# Garlic smell after handling **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2006, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garlic-smell-after-handling/346168 "2006-02-26T11:06:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garlic-smell-after-handling/346168/1 "2006-02-26T11:06:08Z")
Tonight I made a dish with only a small amount of sliced garlic. After 12 hours, a good chunk of which took place knuckle-deep in lemon-scented SoftScrub, the smell is still there. The smell is from the juice I got on my fingers while slicing up the single clove I used, rather than the residues that my skin will be secreting over the next day or so. I’ve had this problem before, even when I didn’t eat what the garlic was put into. What can I do to get rid of the smell? ---
**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garlic-smell-after-handling/346168/2 "2006-02-26T11:51:26Z")
Do you have a stainless steel sink? If so, rub your fingers on it. [http://www.geocities.com/denbhl/recipes.htm](http://www.geocities.com/denbhl/recipes.htm) (I gotta try that.) Stainless steel utensils work well too, according to this site. [http://magazines.ivillage.com/goodhousekeeping/heloise/heloise/qas/0,,284578\_644462,00.html](http://magazines.ivillage.com/goodhousekeeping/heloise/heloise/qas/0,,284578_644462,00.html) Lemon or vinegar should work also. [Establishing Rules for Teen Cell Phone Use](http://parentingteens.about.com/library/tips/blhousetip9.htm) > [@Khan](#): > > Tonight I made a dish with only a small amount of sliced garlic. After 12 hours, a good chunk of which took place knuckle-deep in lemon-scented SoftScrub, the smell is still there. The smell is from the juice I got on my fingers while slicing up the single clove I used, rather than the residues that my skin will be secreting over the next day or so. I’ve had this problem before, even when I didn’t eat what the garlic was put into. What can I do to get rid of the smell? ---
**Author:** ![MsMitey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@MsMitey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsMitey)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garlic-smell-after-handling/346168/3 "2006-02-26T12:45:18Z")
> [@Cillasi](#): > > Do you have a stainless steel sink? If so, rub your fingers on it. This works like a charm. I don’t know why, [the master](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990618b.html) doesn’t know why, but it works. I’ve also seen small bars of stainless steel specifically for the purpose of rubbing on your hards to get rid of the smell. But if you’ve got a sink or a pot or something, just use that. ---
**Author:** ![Fat\_Marrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ebca7d/32.png) [@Fat\_Marrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fat_Marrow)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garlic-smell-after-handling/346168/4 "2006-02-26T23:29:57Z")
Any metal will work which is why I won’t blow ten quid on a metal ‘bar of soap’ when the back of a spoon works perfectly well. Garlic and onion smells are caused by very long chain molecules. The ionic nature of metal rubbed against the skin causes miniscule charge differential which actually breaks the molecules down so they no longer smell. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garlic-smell-after-handling/346168/5 "2006-02-27T00:43:24Z")
Yep. Sink, back of a knife, spoon, whatever…just rub it across the parts that smell (I’ve always done it under running water…don’t know if that’s necessary or not), and it’s gone. No soap needed even (though it’s probably still a good idea to use it).