I made a curry last night and my house still reeks. WTF?! I’ve tried candles, opening windows (and it’s 40 degrees out), fans — nothing works! How long will it linger?
| by Anonymous | reply 66 | February 22, 2018 1:32 PM |
Just accept that this is your life now, OP.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | February 20, 2018 10:26 PM |
Fuck! If I had known it wouldn be like this I never would have made it. All this from some goddamned curry powder!
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | February 20, 2018 10:29 PM |
In my experience it takes two days to get the curry smell out. I’m assuming you thoroughly cleaned the stove area, including the walls surrounding it and the floor? Because the oil splatters carry the odor too.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | February 20, 2018 10:29 PM |
Personally, I kind of like the smell. Burn some incense and open the windows.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | February 20, 2018 10:33 PM |
Next time, cook it in the oven. It even gets into clothes in wardrobes.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | February 20, 2018 10:33 PM |
Invite the.stinky feet cat over and you won’t notice the curry.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | February 20, 2018 10:35 PM |
Since you only did it once, it should dissipate. However, we made the mistake of renting our condo to an Indian couple. After a year, the only way to get rid of the smell was to hire a forensic cleaning service. The kind that cleans up after crime scenes. Two smells that do not go away- curry and cat urine.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | February 20, 2018 10:37 PM |
R10. Seriously?! That sounds awful. And I guess you can’t discriminate against future Indians; did you make them pay for it?
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | February 20, 2018 10:39 PM |
Pour plain white ammonia into shallow containers and place them around your home. The ammonia will neutralize those malodors over time.
You can also combine distilled or purified water, white vinegar, and 25-50 drops of a good-quality essential oil (try peppermint, lemon, eucalyptus, lemon myrtle, or a "five thieves" blend) in a spray bottle, and spray liberally around your home. Make sure you spray surfaces (curtains, non-wood blinds, countertops, exhaust fans, air vents and intakes, stovetop, floors, etc.
If you have central air or a window unit, put a few drops of essential oil on a new A/C filter and replace your existing filter.
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | February 20, 2018 10:40 PM |
R11, basically all we could do is keep their deposit. We threw in the towel and sold the place. Not worth it being a Landlord.
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | February 20, 2018 10:42 PM |
Same thing happened to me, r13, so I put a clause into future contracts that prohibited cooking with curry indoors. I had to tear up new carpeting because no amount of shampooing would dissipate the smell. Lots of people cook with curry, not just Indians, so the clause is important.
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | February 20, 2018 10:51 PM |
[quote]Two smells that do not go away- curry and cat urine.
Can't vouch for curry, but you're wrong about cat urine. Over the past 20+ years I probably spent over $5,000 total on enzymatic cleaners, "miracle" cleaners, floor refinishes, and new upholstery to get rid of problem cat piss odors.
Two years ago I, an inveterate vinegar hater, discovered the magic of white vinegar. Combined with baking soda, essential oils, and a little water, vinegar will destroy even old, set-in cat urine and fresh, un-neutered male cat spray. So effective, and so cheap.
I haven't had an un-neutered/un-spayed pet cat in years, but I volunteer with a TNT rescue group. I keep a dark glass spray bottle of white vinegar/water/essential oil in my car to treat my feed and trap sites. It also kills that disgusting raccoon piss smell.
If you have cats, be sure to avoid using tea tree, camphor, most citrus, and wintergreen essential oils in any real concentration around them. Cats lack a specific liver enzyme that allows it to metabolize the oils' molecules.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 15 | February 20, 2018 11:05 PM |
[quote]TNT rescue group
T/N/R rescue group, that is.
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | February 20, 2018 11:07 PM |
Is that also true for eucalyptus as well, r15? I read that cats get sick from eucalyptus on the Smelly Cat thread.
Also, OP I am sorry that happened to you. But r15 is correct in that a vinegar solution could greatly reduce your problem.
