How to Get Rid of Onion Breath

How to Get Rid of Onion Breath

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Both onions and garlic are the common ingredients used to enhance any dish, not to mention how they could be associated with some health benefits. For example, garlic is to lower the risk of some cancers.

But both of them can put an end to a conversation or even a relationship between you and other people. It seems to be an unspoken etiquette in all cultures, and frankly, you might lose face with onion breath. Don’t panic since this article gives you some useful tips on how to get rid of onion breath at home.

What is Onion Breath?

Undeniably, onion is a popular ingredient which appears in many different cuisines all over the world. It is a source of folic acid and vitamins B and C. People who are on diet prefer eating onions due to the fact that onions only provide 45 calories per serving [1].

Moreover, onions are beneficial for human’s health [2]. They can increase our bone density as well as prevent cancer due to its anti-cancer properties. Even though onions have lots of good benefit for us, there is a fact we don’t actually like having them daily because of their smell.

Once you chop a clove of garlic or onion, the allyl methyl sulfide compound will be produced.

Aside from it, there are some plants linked to onions that contain sulfurous compounds you need to avoid, including:

  • Alliin: Every plant that has some relations to onions, such as garlic, chives, and shallots – they both have alliin. Once cutting or crushing that alliin (known as an amino acid) within your garlic or onion, an enzymatic reaction will be switched into the allicin. This will fast break down in some sulfur-based compounds in which many of these could contribute considerably to your bad odor.
  • Cysteine Sulfoxide: They are the allium members who are packed with the sulfuric compound, so instantly giving rise to the sulfuric smell on your breath.

And these sulfurous compounds are in charge of your bad onion breath. In detail, their molecules will be the main culprit causing the uncomfortable odor that hits your lungs through the bloodstream.

Next, this bad smell is produced getting back up via your mouth. So you can smell it one you breathe out. This is once eaten, it will cause your sweat and breath to smell bad for a whole day.

What causes onion breath?

Breath is easily affected by the smell of food you eat daily, but more than that, keep reading below to know what causes your onion breath:

Have a poor dental hygiene

The humidity of your oral cavity makes it easier for germs to develop. And these bacteria are exactly the major causes of such halitosis. Having poor oral hygiene only let them absorb deeper into the gums, and then causes some issues, such as onion breath, tooth decay, stomatitis, and more.

Your mouth is so dry

Having dry mouth is said to be caused by not drinking enough water every day, not to mention some side effects of breathing by mouth or smoking for too long. Dry mouth easily leads to the loss of saliva meant to clean up your teeth. Next, any dead cell on your tongue and gums won’t be cleaned well. As a result, they would decompose before producing bad breath.

Food is trapped in your mouth

A little amount of food is often stuck in your teeth, especially when your dish has onion. As the time passes by, they’re easily damaged by bacteria, leading to more unpleasant smells. Some spicy dishes having garlic will trigger bad smell after you decide to consume them.

How does your onion breath last?

Have you ever wondered why your onion breath stay for such a long time? This would base on person to person. A few people might not experience that bad breath even after spending a few hours of consumption. However, I’m told that a few people probably suffer it for two or three days. Therefore, this fully depends on each person’s body type and digestion.

And I hope that this post today has offered you enough knowledge to help you know how to get rid of onion breath as soon as possible. Note that when the onion breath keeps staying for 2 – 3 days, then it’s advised that you need to visit a doctor when he can suggest you a much better way to remove it completely.

Onion’s smell usually lingers in our mouth for quite a long time and makes our breath becomes extremely bad. So in case you are caught with onion breath, it is the top priority finding how to get rid of onion breath fast.

So what can we do? Forgetting onion forever in our meals? It will be a significant loss of nutrients that your body can gain from such simple ingredient.

Thus, in case you are caught with onion breath, it is the top priority finding how to get rid of onion breath fast.

Here are the top 20 simple ways on how to get rid of onion breath which you can easily apply to help you erasing the onion breath…

30 simple ways on how to get rid of onion breath

1. Milk

People have used milk as a natural mouth rinse for a long time, which also makes it a perfect ingredient used in home remedies for onion breath. Basically, milk contains the fat that can neutralize the sulfur content in the onion quickly [3].

Milk - How to Get Rid of Onion Breath
Milk

Drink a glass of milk before or during the time you eat onions. You should drink full-fat milk because it is more effective than skim milk. In addition, milk is also used to strengthen teeth. You can find out more at: How to Get Stronger Teeth and Gums.

2. Apple

Apples contain natural enzymes that can provide the same result as the fat in milk. This fruit is considered one of the best home remedies for onion breath .

