Make sure you watch the water levels in your pot. You want to keep plenty of water in your pot so it doesn’t burn and cause more unpleasant smells in your kitchen.
Instead of just eliminating odors, you can turn this method into an air freshener as well. With the baking soda, try adding a few drops of vanilla, a few teaspoons of your favorite spices such as cinnamon or clove, some essential oils, or a few slices of lemon. The baking soda will still eliminate the smell and the extra ingredients will replace the smell of onion with a fabulous new fragrance.
You can also try this with oranges or limes. The acidic content in each fruit is similar and will have a similar effect. Make sure you watch the water levels in your pot. You don’t want your mixture to burn.
Move it next to the stove if you plan on cooking your onions. This way, it can help reduce the smell coming from the cooked onions as well. [3] X Research source
You can also add a little bit of lemon or lime juice to the mixture. This will help reduce the odor and leave your hands smelling citrus fresh. This method has the added bonus of being a natural exfoliation technique. Not only will your hands smell fresh, they will feel smoother and softer. [5] X Research source [6] X Research source
Make sure you do this method with used coffee grounds. Fresh grounds won’t have the desired effect. [8] X Research source
Your hands may smell too much like vinegar after you do this. The good thing is that, unlike onions, the smell of vinegar will come out if you wash your hands with soap and water. [9] X Research source
Make sure you use the right kind of mustard. Don’t use a dried clump of bottled mustard. The kind of mustard you want is dry mustard. It is a yellow powder that is used in many recipes. It can be found with the spices in most grocery stores.
You can use any object that is stainless steel. Knives and other utensils are often made of this material. You can also rub your hands along your sink or faucet because they are often made of stainless steel as well. They also make stainless steel shaped like soap that you can buy to keep in your kitchen. [11] X Research source [12] X Research source [13] X Research source
Make sure you use the white paste kind of toothpaste and not the gel kind. The gel toothpaste does not have the same kind of properties as the white kind. This method will also leave your hands smelling minty fresh. [14] X Research source [15] X Research source