Does cold water actually help in getting rid of the onion smell on your hands?

Question

I used soap and water and still I can smell onions on my hands. I like using onions in recipes but I hate the smell on my hands afterwards! ( o _ 0 ) Yuck! Any suggestions other than cold water and soap? Please nothing that's gonna eat through my fingers and hands! ( ^ _ ^ )

Answer 1

To the girl above me: don't waste your money on the stainless steel "soap". You can just rub your hands on a stainless steel bowl or utensil or something like that, that you've already got kicking around the kitchen.

Lemons work well too.

Answer 2

I've never heard the cold water argument. I cook with onions a lot, and the only solution I've found to get the onion smell off my hands is to use real lemon juice on my hands. The juice will take the onion right off your hands - and lemon smells a lot better than onion!

Answer 3

Chef J is correct. I do it and it does work. When using garlic and onions always rinse in cold water first. Washing your hands in hot water opens the pores and lets in more of the oils from the onion and garlic.

Answer 4

You can try lemon juice...squeeze a bit into a bowl of warm water and rub. They also sell stainless steel soap that is supposed to attract odors from your hands.

Answer 5

Rub your hands on the faucet, the metal part, that will take the smell off of your hands.

Answer 6

Vinegar will work better.