  • Drink apple juice to prevent bad breath
  • You can also eat an apple after you eat onion food

Apples are common fruit that every one loves to eat per day. “An apple per day keeps a doctor away”.

3. Lemon

People use lemons as an instant method for how to get rid of onion breath. The same as apples and milk, lemons contain citric that can neutralize onion breath [4]. Plus, citric can kill the causes of bad bacteria which make the breath smell bad.

Lemon - How to Get Rid of Onion Breath
Lemon
  • Mix a cup of water with lemon juice (1 tablespoon)
  • Rinse your mouth with that mixture 2 or 3 times daily until the bad breath is gone
  • Drink fresh lemonade (1 or 2 glasses)
  • You can also chew a small piece of lemon peel or suck lemon wedge to get rid of onion breath

Lemons can be considered the most frequent used fruit in our daily life. Besides helping you understand how to get rid of onion breath, lemons can cure some other common problems such as dehydration.

In addition to treating onion breath, lemon, especially its juice helps you with bad breath removal.

4. Consume citrus fruits

Let’s eat more foods that can cause more production of your saliva, including grapefruit, lemon, and mandarin. Take grapefruit for example. It’s packed with vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, and even a good fiber that is strong enough to fight against any atherosclerosis. Besides, grapefruit does a great job in helping you shed more weight.

Doing so can help your mouth moist, which tends to be much easier to deal with the halitosis. In detail, any citrus fruit like orange, lemon, and mandarin are excellent at raising your liquid production.

Besides, try to dodge as much as possible eating any dry food, like toast, nut, or cracker. It’s because they’re likely to stick to the palate, which then begins releasing a bad odor after a while. If you choose to consume them, make sure to brush your teeth and use mouthwash the right way, as soon as you can.

5. Baking Soda

Another good odor removal is baking soda. Baking soda is used not only to whiten our teeth but also as a significant solution for how to get rid of onion breath. It can be used to stop bacteria from growing, which can reduce the bad breath [5].

  • Take 1 teaspoon of baking soda, the same with sea salt and a glass of warm water. Mix them together
  • Rinse this mixture a couple of times a day to stop onion breath

Besides being a wonderful tip on how to get rid of onion breath, baking soda can eliminate the smell from other parts of the body. You can find out more at: Home Remedies for Body Odor.

6. Green Tea

One of the most effective remedies on how to get rid of onion breath is using green tea. Green tea can easily destroy the sulfur content in onion because it has polyphenols and anti-oxidants that are very powerful. As a result, it will make onion breath disappear quickly [6].

Green Tea - Stop onion breath
Green Tea
  • Take a glass of hot water and add 1 teaspoon of green tea leaves into it
  • Cover the glass and steep it (5 minutes)
  • Add some honey after you strain
  • Drink this tea to stop onion breath. Drink it 2, 3 times or more a day, depending on how bad the onion breath is.

Drink green tea daily helps you not only preventing bad breath but also promoting healthy lips. You can find out more at:

7. Mustard Sauce

Another simple but effective ingredient for how to get rid of onion breath is the mustard sauce. The mustard sauce has a strong smell that can effectively destroy the smell of the onion.

  • Take a teaspoon of mustard sauce and eat it but don’t swallow. Swish it around your mouth for about 1 minute then spit the sauce out
  • After that, swallow another teaspoon of mustard sauce
  • Next, use water to rinse all over your mouth

Apart from treating onion breath, mustard is a well-known cure for Periodontitis.

8. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is one of the best remedies for how to get rid of onion breath. Like baking soda and lemons, apple cider vinegar is an effective way to destroy bacteria. Therefore, apple cider vinegar can also help us to neutralize the bad breath because of onion.

  • Get half tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and mix it with a glass of warm water. Rinse your mouth with this mixture several times (10 seconds each time)
  • Mix a tablespoon of honey, 3 drops of clove oil, 3 drops of tincture of myrrh and ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar in a cup and add a little hot water into the cup. Gargle with this solution to get rid of onion breath
Apple Cider Vinegar - How to Get Rid of Onion Breath
Apple Cider Vinegar

9. Parsley

One of the herbs that can remarkably help you on how to get rid of onion breath is parsley. The chlorophyll content in parsley can help us making onion breath disappear [7].

  • Use white vinegar to dip a handful of parsley leaves into and after that add some salt on them. Take the leaves out and chew it carefully for about 1 or 2 minutes then swallow them to destroy onion breath
  • In addition to that, chop the parsley and put a handful of them into 2 glass of water. Next, add 2 or 3 whole cloves and then boils the water (5 minutes). Finally, drink it after you strain and cool it down

10. Mint

Mint is another herb that can totally answer the question – how to get rid of onion breath. Mint can clear your bad breath because of the chlorophyll that the mint is loaded with. Furthermore, the antiseptic property in mint also works against the bad breath [8].

