The end of December and the beginning of January is some kind of long jump between corporate events and evening gatherings with friends and colleagues, and visits from relatives. All this makes your head spin, serious stress appears, which is relieved with a drop of intoxicating drink.
But in the midst of a series of such near-alcoholic pastimes, occasions suddenly arise when you absolutely need to exude freshness and purity - but the smell from what you take on your chest is nevertheless there. What to do and how to remove the smell of alcohol or fumes?
Let’s make a reservation right away - the methods described below are only suitable for a cosmetic solution to the problem; they will not get rid of problems when contacting the traffic police. But everyone remembers that even after a small portion of alcohol it is better to take a taxi or walk rather than drive?
The difference between the smell of alcohol and the smell of fumes
These two smells are fundamentally different from each other, and here's why. The smell of alcohol is straightforward: it can only be felt while there are remnants of alcohol in the mouth - on the teeth and palate, and in the stomach. Therefore, to get rid of it or at least to mask it for a short time, it’s enough just to brush your teeth properly and rinse your mouth thoroughly.
The fume appears later, after an hour and a half, and it is much more insidious in terms of smell. The reason for its appearance is the breakdown products of ethanol. They appear at the moment when the liver begins to process the alcohol that has entered the blood. Some of these decomposition products - such as acetic acid, for example - have a rather nasty, pungent odor.
The body removes them in three ways: through the lungs with breathing, through the pores of the skin and naturally through urination. The metabolism of alcohol conversion and complete elimination from the body takes about a day - and in the case of a large number of strong drinks, it can take up to 48 hours.
Oxygen access
The first thing you need to do in the morning after a feast with alcohol is to open the window and ventilate the room. Even if people in the room do not smell the smell, ethanol vapor is still present in the air.
It will also be helpful to remove or cover up any unfinished alcohol. These measures will help not only clean the air in the room, but also improve the well-being of the people in it.
The effectiveness of this method is based on the characteristics of alcohol metabolism in the body.
Ethyl alcohol, under the influence of a special enzyme, is converted successively into acetaldehyde and acetic acid, which is excreted from the body. Acetaldehyde is poorly soluble in water, and its accumulation in brain cells is the main cause of hangovers.
Its transformation into highly soluble acetic acid is possible only in conditions of access to a large amount of oxygen, so after a good feast you need to provide yourself with fresh air.
In this regard, a walk is the best help, but in bad weather or with a very bad hangover it is quite difficult, besides, being outside does not eliminate the smell of fumes either from your breath or indoors, but it makes you feel better.
Chew natural flavors
Herbs, spices, citrus zest - all this can be easily found in the kitchen or in any store. These products contain quite a lot of aromatic oils that will successfully cope with unpleasant odors. The most effective are parsley, cilantro and nutmeg. Roasted seeds also help a lot. Coffee beans will also help a lot.
Fighting indoor odor
Treatment of a hangover is an important, but not the only part of the fight against the consequences of a feast. To eliminate odor in a room, you have to use other methods.
As already mentioned, ventilating the room and removing all unsealed alcohol from it can improve the situation. If one time was not enough and the smell remains, you need to ventilate the room until the smell is completely eliminated.
Additionally, you can use air fresheners with an “anti-tobacco” effect, which also helps against the smell of fumes. In addition to air fresheners, there are other recipes for getting rid of fumes in a room - scented candles and sticks, aroma lamps, a drop of perfume on the lamp when the light is on.
If the smell has firmly settled in the room, then it is necessary to do a general cleaning using disinfectants - they effectively eliminate unpleasant household odors, including fumes, and their own fragrances are unstable and quickly disappear.
The use of triple cologne can also give a similar effect - it also eliminates the smell of fumes and disappears easily.
