How to get rid of burnt smell (burnt popcorn, food or pans)

Step by step

1. 1

   Get the burnt food out and vent at once

   Take the burnt food outside or seal it in the trash. Turn on a range hood that vents outdoors, run exhaust fans and open windows.

   Why: Venting removes smoke while it's still in the air, before more of it settles on surfaces.

2. 2

   Steam the microwave clean

   Heat a bowl of water with lemon slices for 2 to 4 minutes, let it stand 2 minutes with the door shut, then wipe the inside with a warm, wet cloth. Repeat if residue remains.

   Why: Steam loosens charred residue so it wipes off, and the lemon water deodorizes. Residue left behind gives off the smell every time the oven runs.

3. 3

   Wipe the walls and surfaces nearby

   Wash the stovetop, backsplash, cabinet fronts and nearby walls with mild soap and water. Clean the range hood's grease filter.

   Why: Smoke particles settle on every nearby surface and keep releasing odor until they're washed off.

4. 4

   Wash fabrics that caught the smoke

   Launder kitchen towels, curtains and any clothes that smell smoky. Air-dry and check the smell before using the dryer.

   Why: Fabric traps smoke residue, and dryer heat can lock the odor in.

5. 5

   Set out adsorbents for a few days

   Leave open bowls of baking soda or activated charcoal in the kitchen and nearby rooms for several days.

   Why: They take up the odor molecules still in the air while the last residue clears.

Why burnt smell hangs around

Burning food makes smoke: fine particles plus gases. Overheated fats and oils produce an especially sharp, acrid smoke, and EPA lists acrolein, formaldehyde and benzene among the pollutants in smoke. The particles settle on walls, cabinets, fabric and the inside of the appliance, and residue in corners keeps releasing odor after the air has cleared.

In a microwave the usual source is charred food stuck to the walls and ceiling. Dry or starchy foods such as popcorn and bread burn most easily. Because the oven steams whatever is inside, burnt residue gets reheated and re-released every time you use it.

Why candles and sprays don't fix it

Fragrance covers the smell briefly while the settled smoke keeps releasing odor underneath. The lasting fix is the same as for any smoke smell: clean the residue off, ventilate and adsorb what's left.

For the step-by-step versions, see burnt smell in a microwave and burnt smell in a house.

By situation

Burnt popcorn

Popcorn burns fast and leaves strong-smelling residue inside the microwave. Steam-clean the cavity, wipe it, and repeat the lemon-water steam if the smell is still there. Vent the kitchen and wipe nearby surfaces if the smoke spread.

Scorched pan or burnt food on the stove

Run the range hood during cooking and for 10 to 20 minutes after, open windows, then wash nearby surfaces and the hood filter once things cool.

The smell spread through the house

Wash hard surfaces near the source, launder curtains and soft items that hold the smoke, and leave baking soda or charcoal out for several days. Run a portable air cleaner that doesn't produce ozone.

The microwave smells burnt even though it's clean

Check the ceiling and the back wall, where splatter is easy to miss, and steam and wipe again. Leave the door open for a while afterward so the cavity airs out.

What not to do

• Don't spray chemical cleaners inside the microwave. Cooking steam picks up the cleaner residue and can taint food.
• Don't heat plain water in a smooth, clean cup for a long time. It can superheat and erupt when disturbed, causing burns. Follow the manual's heating times.
• Don't just light candles or spray air freshener. The settled smoke residue keeps releasing odor once the scent fades.

Other methods that work

Vinegar or tea-bag steam

Wipe the cavity with white vinegar and water, then heat 2 cups of water with lemon juice or tea bags on high for about 5 minutes or until boiling, and leave the door closed for 10 to 30 minutes. Repeat as needed.

Caution: Let the bowl cool before taking it out.

Activated charcoal

An alternative to baking soda for adsorbing lingering odor in a room or a closed cabinet.

Stain still there?

The microwave still smells after steaming

Some residue is still stuck. Steam again, wipe the ceiling and corners carefully, and leave the door open between uses to air out.

The kitchen smells burnt again the next day

Residue remains on a surface or in a fabric. Wash the cabinet fronts, hood filter, curtains and towels, and keep ventilating.

Safety

• Superheated water can erupt from a microwave when disturbed. Follow the manual's heating times; FDA notes that adding a substance such as instant coffee or sugar before heating greatly reduces the risk.
• Use a portable air cleaner that does not produce ozone.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

Get rid of burnt smell in a specific place

• Burnt smell in the house
• Burnt smell in a microwave