  • Get a cup of hot water and add a tablespoon of crushed mint leaves. Cover the cup and steep for about 10 minutes. Then strain and add a little honey to the water. Drink this tea a couple of times to stop the bad breath
  • You can also chew a few crushed fresh mint leaves. This way is more effective if you use it right after you eat raw onions
  • Another way is chewing gums and eating mint-flavored candies
Mint - How to get rid of Onion Breath
Mint

If you are mint lover, here are 10 reasons making mint leaves superfoods.

11. Cardamom

Like mustard sauce, cardamom has a strong smell which is the ideal solution for how to eliminate bad breath caused by onions. As a result, it will cleanse and freshen your breath [9].

  • Drink 1 or 2 glass of cardamom tea
  • Another option is chewing cardamom after you eat onion-flavored food

In case you are contracting dry mouth symptoms, cardamom is one of the best solution.

12. Coffee Bean

This might not be an easy way but it is an effective ingredient for how to get rid of onion breath. Even though this solution might be tough to do, it is still one of the most effective answers to the question – how to eliminate bad breath [10].

Chewing coffee beans for a while and then spitting them out to make bad breath disappear.

Coffee Bean - Home Remedies for Onion Breath
Coffee Bean

13. Brush Your Teeth

Brush your teeth -  How to get rid of onion breath
Brush your teeth

Being one of the simplest home remedies for bad breath, brushing your teeth helps you not only protecting your teeth but also reducing bad breath.

  • Brush your teeth at least twice a day. You should brush your teeth right after you eat onions to stop the onion breath
  • You can also use mouthwash to clean up your mouth and prevent bad breath

Also, brushing teeth every day can make your teeth and gum stronger.

14. Use mouthwash or a tongue cleaner  

Apart from brushing daily, always use your mouthwash for how to get rid of onion breath. It’s because brushing your teeth merely cleans up over half of your surface of the teeth.

Therefore, it’s best to rely on an antibacterial mouthwash that contains chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride, and hydrogen peroxide to help dodge your bad breath. Make sure to avoid the brands that have alcohol when it could dry out the mouth – one of the main causes triggering your terrible smell.

Besides, if you don’t like mouthwash, then consider using a tongue cleaner which has some filaments to trap all small particles and odor-releasing bacteria. And then, feel free to clean up the tongue with your tongue cleaner or toothbrush while brushing your teeth.

15. Bread

Another food that can help you on how to eliminate bad breath is bread. Bread contains carbohydrates that can destroy bad breath. Bread is also helpful in helping you have white teeth. You can know more about Home Remedies for Teeth Whitening.

  • Eat bread with onion-flavored food to reduce onion breath in your mouth
  • You can replace bread with others carbohydrate-rich foods
Bread - Get rid of onion breath
Bread

16. Vodka

Drinking vodka is not a very good way to get rid of bad breath. However, alcohol is one of the effective home remedies for bad breath. Because vodka does not have an aftertaste, it is the best choice for people who want to use alcohol to stop the bad breath.

Have a shot of vodka after you eat onion and you won’t need to wonder how to get rid of onion breath.

17. Yogurt

Yogurt is one of the favorite foods for all kinds of people. Not only tastes good, yogurt is a natural odor removal to help us reducing bacteria. This is the reason why it must be on the list of ingredients used in home remedies for onion breath.

yogurt - How to get rid of onion breath
Yogurt

Eat yogurt every day and your bad breath, especially onion breath will disappear in a while.

Yogurt is strongly recommended to be one of the best foods that benefit your health greatly.

Don’t forget to look at: 11 Reasons To Have Yogurt Daily

18. Water

Unbelievably simple as it might seem, plain is actually one of the greatest tips on how to get rid of onion breath. It is certain that anyone can afford water right in their house..

You had better drink water throughout the day to encourage saliva production which is one of the most effective cleansing agents. Another method for promoting saliva production is chewing gum; however, remember to use sugar-free gum for better effects.

19. Tea Tree Oil

tea-tree-oil-how-to-get-rid-of-onion-breath
Tea tree oil

Among top amazing 10 ways to make use of tea tree oil, using it to deal with onion breath brings about the positive outcome for sufferers. If you think plain water does not bring immediate effects in urgent circumstances, you can use tea tree oil as one of the best home remedies for onion breath.

This results from its therapeutic quality which is helpful for treating blemishes or skin problems.

