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Get Rid of Garlic Breath: 9 Remedies for Mouth and Hands

how to get rid of garlic breath
Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Pixabay – Anaterate, Jackmac34, Kalhh

Garlic breath cramping your style? Looking for ways to lose that stubborn garlic smell on your hands? These common household items will help you get rid of garlic breath, and leave your hands smelling fresh and clean. 

Don’t Be Afraid of Garlic!

Despite garlic’s notorious ability to stay on your breath for hours, don’t be afraid to indulge! Garlic is healthy, with benefits for your heart, blood, and circulatory system. It is also known for being a natural antibiotic, for protecting the liver, and for being effective against urinary tract infections. 

After enjoying your meal, it’s time to get rid of garlic breath. We’ll show you a few easy ways.

How to Get Rid of Garlic Breath

garlic smell
Chewing parsley will help neutralize garlic breath. (Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Pixabay – Anaterate)

The lingering hints of garlic in your mouth and on your breath are annoying. Even brushing your teeth and gargling with mouthwash does little to combat garlic breath. Luckily, nature has the remedy. 

  1. Chew parsley, sage, or homegrown mint– the essential oils in the herbs get rid of garlic breath. Neutralizing garlic smell is also one of the many benefits of ginger
  2. After eating, chew cardamom seeds. This tip comes from India, where many dishes are prepared with garlic. 
  3. Coffee beans can also help you get rid of garlic breath. For maximum effect, chew on a coffee bean for about ten minutes.
  4. Drink a glass of milk, and hold the liquid in your mouth for a short while. To help prevent getting garlic breath in the first place, start drinking milk while you are eating your garlicky food. 
  5. Eat a few pieces of lemon or orange (or their peels). The acidity will help dissolve and neutralize the garlic smell. 

Getting Rid of the Garlic Smell on Your Hands

garlic breath
There are many easy ways to get rid of the garlic smell on your hands. (Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Pixabay – Jackmac34)

What good is getting rid of garlic breath if your hands smell of it, too? When you peel or chop garlic, the garlic smell tends to stay on your fingers. But with these tips, you can get rid of it again easily.  

  1. Coffee grinds will quickly remove the smell of garlic. Rub the coffee grinds between your hands and wash them well afterwards.
  2. Washing your hands with vinegar and lukewarm water will also get rid of the garlic smell from your hands. Don’t worry, the smell of vinegar will dissipate quickly afterwards on its own. 
  3. Lemon helps with garlic breath but can also remove the smell from your hands. Rub your hands with a small amount of salt and a spritz of lemon juice. Leave it on your hands for about thirty seconds and then wash it off with lukewarm water. 
  4. Stainless steel can also neutralize the garlic smell on your hands. While rinsing your hands with lukewarm water, rub them on a stainless steel spoon, sink, or anything that you can find that is made of this metal. If you regularly handle garlic or other smelly things like onion or fish, you can even buy stainless steel soap bars, like these on Amazon**.

This article was translated from German to English by Christie Sacco. You can read the original here: Knoblauchgeruch loswerden: die besten Hausmittel für Mund und Hände

Important Information regarding Health-related Topics.

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