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | February 20, 2018 11:11 PM |
To OP , R10, and R14, is the cumin (strong b.o. smell) in the curry that is the main culprit, or is it the combination of cumin with saffron and other spices?
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | February 20, 2018 11:12 PM |
I lived in a house that had previously had Indian owners, and the kitchen/dining area smelled strongly of curry. A good cleaning of the stove area, the floors, and most importantly the kitchen cabinets where it was stored did the trick.
I had to wipe out all the cabinets twice and leave them all open for several days before the odors dissipated. But they did go away.
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | February 20, 2018 11:16 PM |
I use cumin often in cooking and never have this issue with it.
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | February 20, 2018 11:16 PM |
I would like to know from R10 what was his cost for bringing in a forensic cleaning service? It sounds so exclusive and expensive, but I'm intrigued and glad to know it's an option.
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | February 20, 2018 11:18 PM |
R21, that cost about $3,000.00. We really only had to do the down stairs open plan space. The problem is that the curry smell gets into everything. In addition to the cleaning, we had to replace all carpeting and plywood sub-flooring, and the hardwood flooring. Once the smell gets into wood, you cannot get it out. The debris were taken downstairs to the parking garage before being carted off, making the entire parking garage smell of curry.
| by Anonymous | reply 22 | February 20, 2018 11:31 PM |
Yes, indeed, R17, and that's a great question.
I love eucalyptus diffused with lemon and bergamot, but stopped using that combo (along with tangerine, mandarin, elemi, fennel, tarragon, clove bud, cinnamon, and cassia) when I brought an elderly, chronically ill outside cat inside my home two years ago. She loved my living room, and spent 99% of her time in there --which is also where I keep my two largest essential oil diffusers. Occasionally on warm, dry days I let the old girl go out for a few hours if she wanted, and I would use a tiny bit of those oils for diffusing or cleaning, making sure all the windows were open and AC/vent and ceiling fan were going. She died back in early November, but I haven't gone back to diffusing those oils, though I always use certain of them in my various homemade cleaning/room/linen/laundry blends.
| by Anonymous | reply 23 | February 20, 2018 11:32 PM |
[quote]The debris were taken downstairs to the parking garage before being carted off, making the entire parking garage smell of curry.
Well, damn, R10/R22! And they only lived there one year?
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | February 20, 2018 11:37 PM |
R24, to be honest, the were generally clueless tenants. They actually did not know how to change a light bulb. Dishes and cooking utensils were left in the sink. For some reason they did not get the concept that dirty dishes go directly into the dishwasher. They would wait until the sink was full before they would load the dishwasher on run it.
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | February 21, 2018 12:05 AM |
I will concur with r25. The tenants I had were actually really good, considerate and responsible tenants. I believe without a doubt that they didn't realize what effect cooking with curry would have on the house over the long term.
To their credit, they called me to report the smell and seek a solution. They were embarrassed. They were in their early twenties and simply didn't know. I am in my 50's and didn't know either, so we split the cleaning bill and I gave them a good reference when they moved on.
Sometimes we learn the hard way.
| by Anonymous | reply 26 | February 21, 2018 12:33 AM |
I cook with curry and spices frequently, and the trick is to keep your house clean. As others have said, wipe down your stove and counters. Wash your dishes, don’t leave out any leftovers, and take out your trash at least once a day.
Change your AC filters frequently, wash all fabrics and curtains regularly, and steam clean your rugs. Your house doesn’t smell bad for days just because you cook curries once in a while.
| by Anonymous | reply 27 | February 21, 2018 12:44 AM |
Activated charcoal is the classic go-to for eliminating odors. You can buy it in bulk online and make it into sachets or put it into bowls.
Buy a good air cleaner that includes an activated charcoal filter and that'll help with future odors, too. Consumer Reports rates the Blueair 211+ highly.