All you need is to pour some drops of the oil into the water and wash your mouth with the mixture.

20. Unripe Guava

Containing an excellent number of nutrients that our body needs, guava deserves more attention than ever.

In addition, it also serves as one of the best tips on how to get rid of onion breath.

You will find it even more amazing when it comes to benefits of guava on the health of your teeth and gums.

Therefore, consuming this fruit after having onion in meals will help you eliminate terrible smell in the breath and supply your body with important nutrients, such as calcium or manganese.

21. Fenugreek

fenugreek-how-to-get-rid-of-onion-breath
Fenugreek

If you have plenty of time and want some healthier home remedies for onion breath, fenugreek might be a wise choice.

Not only does it help erase bad breath due to the onion, but it also improves your relaxation. You had better prepare a cup of fenugreek tea after each meal with onion.

  • Get some crushed fenugreek seeds into the hot water.
  • Steep the mixture in more than 3 minutes and then, get it strained.
  • You can supplement honey or sugar to get the flavor you want.
  • Enjoy its benefits.

22. Sunflower Seeds

The last name in this list of home remedies for onion breath is sunflower seed. With its aroma, this herb can give a quick relief from any kind of bad breath, let alone onion breath.

All you need to do is to munch its seeds and drink water when you finish eating onion. The fear of onion breath will no longer exist with the support of sunflower seeds.

In brief, there is no reason to refuse to include onion in your diet just because of its smell. Be courageous to consume one of the best ingredients in the kitchen for the sake and your health and be aware of these home remedies for onion breath.

On the other hand, there are few more extra tips to help you prevent the problem from getting worse and worse.

23. Add more veggies to dish with onions  

Don’t hesitate to add more vegetables to any dish that has onions. For instance, whenever you consume salad with some onions, let’s throw in more lemon, mushrooms, carrots to fight against the smell. In case you like the idea of consuming raw onion with food for a crunchier taste, then you probably like to digest more veggies right after your meal so that you won’t grow onion breath at all.

Among them, broccoli will be a super healthy food you can’t miss here – it’s pretty popular for fighting any type of cancer as well. But note that as it’s a bit high on fiber volume, it can boost your weight loss, too. Only use broccoli as a great alternative instead of any fat and calorie-rich food in your diet.

Also, it’s fine to add cabbage to your healthy plate of salad to satisfy your hunger. This veggie is also great for shedding more weight since it’s quite rich in some useful antioxidants and Vitamin C.These substances work greatly on supporting the overall metabolism and boosting your immune system.

24. Waterpik  

Another great way for how to get rid of onion breath is using a water pick. This is commonly known as an oral irrigator with the aim of releasing a stream of water right at the teeth.

In other words, using a Waterpik is trusted to diminish any food particle from teeth so that your bleeding and other gum issues can be reduced. However, this way is often seen as an extra alternative for your brushing and flossing solutions.

That’s because it partially gets rid of visible film and plaque right on the teeth as well as help reduce a certain number of germs below your gumline.

25. Sugar

How to get rid of onion breath? Not many people think of using sugar. It’s pretty surprising to know that sugar can help you encounter the bad breath. That is because the sugar will absorb your bad odor right in the mouth naturally.

To make the most of it, let’s prepare a teaspoon of sugar to leave it to linger in your mouth for some minutes. Doing this can make the mouthfeel a bit sweet, but then it’s much better from suffering an onion breath.

26. Crunchy spices

For a more exotic solution, let’s choose some crunchy spices, such as anise, coriander, or fennel seeds sold in the spice container of some grocery stores. You can mix them equally in a little-covered bowl at first.

Next, keep the bowl on your dining room table next to your salt and pepper spices. Also, don’t bother chewing some seeds to produce enough oil to sweeten your curry breath after your dinner. After a while, your mouth will taste great.

27. Mint sprigs and cinnamon sticks

Any of these tasty flavors is believed to reduce the sulfurous scent of garlic or onion quite effectively. Also, using the essential oil in cinnamon is the best way to destroy a bunch of your oral germs by discouraging them from establishing the house in the mouth. Cinnamon or mint gum is as effective as you thought.

If you choose to chew a xylitol-sweetened gum, then it can help freshen your breath and decrease the maximum cavities. This is the best when you’re a gum lover!

28. Peppermint oil

Not just covering your bad breath with a nice aroma, but peppermint oil here can also hold adjust any unwanted germ. It can be used along with candies chewing gum, and your mouthwashes for the optimal results. You can add peppermint to coconut oil, or water for a fast refreshing drink. Or just swish it around in your mouth with a little water. Feel free to chew some mint leaves if you like.

