Absorb nasty 'unwanted smells' by putting beautiful houseplant in your kitchen

02 February 2024 , 16:42

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Houseplants have heaps of health benefits (stock photo) (Image: Getty Images/EyeEm)

Anyone who is a keen cook knows that however good the final product will be when you sit down to eat, you can end up with pungent aromas filling your kitchen that sometimes linger for a while once the meal itself is long gone. But it's not just cooking that can bring unwanted smells into the busiest room in the house - there's a variety of things that can cause odours to build up.

From the slightly damp smell permeating from your washing machine, and the odours that can accumulate in your bins as they fill up, to even the slightest blockage in your drains - the kitchen is the centre of most people's homes, and busy lifestyles mean that you may not be able to tackle unwelcome smells on a daily basis - which is where this expert hack comes in. Simply by adding this beautiful houseplant to your kitchen, you could eliminate these strong smells for good.

The experts from GardeningExpress.co.uk explain that this plant will "not only add some greenery to the home but will also absorb any unwanted smells" and that the kitchen is one of the most suitable rooms to get the most out of them.

Founder of the website, Chris Bonnettm notes: "The last thing anybody wants is to walk in a home and be knocked back by a foul smell in the air. Cooking smells from curry and fish can have a pungent smell and be difficult to remove."

Bonnett adds that placing a peace lily in your home will "help provide a fresh, refreshing scent instead," leaving strong, unwanted odours as a distant memory.

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Peace lilies are, as houseplants go, pretty low-maintenance, according to Gardener's World, so even if you have never found yourself being particularly green-fingered, they are a good place to start.

They love humidity, originally from Central America, so they also will grow happily in your bathroom too - another danger zone for strong smells.

They've got gorgeous glossy leaves and produce subtle white flowers, so they'll be a beautiful addition to your home, but be careful to place them out of reach of pets because it can make them unwell if eaten.

If the peace lily isn't right for you, the experts recommend you can opt for a range of other plants that behave in a similar manner; aloe vera, bamboo and spider plants are also great at eliminating odours, and Jasmine, Thyme, and Lavender have their own "strong aroma [which] can help overcome any unwanted cooking smells."

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Emma Mackenzie