Why does stainless steel remove garlic smell

Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter. Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph. How Stainless Steel Removes Odors.

Sulfuric Acid and Sugar Demonstration. Metal Profile and Properties of Tellurium. Atmospheric Aromatherapy: The Smell of Rain. The Onion's Business in French Food. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for ThoughtCo. Pingback: Garlic Challenge, the results show! I learned this trick almost 30 years ago. But I noticed that the not every stainless steel spoon is created equal. Apparently the older the spoon, the better. My theory is not necessarily because the age, but because of the process to create the the stainless steel.

The older the spoon, the darker it is. Not as shiny. It appears that the brilliance of the spoon takes away from the performance. So, the reason it does not work for some people, is because of the quality of the object. And by the way, a knife is the worse object. No safe to begin with, and not anatomical. A spoon can be passed between your pink and ring fingers, with the bowled side out cupped side toward your palm.

Rub your fingers, and palm against the spoon. See, when garlic is cut, it releases sulfuric compounds that turn into sulfuric acid when mixed with water. The sulfuric acid is what we smell on our hands hours later. But, sulfuric compounds also bind with stainless steel. So, if you allow the acid on your hands the chance to bind with the metals in your knife, or on your faucet, you end up garlic-scent-free.

The best part? I've recruited a willing volunteer, and the following materials: After hand-washing, I smeared each palm with a freshly-cut clove for 30 seconds. Next, we rubbed each palm in circular motions with a stainless-steel dinner spoon and a wooden spoon, again for 30 seconds: The result? Like last time, we left these metals in contact with garlic oils for 30 seconds: Results? Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Sign Up. Read More Previous.

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