bags of microwave popcorn. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-the-burnt-plastic-smell-out-of-a-kitchen/304327/6 "2005-05-18T10:44:00Z")
Are the fans blowing in, or out? I might put a fan in the kitchen window, blowing out to see if that would help. Otherwise, you’re just going to have to wait a bit. I wouldn’t go in there for very long at all until the haze has faded, and the smell is mostly gone. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-the-burnt-plastic-smell-out-of-a-kitchen/304327/7 "2005-05-18T11:05:25Z")
A former boss of mine swore by vinegar as an odor remover. We had an incident at work that left a section of the cheap carpet melted - I know there was lots of plastic in that - and leaving several pie plates of white vinegar out overnight pretty much took care of the stink. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-the-burnt-plastic-smell-out-of-a-kitchen/304327/8 "2005-05-18T14:49:00Z")
My sister recently melted a White Hen commuter cup in my microwave. It was positively vile. I put fans in the windows and used bleach to overpower that smell. It’s enough to kill ya!!!