How long does the fume last: table
How long does the aroma from beer and other alcoholic drinks last? The time indicated in the table refers to 100 g of alcohol consumed. When increasing the dosage, it is necessary to increase the time according to the given proportions. It should be borne in mind that a woman’s body processes aldehydes longer, so it will take a little more time.
| Drink | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
| Beer (4%) | 35 min | 30 min | 26 min | 23 min | 20 minutes |
| Beer (6%) | 55 min | 45 min | 40 min | 35 min | 31 min |
| Low alcohol drinks (9%) | 1h 20m | 1h 07m | 1h | 52 min | 47 min |
| Wine, Champagne (11-12%) | 1h 36 m | 1h 25 m | 1h 12m | 1h 05m | 57 min |
| Fortified wines (18%) | 2h 37 min | 2h 15 min | 1h 57 min | 1h 44 min | 1h 35 min |
| Liqueurs (30%) | 4h 21 min | 3h 45 min | 3h 16 min | 2h 55 min | 2h 37 min |
| Vodka (40%) | 5h 48 min | 4h 58 min | 4h 21 min | 3h 52 min | 3h 30 min |
| Cognac, whiskey (42%) | 6h 05 min | 5h 15 min | 4h 35 min | 4h 05min | 3h 40 min |
How to remove it at home
It’s a rare person who plans to drink alcoholic beverages in such quantities that the consequences are noticeable.
For this reason, special means for relieving a hangover and eliminating fumes are not always at hand. In such cases, do not despair. You can first try to help yourself with what you have at home.
What to eat so as not to smell
Before you start unknowingly eating everything in order to eliminate the fumes, you need to remember about the body.
Attention! It is better to exclude difficult-to-digest foods.
The organs of the gastrointestinal tract are involved in the elimination of toxic substances. It is advisable to support him.
Useful tips for getting rid of fumes and hangovers
If you drank too much alcohol the day before, take a bath or cold shower, have a hearty breakfast, use folk or medical remedies for excess alcohol, and drink plenty of fluids throughout the day.
Other useful tips on how to improve your condition after last night's party:
- You should not drink alcohol in the morning (some people try to get rid of a hangover this way). The next dose of alcoholic drink will only increase bad breath and body odor.
- If you chew coffee beans as a flavorful remedy for excessive breathing, you should not drink coffee.
- For a hot bath to effectively remove toxins from the body, you do not need to stay in the bath for too long (15-20 minutes is enough).
- Don't smoke to get rid of this smell. The aroma after smoking a cigarette will only enhance the caffeine.
Preventative measures to help reduce morning smell and other effects of a morning hangover include careful drinking. It is not recommended to mix different alcoholic drinks; try to drink in moderation. A drunken alcohol snack is a light, low-fat meal that does not put much strain on the liver (the liver will still be overloaded when processing ethyl alcohol products). Heavy foods include fatty meats, sausages, mushrooms, legumes, spicy and fried foods. Light foods include sour and fresh vegetables, fruits, apple juice. After the feast, drink plenty of water and get a good night's sleep.
To avoid suffering from a severe hangover and excessive drinking in the morning, maintain moderate drinking habits. Personal hygiene, a good breakfast and a contrast shower or bath can help reduce bad breath and body odor. During the day, you can consume aromatic substances, drink mineral water, herbal decoctions and tea. Sorbents and medications are also used to relieve various symptoms of hangover.
Simple ways to remove fumes
This problem has one reason - the toxic breakdown products of ethyl alcohol. Their removal improves well-being and removes unpleasant odors. But first, let’s look at ways to quickly “disguise” in case of emergency.
1. Chewing gum. A simple, accessible method that allows you to quickly eliminate the smell of fumes. Disadvantage: it lasts for a maximum of 10-15 minutes. It is believed that mint chewing gums are best, but in fact they are too harsh and mixed with fumes give an unpredictable result. I advise you to buy fruit-flavored chewing gum.
2. Oral hygiene. To avoid the smell of fumes, you can brush your teeth or use a special refreshing spray. These products, like chewing gum, act for up to 15 minutes, only interrupting the smell. But for the sake of overall health of the body, I recommend starting the fight against fumes with thorough brushing of your teeth.
3. Other flavors. The most accessible thing at home is to chew parsley, nutmeg, coffee beans or regular roasted seeds for 2-3 minutes. This will be enough to reduce the fumes for about 30-40 minutes. The disadvantage is that the listed folk remedies themselves have a pungent odor.
Now let's move on to effective ways to remove fumes. True, they are not very fast; the result becomes noticeable after 6-8 hours.
4. Drink plenty of fluids. Coffee, black and green tea stimulate the kidneys and have a diuretic effect, helping to remove residual alcohol. But they can be drunk only if there are no problems with the heart and blood pressure. One cup every 4-5 hours will be enough.