You can even hire a furnace company to install a whole-house filter setup in your furnace/ac, to clean the air throughout the whole house.
| by Anonymous | reply 28 | February 21, 2018 12:45 AM |
It’s definitely not the saffron that’s the culprit, it’s a combination of the fried onions/ginger/garlic plus the dried spices. If you’re making the curry right you’re probably dropping the dried spices into the fried onions/ginger/garlic oil and they’re releasing all their odors. Cumin is always indicted by people but it really could be the coriander. If you’re using asafoetida you’re absolutely going to get a lingering stink. Finally, fresh curry leaves are also going to spit out all their fragrance if you drop them in the oil. Add them at the end instead despite what the recipe says, to avoid the splatter and smell.
| by Anonymous | reply 29 | February 21, 2018 12:54 AM |
Why don't you kick the trick you picked up last night out? That should do it.
| by Anonymous | reply 30 | February 21, 2018 7:40 AM |
Isn't turmeric what makes curry smell like curry?
| by Anonymous | reply 31 | February 21, 2018 9:49 AM |
Simmering white vinegar diluted in water for some time gets rid of lingering smell. You could add lemons and herbs/spices to it, or skip the vinegar and only use the lemons/herbs mix.
| by Anonymous | reply 32 | February 21, 2018 10:39 AM |
I lived next door to curry cookers once... it was horrible. Great apartment but I had to move.
| by Anonymous | reply 33 | February 21, 2018 10:48 AM |
We bought our house from a lovely Indian couple who had lived there for 5 years. Lord knows I love a curry, but we could not get the smell out of the house for at least a year and a half. They were clean and tidy, it wasn’t like there were trails of curry everywhere but the smell of curry lingered. We ripped up the carpet, got rid of the drapes, painted, mopped with hospital grade disinfectant and metholated spirits, scrubbed every service but if we left the windows and doors shut for a day the curry smell would return and hit you in the face like a brick. Haven’t cooked curry since.
| by Anonymous | reply 34 | February 21, 2018 10:49 AM |
The only solution is an exorcism. That stench is the devil incarnate.
| by Anonymous | reply 35 | February 21, 2018 11:20 AM |
The next step is to get a red dot on your forehead and open a 7-Eleven. Embrace the true you.
| by Anonymous | reply 36 | February 21, 2018 11:22 AM |
You've been transported to Nirvana. Deal with it.
| by Anonymous | reply 37 | February 21, 2018 11:36 AM |
Baking soda? Like a ton of it. Don't know, never heard of this before. I love the smell of coconut curry.
| by Anonymous | reply 38 | February 21, 2018 11:45 AM |
Rotten fish and cat urine may be used to masked the smell.
| by Anonymous | reply 39 | February 21, 2018 11:46 AM |
Experience the olfactory hell that is dead rodent and you will wonder why you ever complained about cooking smells. There is nothing worse.
| by Anonymous | reply 40 | February 21, 2018 11:52 AM |
OP, sorry but you'll probably have to move.
| by Anonymous | reply 41 | February 21, 2018 1:10 PM |
😖 OP, you are so fucked !
| by Anonymous | reply 42 | February 21, 2018 1:15 PM |
I love the smell of curry. While I am eating it.
| by Anonymous | reply 43 | February 21, 2018 1:30 PM |
Turmeric doesn’t have a strong odor when cooking. It have a musty dusty odor in it’s dried state, but it’s not offensive. What it does is add color to dishes, it adds some mild flavor but it’s sort of hidden in the layers of other flavors almost like a base note. It’s also used in recipes for digestive reasons, for example sautéed volatile vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower benefit from the turmeric as it somehow reduces their sulphuric odor and makes them easier to digest. It had many health benefits.
| by Anonymous | reply 44 | February 21, 2018 1:45 PM |
A house owned by a little old Southern Italian lady for 60 years is going to smell like garlic, onions, basil, fennel, olive oil, and romano cheese. It might REEK of these things. Why is that acceptable over curry smell? Why are people of Italian immigrant heritage not stuck with “otherness” like Indians are?
