# How to get rid of onion breath?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-onion-breath/373850>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 23, 2006, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-onion-breath/373850 "2006-09-23T14:54:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-onion-breath/373850/1 "2006-09-23T14:54:08Z")

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I just ate a falafel sandwich for lunch (excellent) and it must have contained the equivalent of an entire raw onion. Now I feel like a walking garbage can. I have brushed my teeth and had a cup of tea, but still feel that I reek.

So I was wondering, are there any proven ways to get rid of onion breath in a hurry?

And if there aren’t, how long will it take to wait things out?

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**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-onion-breath/373850/2 "2006-09-23T15:01:34Z")

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Anecdotal evidence:  
I like peppermints made with real peppermint oil. Your mouth is clean, what is left may be soaked into your mouth tissue (big guess there, I haven’t a real clue), and the burping back up of stuff. Since peppermint oil is also recommended for upset stomachs, it seems to me that it’s a double whammy effect.  
But, like I said, anecdotal, ymmv, IANAEOOB\*  
\*I an not an expert on onion breath

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**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-onion-breath/373850/3 "2006-09-23T15:14:03Z")

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Parsley. Better still, if you can get it, paan.

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-onion-breath/373850/4 "2006-09-23T15:25:08Z")

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Slowly chew 6 raw garlic cloves.

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**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-onion-breath/373850/5 "2006-09-23T15:56:09Z")

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[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan]  
Slowly chew 6 raw garlic cloves.  
[/QUOTE]

Dammit! Too slow AGAIN!!!

Anyhow, is onion breath that big a deal? I’ve encountered people with noticeable garlic breath before, but not onion. Perhaps your taste buds are causing you to exaggerate the problem.

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**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-rid-of-onion-breath/373850/6 "2006-09-23T18:36:54Z")

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I can safely tell you that those chocolate mints they give you at the Olive Garden, while absolutely delicious, will do nothing to improve your breath whatsoever.