Mineral water, herbal decoctions (oats, dandelion, chamomile) and freshly squeezed fruit juices restore the mineral-acid balance of the body, fighting the cause of fumes, and not its consequence - an unpleasant odor.
Lemon
Vitamin C contained in lemon has a tonic effect on the body and helps eliminate hangover syndrome. In the morning, drink a juice drink.
- Lemon is cut into slices.
- Pour a glass of sparkling water.
- Leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
In case of a severe hangover, the dose is increased. Take 3 lemons per liter of mineral water and drink the entire volume.
Prevention
In order not to wonder: how to get rid of fumes, you need to take care of its prevention before drinking alcohol. Before you start drinking, you need to take a glass of milk. The most effective is a homemade product with a high fat content.
But these are not all methods of prevention; before drinking alcohol, you can do the following:
- Eat chicken broth with jellied meat;
- Drink 10 grams of olive, sunflower or flaxseed oil;
- Take activated carbon at the rate of one tablet per 10 kg of weight.
But it’s also worth remembering that you shouldn’t mix drinks, much less lower the temperature.
How to quickly get rid of the alcoholic smell?
Nutmeg has an intense spicy aroma that can completely drown out the light or medium-intensity odor of alcohol from the mouth
How do you remove fumes if there is a smell, but business or work does not allow you to rest or gradually get rid of the consequences of an evening party? For this, experienced people recommend a whole list of improvised means and pharmaceutical preparations. The former only mask the characteristic smell, the latter at the same time alleviate hangover suffering. If there is no choice and complete relief from intoxication is impossible, you will have to use the following means.
- Nutmeg. The fruit has an intense spicy aroma that can completely drown out the light or medium-intensity odor of alcohol from the mouth. It is enough to bite off a small piece of the nut and chew it for a long time.
- Roasted coffee beans. It also temporarily reduces the smell. Coffee beans are more effective against “fresh” fumes from drinking wine or beer. If you chew them constantly, you can completely mask the alcoholic smell. But you need to remember about blood pressure. For those who are prone to hypertension, it is not advisable to rely heavily on coffee beans.
- Bay leaf, coriander, cumin and other spicy seasonings also cut through the fumes. Chewing a bay leaf is not a pleasant activity, but sometimes the effectiveness and availability of the product are more important. You won’t be able to beat off the fumes with seasonings for a long time, but in an emergency the method is quite appropriate.
Pharmacologists also offer several emergency remedies for hangovers accompanied by the “fire dragon” effect. Not only in pharmacies, but also in markets, it is easy to find the following drugs:
- "Anti-policeman";
- "Alcoclean";
- "Petrusha"
Over-the-counter drugs “Glycine” and “Biotredin”, available over-the-counter in pharmacies, will help you cope with intoxication, and therefore fume, more quickly.
There are enough answers to the question of how to eliminate fumes, that is, means and methods for this. However, remember that the degree of their effectiveness depends on the intensity of the unpleasant odor, so you should not rely only on remedies for fumes, but also think about the consequences of drinking alcoholic beverages without measure.
Eliminating bad breath
The most difficult consequence of a hangover is the presence of bad breath, which can persist all day, and sometimes for more than one day. What can be done to prevent it from happening?
Firstly , you need to thoroughly brush your teeth - this will get rid of not only the smell, but also the unpleasant taste. Various mouth fresheners have a good effect. This won't eliminate the smell for the whole day, but it will significantly reduce it.
There are many other ways to get rid of odor - rinse your mouth with a mixture of lemon juice and vinegar, hold a few tea leaves under your tongue, chew seeds or nuts.
You can smoke a cigarette - the strong smell of tobacco can remove the smell of fumes from your mouth, but you should not do this - this method is not always effective, and it also aggravates the harmful effects of alcohol on the body.
In order to quickly get rid of the smell, you can drink valerian tincture, chew mint gum or coffee beans, eat foods containing spices, onions or garlic and herbs. But you will have to do this all day, because the effect of these products does not last long.
In addition, the smell of garlic or onions from your breath is just as unattractive as fumes, and coffee beans can leave an unpleasant aftertaste.
Sometimes, to alleviate the condition and eliminate the smell, it is recommended to drink homemade milk, freshly brewed coffee or strong tea. This helps not only fight odor, but also increase mental performance and help the digestive system cope with the effects of intoxication.