| by Anonymous | reply 45 | February 21, 2018 1:49 PM |
R45, because that is not true. Nor would a home owned by the Irish reek of boiled cabbage. Nor would a house owned by blacks reek of soul food months later. There is some thing very specific about curry that gets into the house and is impossible to get out. You can have a house owned by chain smokers and still get rid of the smell. If you had Danes who cooked curry on a regular basis, there would be the same problem.
| by Anonymous | reply 46 | February 21, 2018 1:59 PM |
I've been cooking like that for decades, R45. My kitchens have never smelled like anything in particular once the actual cooking molecules dissipate. I would argue that cigarette smoke is also hard to get rid of, though, R46.
| by Anonymous | reply 47 | February 21, 2018 2:00 PM |
R47, I guess it is a matter of degree. If one does the usual things one does with a new home: paint and install new carpeting, getting rid of cigarette smells isn't that hard. You might have to run an ionization machine over night, but it isn't that difficult. I assume it is because nicotine sits on top of things rather than gets deep into everything.
| by Anonymous | reply 49 | February 21, 2018 2:07 PM |
This issue was in the news recently.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 50 | February 21, 2018 2:19 PM |
I thought the fenugreek along with the cumin/coriander in curry was the culprit for the spicy smell.
| by Anonymous | reply 51 | February 21, 2018 4:24 PM |
Try a Peach Bellini candle - in all seriousness boil some lemons
Step 1
Wash the outside of the lemon rind thoroughly under running water and cut the lemon into quarters. Step 2
Place 2 cups of water into a pot on the stovetop and add the lemon quarters. Step 3
Heat the pot of water and lemon quarters. Remove the pot from the stove after it reaches a roiling boil and allow it to completely cool. Step 4
Strain the lemon solution through a fine strainer into a bowl. Step 5
Stir ½ cup of baking soda into the strained lemon solution and mix with a kitchen wisk until it completely dissolves. Allow the solution to cool. Step 6
Pour the cooled lemon juice and baking soda solution into a spray bottle. Step 7
Spray the solution into the air in each room throughout the house as needed.
| by Anonymous | reply 52 | February 21, 2018 4:28 PM |
Of course, renters could just stop making curry at home. It's not like there aren't enough Indian restaurants.
| by Anonymous | reply 53 | February 21, 2018 8:17 PM |
I currently live above a group of Indian medical students. My apartment is beautiful and ridiculously underpriced, but I’m counting the days until my lease is up and I can move the fuck out of here.
| by Anonymous | reply 54 | February 21, 2018 8:41 PM |
Theodorof curry can linger because it's a heavy spice scent that attaches itselftoalmost everything. I recommend mopping all the floors, wiping down the kitchen walls and cabinets. Then wash exposed fabrics like drapes, carpets, bedding. In addition counteract the smell with a clean nuetral scent, the best is a lemon scented soy candle.
| by Anonymous | reply 55 | February 21, 2018 11:18 PM |
I forgot about fenugreek. Oh yes, that has a very distinctive odor. I used to soak it for hours and drain off the liquid.
| by Anonymous | reply 56 | February 21, 2018 11:49 PM |
Use that air deodorizer spray which was sold in headshops, I forgot the name, a pothead friend used it. I forgot the name, I remember the can was white with a blue and black design, Odium or Ozium?
My elderly neighbor must fry with a super cheap oil, the stench stays my hallway for at least two days, what an awful odor. I live in co-op, so its not as if I'm going to just be able to up and move. I do notice when the elevator passes certain floors, the odor of cigarette smoke is extreme. Since the co-op did major clean of the vents a few years ago, the bathrooms and hallway vents, I sometimes smell heavy pot smoke coming up from the 5th floor, I live on the 12th floor!
| by Anonymous | reply 57 | February 22, 2018 12:51 AM |
Liquid ass. Overpowers anything, but you’ll need to check into a hotel for awhile
| by Anonymous | reply 58 | February 22, 2018 1:13 AM |
We are all racist for finding curry smells offensive. How dare we!
