# Help! I permanently stink like a fryer !!



## travelingtrev (Jul 29, 2020)

Hello All,
I just started a new job - pretty basic stuff...flipping burgers and frying chips . I have the experience for something a bit more complex , but I really need the work now and its super close to where I live. The difference between this shop and every other place i have worked for is the chips are cooked in tallow vs vege oil. They taste great but i cant seem to scrub the smell off me. My hands smell no matter how much i scrub them and I am not sure if the stuff is in my nose or in my skin but I am always smelling it with every breath I take. Its driving me nuts!!! I go to sleep smelling lard and wake up smelling it and I never feel clean.

Does anyone have a solution for this kind of situation? a special soap perhaps? Hydrochloric acid? Maybe a cup of concrete? 
Maybe i should try vinegar..It does cut through fat somewhat


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

Welcome to CT! I'm not sure, hopefully someone will chime in. It kind of goes with the territory sometimes. The first few weeks after I landed my first Exec Chef job I was pretty proud of myself. I remember stopping at the Kmart down the street on the way home to pick up something. The really cute girl at the checkout asked me, _are you a cook?_ Full of pride I tell her, _yeah I'm the Executive Chef of the place right up the street._ She answered, "I thought so. You smell like a burger." Pretty much took me off at the knees! :rofl: That's when I realized the chef life wasn't gonna be all glitz and glamour.:emoji_poop:


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## sgsvirgil (Mar 1, 2017)

There are few things you can try. Some will have better results than other. But, you should accept the fact that you are going to smell like grease to some degree no matter what.

1. Wear layers and invest in a set of clothes that are designated as "kitchen only." Wash them regularly as in after every shift. When they are no longer serviceable, toss and replace them. 

2. Nitrite gloves help. They help prevent odors from getting on your skin a bit better than plastic or latex gloves. 

3. If you use a dryer to dry your clothes after washing, use several extra dryer sheets per load.

4. If you have flowing locks of hair, tuck them up under a cap. That will help mitigate the grease smell in your hair, which is the worst. 

5. When you take a shower, hang your clothes near the shower and the steam will help loosen and eliminate odors. The more steam, the better. If you have a steamer, that would be ideal.

6. I don't know about this one, but, they say rubbing a stainless steel utensil over your person will help get rid of certain food smells such as onion, garlic etc. I'm not sure how it will work with the smell of grease, if it all. But, its worth a try, I suppose. Just don't get caught doing it in the walk-in. That would be weird. 🙃 

7. For your skin and hands, make a paste of vinegar and baking soda. Rub all over your hands and other affected areas and rinse with cold water. 

Good luck!


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## travelingtrev (Jul 29, 2020)

Cheers for the tips folks! I did try vinegar last night after I posted and it has probably eliminated 90% of the smell. I gotta try baking soda with it next and hit up the owner for some nitrile gloves too. Im pretty well seasoned in the kitchen environment so the smells aren't new to me, I just never had em stick like this before. Wierd. 

Bon Chance!


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## happyhound (May 19, 2014)

Ha! I spent most of my 20's smelling like oo and garlic. The motorcycle helped. With the girls anyway...


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## ShelteredBugg1 (May 1, 2019)

Those stain remover sprays work wonders for the smells and stains just follow said instructions on bottle. Even DAWN dish soap does the trick let it soak in a soap water solution for a few hrs


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## travelingtrev (Jul 29, 2020)

So I managed to get 98% of the smell off my hands. Vinegar first, Then kept adding bicarb - a few spoons all up and rubbed it in. Let it sit for 15 minutes, and washed it off. Only downside is the trail of bicarb on everything you do during that time.


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## PastryAllDay (Jul 27, 2018)

lol that’s how my husband thought I just smelled for the first few years we dated... “flour and grease”.... it wasn’t till I took a break from the kitchen that he realized I don’t just naturally smell like that! Hah


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