How to Get Rid of Cooking Smell in the House (and Damp Too)

Asking how to get rid of cooking smell in the house? The fastest answer is a three-step order that never changes: clear the air, wipe the surfaces the cooking oil settled on, then replace what is left of the smell with a stronger, better one. That last step is where bakhoor earns its place in Malaysian homes. And let us be honest from the first paragraph: bakhoor does not chemically remove odours — nothing you burn does. What it does brilliantly is settle into the same curtains, cushions and clothes that were holding yesterday's fried fish, and fill them with a warm scent that lasts for hours.

Below is the full routine — for cooking smells first, then for the damp bau hapak and bau kepam of Malaysian weather. If you want the fastest version, a self-igniting bakhoor cone burns for 20 to 30 minutes and needs no charcoal.

Why cooking smell sticks around

Frying throws a fine mist of oil particles into the air, and that mist drifts through the house and settles on curtains, sofa fabric, cushion covers, even walls. That is why last night's ikan goreng is still there in the morning — the smell is no longer in the air, it is in the fabric. It is also why a quick spray of air freshener never really works: it perfumes the air for twenty minutes, but the air was never the problem.

How to get rid of cooking smell in the house, step by step

1. Ventilate first, always. Open windows on two sides so air actually moves through, and point a fan outwards. Ten to fifteen minutes of real airflow removes more odour than any product.
2. Wipe the oily surfaces. Go over the hob, backsplash and nearby walls with warm soapy water. The greasy film is the smell's fuel tank; while it stays, the smell keeps coming back.
3. Deal with the fabrics that caught it. Wash what you can, and hang the rest — curtains, cushion covers — in direct sunlight for a few hours.
4. Now replace the smell. Once the air is clear, place one chip of bakhoor on a lit charcoal disc and carry the burner slowly from the kitchen through the living area, keeping a window slightly open. The scent settles into the very fabrics the cooking smell did — the whole point.

New to it? Our guide on how to burn bakhoor covers charcoal, timing and safety: heat-resistant dish, away from children and pets, never unattended.

Bau hapak and bau kepam: the damp smells of Malaysian weather

Cooking smell is at least honest — you know where it came from. The damp, musty smell Malaysians call bau hapak (and its cousin bau kepam, the smell of clothes that dried too slowly) is sneakier: our humidity means any closed wardrobe, spare room or store room slowly develops it, especially during monsoon months.

The same order applies. Airflow first: leave the wardrobe doors open for an afternoon. Sunlight second: nothing refreshes fabric like a hot day outside. Then bakhoor — its oldest job. Across the Gulf, scenting the wardrobe with bukhoor smoke is a generations-old tradition: the burner passes along the hanging clothes, and everything comes out smelling warm and clean for days — including a langsir that has absorbed months of rain-season damp.

What does bakhoor smell like?

The honest answer: warm, woody and slightly sweet — closer to a rich perfume than to any incense stick you know. Does bakhoor smell like oud? Oud is the base of many blends, but most layer other notes on top: rose, amber, saffron, vanilla. It is also spelled bukhur or buhur — the same wood chips pressed with fragrance oils, burned over charcoal.

Does bakhoor smell like smoke? A little, in the first minutes. But good pressed bakhoor gives a low, soft smoke, and with our jars there is no dizziness and no headache. It is nothing like colok or kemenyan, and if someone says bakhoor smells bad, they stood too close to too much of it: one small chip in a ventilated room smells generous, not suffocating.

The best bakhoor smell for home — and for kitchen smells in particular

Against food odours, rose-led blends work best: bright floral notes cut through fried-food heaviness, while the oud base gives the scent weight. Our pick is Bakhoor Al Rawdah — rose, saffron, amber, patchouli and oriental oud, made in Saudi Arabia: 8–10 hours of scent per session, and a jar lasts 4–6 weeks.

For a quick weekday reset with no time for charcoal, Harami bakhoor cones are the shortcut: self-igniting, 12 cones per box, 20–30 minutes of burn and a scent that holds 18+ hours. Still deciding? Our comparison of which bakhoor smells best ranks the scents by room and occasion.

Best bakhoor smell for clothes — and your hair

The best bakhoor smell for hair and clothes is the same rose-oud family, applied differently: hold garments briefly in the scented smoke, or let them hang in the room while the burner works. Fabric holds bakhoor beautifully — a baju kurung scented before a majlis still smells of it at the end of the night. Hair takes the scent too — an old Gulf tradition; a light pass is enough. If you love it on skin, the same scent exists as a spray perfume, EZMA Al Rawdah EDP.

A weekly routine that keeps the whole house fresh

Households that always smell good rarely fight odours — they stay ahead of them. A simple rhythm beats any bakhour air freshener habit of spraying and hoping:

• Friday morning burn. In Malaysia as in the Gulf, Friday is the day for scenting the home — one chip after the morning clean sets the tone for the week.
• After-cleaning burn. Finish every mop-and-wipe session with bakhoor — a clean house that smells clean feels twice as clean.
• Use your curtains. Langsir are the biggest fabric surface in most homes. Let the smoke reach them and they quietly release the fragrance for days — a slow-working bakhoor room freshener you never have to plug in.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get rid of cooking smell in the house fast?

Cross-ventilate for 10–15 minutes with a fan pushing air out, wipe the oily surfaces, then burn one bakhoor chip so a better scent settles into the fabrics.

Does bakhoor remove smells or just cover them?

Honestly: it replaces and masks them; it does not destroy odour molecules. That is why ventilation comes first — bakhoor is the finishing touch, not the whole fix.

What is the best bakhoor for kitchen smells?

A rose-led blend with an oud base, like Bakhoor Al Rawdah — floral enough to cut through food heaviness, deep enough to last 8–10 hours per session.

How long until the cooking smell is gone?

With ventilation and a wipe-down, most of it goes within the hour; the bakhoor scent takes over the fabrics the same evening. Heavy frying smells in unwashed curtains can need a wash or a day in the sun.

Can I burn bakhoor while cooking?

Burn it after, not during — while you cook, the air is full of oil mist and the two smells simply mix. After ventilating, the bakhoor gets clean fabrics to settle into.

Does bakhoor smell like incense or smoke?

Warmer and more perfume-like than stick incense, with only a soft smokiness in the first minutes; our jars give a low, soft smoke — no dizziness, no headache.

How to get rid of bakhoor smell if it gets too strong?

Open the windows for a few minutes and it settles to a gentle background scent; next time use a smaller chip — a little goes a long way.

Does bakhoor smell good to guests who have never tried it?

Almost always — the reaction we hear most is "what is that lovely smell?". It reads as a rich home perfume.

Ready to swap kitchen smells for a scent you actually chose? Browse the full bakhoor collection — free shipping across West Malaysia from a single item, and free returns within 7 days even after burning.