‘Lifesaver’ trick stops cooking smells travelling through house

A woman, tormented by the overpowering smells from her flatmate’s cooking, has sought advice on how to permanently get rid of the unpleasant odours. The challenge of eliminating lingering kitchen aromas that result from preparing delicious meals can be daunting.

Despite her attempts at using candles, oil burners, incense, lemon, disinfectant sprays, and fragrant plug-ins, she found no respite. And, with her bedroom next to the kitchen, the woman found that every time her flatmate cooked, her room would be filled with the smell of food.

In a plea for help, she turned to the popular discussion platform Reddit, in a post titled “desperate – stop kitchen smells from seeping into room” and detailing her unsuccessful attempts so far. She stated: “I’ve put a door draft stopper because there is a gap beneath it but the smell is still coming through the side/top door gaps. I can tell because when she cooks, I smell it through those gaps and it takes a few minutes for it to permeate my entire room.”

The woman was eager to find solutions other than “moving out and telling her [roommate] to stop cooking,” neither of which she was willing to do.

She pointed out that her roommate “uses the hob” and does “open windows” but “the smell is just that strong”. Fellow Reddit users were quick to offer their suggestions in the comments section, with many recommending the use of a fan.

Reddit users have been sharing their savvy tips for tackling kitchen odours invading other rooms, stressing the importance of pressure. One user advised: “You need positive pressure in your room and negative in the kitchen, some fan from kitchen blowing outside, fan blowing into your bedroom.”

Another chimed in with: “If you open a window in your room and point a fan with the flow going inward instead of outward that should pressurise your room to keep from most of the smell coming in.”

An additional comment recommended ensuring air escape routes, with one responding: “If you go this route, make sure there’s another window open at the far end of the dwelling so that the air pressure you’re causing to build up inside your room has somewhere to escape, which will force the smells out that far window.”

Furthermore, another Redditor revealed their method for dealing with pet odours caused by a flatmate: “I managed the smell from his negligent treatment of the poor pets by putting two box fans in the windows of his bedroom, pointing out. It was a crappy apartment and I didn’t really need to worry about opening another window as the place was very draughty.”

They added triumphantly: “Never smelled the cats or their litter… The smell was mitigated by making the room where the smell originated vent entirely outside. Same can be done in reverse for OP to make sure their room stays smell-free. The only problem with this solution for OP is that their bedroom will end up being basically the same temperature as it is outside.”

In a slightly different direction, one contributor suggested: “Maybe weatherstripping around the sides and top of the door.”

This technique involves fitting a strip of material around the door’s edges, including the top and sides, and can also be extended to windows, sills, casings, or thresholds, aiming to block the intrusion of rain, snow, and chilly air. Additionally, another Reddit user shared a tip: “Leave an open container of white vinegar out, it neutralises odour. Febreze makes a lemon air freshener for food smells that works well.”