Do we not understand that curry is the only food that an Indian can actually physically eat?
Yeah, let's treat the Indians as if they have no agency to do anything about what they cook.
It's inconsiderate to rent another person's property and stink it up, when there are other options. Plain and simple.
If you want to cook up stinky food every night, buy your own house and stink it up as much as you want (and make sure you stinky food smells doesn't waft into other residencies too).
Fuck your Brahmin righteousness when it comes to your fucking good damn stinky curry!
And stop cooking curry fish in the communal office kitchen too!
| by Anonymous | reply 59 | February 22, 2018 6:25 AM |
"Help! Getting Rid of Curry Smell."
You created this stink, Matt Lauer!
| by Anonymous | reply 60 | February 22, 2018 6:37 AM |
Boil some white vinegar in a pot. Walk throughout the smelly areas and left the vapors drift. It make take several tries if the curry is very set in, but anything is better than that fresh matel smell.
| by Anonymous | reply 61 | February 22, 2018 7:33 AM |
Curry means sauce in it's correct usage.
The blend of spices that go into many curry is what you are thinking of.
I love the smell.
| by Anonymous | reply 62 | February 22, 2018 10:02 AM |
Correction, R62 is Indian. Sorry R63. Carry on.
| by Anonymous | reply 64 | February 22, 2018 11:10 AM |
R59 My neighbor had tenants that cooked curry food almost very day. After 2 years when they moved out the apartment was unrentable due to the overwhelming odor. Nothing would get rid of it. He was forced to remove the entire dry wall from the apartment, bleach the inside walls, and put up new sheetrock. It was very expensive. It has nothing to do with racism, it's about common sense. Only people used to the smell of curry would be willing to live in a place that reeked of it. I recall a high school friend whose house always had an overwhelming garlic smell. It was probably embeded in the carpet and drapes. He was used to it, but he said that other vistors notice it.
| by Anonymous | reply 65 | February 22, 2018 12:10 PM |
R29 is exactly right. It's mainly the cumin/coriander combination (and they always go together in Indian cooking), garlic, and fried red onions that give that low-hanging cloud of smell. Waking up to the remains of that is like waking up in a fever dream, no matter how great the food.
I don't know any Indian who actually cooks 'with curry' (powder?), and I've known a lot of Indians and visit India fairly often.
Use oven cleaner to clean the oil under your vent hood, including the filters--run those through the dishwasher. Depending on the type of backsplash you have, you may be able to use oven cleaner on that as well.
Always have at least two open windows (on different-facing walls for cross ventilation) when you fry spices for curry. I'm not saying they have to be wide open (although that helps), but even if it's cold, open them at least an inch. This won't get rid of it completely, but it will help a lot.
Homes in India are well-ventillated; kitchens have a big powerful fan built-in that pulls the kitchen air outside directly, almost every window is open during the day and there are open 'windows' above all the interior doors. Air quickly circulates out. No one there would dream of having a house as air-tight as we have here. (I only say this because I hear a lot of people say "how can indians/ people in India stand it?" It's because their kitchens and homes are designed for maximum ventilation over there.) They come here and want the only food they know, so the make-do and cook it. I think a lot of them don't open windows when they cook in the US because they think they'll freeze to death below 70 degrees. I try to kindly tell the ones to whom it hasn't already occurred that they must open the windows when they cook here, the little range hood is woefully inadequate,
A note about incense: people open their windows when burning incense. The smoke goes out but the fragrance stays. It's weird to burn incense in a closed-up house. It wouldn't be done in India. Leave the windows open while you cook, enjoy your meal. Afterward, light an incense or six. After the incense burns out, close the windows (or don't).
| by Anonymous | reply 66 | February 22, 2018 1:32 PM |
