How to get the fish smell off your hands? If you think that there’s no way to do that, you’re in for a real treat!
Every single person that has handled at least one fish in their lifetime knows this smell. And, even though some consider this smell as a sign of their success, we bet that the people near you will disagree immediately. Regardless of how good it feels to catch a fish, prepare it on your own and enjoy that delicious taste, that iconic fish smell is something that will haunt you long after.
You probably know that no matter how many times you wash your hands, the smell will linger around. That’s why we tested out numerous methods to get the fish smell off your hands successfully. After reading this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle the fish smell and get rid of it in no time.
First Things First - How do they get so stinky?!
The thing we find unpleasant about fish is how slimy and oozy they are. However, this slimy coating on their outside, which carries a distinctive odor, has a pretty important purpose for them. It serves as a protection and it keeps them safe from infections and other bacterial hazards under water.
Certain fish are so slippery that predators and humans just can’t succeed in grabbing them. Well, this coating is great for fish, but not so great for our noses. This fish slime carries a certain unpleasant odor that just can’t come off as easily as we’d like.
For the fishermen out there, we have another bad news. The smaller fish used as bait are one more reason your hands smell bad. Dead fish has bacteria in the flesh, which causes them to stink much worse when exposed to the air.
Solution No.1 - Stainless Steel
This might sound weird at first and you might even ask yourself “What does steel have to do with fish smell?”. Well, surprisingly enough, stainless steel is a very efficient method of removing different odors.
The reason for that lays in its composition, as its compounds help neutralize the bad smell. That way, stainless steel preserves its durability and resists getting rusty.
There are bars of stainless steel that will be perfect for you to get the fish smell off your hands on the go! Whether you use it with water or not, you’ll still see how efficient these bars are! All you’ll have to do is rub the stainless steel bar in your hands just like you would do with a soap bar.
What’s more, you can put these bars in your dishwasher after you are done. Bottom line? It’s cheap, efficient and the easiest way to get rid of fish smell in seconds.
Solution No. 2 - Chemicals can help neutralize the bad smell
There are numerous products that have their own strong smell and are capable of fighting the unpleasant odor quite quickly. No, we’re not talking about some mysterious products - we’re talking about products you already have in your pantry:
The first two, vinegar and lemon juice, work just great in fighting odor. However, there is a slight drawback you should consider before pouring these liquids on your hands. Both can make your hands really dry.
You don’t have to worry, though, with some hand cream or a moisturizer your hands will be as good as new. Most importantly, you’ll get rid of the nasty fish scent.
Alternatively, you can try using mineral oil or baking soda, as they both work great at removing strong scents. What’s more, for those wondering how to clean up a fishy cutting board, mineral oil is the key.
Lastly, try using baby wipes. They are great at neutralizing strong smells. That’s actually not so surprising when you think about their primary purpose, right
Solution No.3 - Try using abrasive cleaners
This one is pretty logical and here’s why. When you’re handling fish, the slimy scent gets attached to the upper layer of your skin on your hands.
Regular soap just can’t deal with that, while abrasive cleaners will essentially remove that outer layer of the skin. By doing so, the stinky oils attached to your skin will disappear, too.
Here are some extremely efficient abrasive cleaners for you to try:
Our go-to product would definitely be toothpaste. It’s a product everyone has in their bathroom, and it does a great job at fighting bacteria. So, it’s not a surprise that it may help you fight that stinky smell as well!
What would work even better is a toothpaste-baking soda combo! Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Final Thoughts
All right guys, now you know how to get fish smell off your hands with simple products such as stainless steel bars, vinegar, toothpaste and other stuff you probably already have in your home.
If you try these methods both you and those who surround you won’t have to suffer from the strong fish smell no more. Isn’t that just great?