29. Change your cooking method  

For the onion, you can slice and soak them in a bowl of water for a while. Next, try to soak them once more in lime water or vinegar to decrease the odor. If it’s garlic, what you simply do is splitting the skins and removing sprouts inside them.

30. Stimulate your saliva and taper the mouth

Your saliva is supposed to be a strong pH regulator that can help adjust the growth of your unexpected germs. Once you’re not asked to speak or say anything, still let that saliva to pool in your mouth for short periods of time. Doing so can keep you a healthy oral setting.

Aside from that, this will train you to do nostril breathing over the mouth breathing for dry mouth prevention. Another great strategy you can’t miss here is to teach your nose breathing is to tape the mouth before you sleep.

Doing this can train your body to take a breath from your nose, which can decrease the stress reaction and boost your healthy teeth and gums. Besides, you can sleep deeper and feel more energetic in every morning as well as have more energy for the entire day.

Extra Tips:

  • Drink water throughout the day to encourage saliva production which is one of the most effective cleansing agents. Another method for promoting saliva production is chewing gum; however, remember to use sugar-free gum for better effects.
  • Keep out of alcohol beverages except for vodka such as beers together with cigarettes to avoid worsening the bad onion breath issue.
  • Use floss to keep your teeth clean from particles of foods which can cause bad breath.
  • Remember to scrape your tongue carefully on a daily basis to prevent germs from developing.
  • Avoid as much as possible the consumption of food that is likely to cause a bad smell in your mouth. The most common are onion, garlic, but a few people might suffer bad breath after eating pickles. Thus, if possible, avoid consuming them to keep a fresher breath and treat your halitosis.

Conclusion

All of the information mentioned above are only the basic tips on how to get rid of onion breath. So it means that there are more effective ways and several other ingredients you can use to make your onion odor disappear as you wish. They could be using black coffee, groundnut, and gums. And hopefully, you can explore the most reliable way to diminish that terrible breath caused by onion or garlic.

*Disclaim: The effectiveness from applying these natural tips will be depended on the body condition of the applicant.

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30 Comments

  1. I have to show this to my sister now. Her breath is so awful and I have to sleep next to her every night. Hope these will work out!

  2. well, from all those little tips I have read about how to get rid of onion breath, I must say Mint is the best out there, and that is why they make mint chewing gum :3

    also I am a coffee lover so I do personally enjoy some coffee after a heavy meal for both refreshing taste and breath. You guys might try it out (y)!!!

    btw, great work here 😀 keep it up 😀

    1. Agree with you, Jenny. Im not a fan of coffee but I am trying mint after every meal and it is really effective in treating onion breath.

  3. I think yogurt is the best option for how to get rid of of onion breath, especially after you have meals with onion. Yogurt is good for digestion, so we can gain both benefits. Some others, such as bread, are more difficult to consume after meals.
    Anyway, thanks for this informative article!!!!

  4. Yeah, i agree with Jenny Heth. I myself love chewing gum and it always works.
    Beside that, I often use green tea everyday morning and i realize it not only help us get rid of onion breath but also is really good for our health in general.
    Thank you so much for giving us those helpful tips, great work 😀

  5. I have used parley to get rid of my onion breath for a couple of weeks and the result is much more than I expected.
    Thanks for your information!

  6. I am looking for how to get rid of garlic breath fast and wondering whether these remedies can be applied in the same way?

    1. Of course, all of these remedies are used to treat onion breath as well as other unpleasant smell in your mount, I think.

  7. It annoys me very much when I don’t know why do i smell like onion all the time until I find this post.
    Thanks very much for these tips!!!

  8. For me, I personally recommended green tea if y’all are desperate at getting rid of garlic breath. However, this method will take patient as y’all need to practice the habit of drinking green tea.

    I can guarantee it will pay off. Y’all breath will be fresh quickly with some green tea after such heavy meals. Hope this help 😀

  9. Coffee beans are my favourite home remedy for onion breath. A cup of coffee a day gives me so much pleasure to enjoy my work. Now I feel so confident when I meet my clients.
    Thanks

  10. I am confused about how to remove onion smell from hands because every time my mom asked me to cut onion, I can’t get rid of its disgusting smell.. should I rub mint on my hands?

    1. You can simply chew gums after taking this tip as well. They just have worked brilliantly and help you how to get rid of bad breath naturally. This is not to mention gums is the most effective ways on how to get rid of bad breath fast and how to eliminate bad breath in just a flash light.

  11. Yogurt is the most powerful food I have ever know. It helps me treat so many health problems and now is how to get rid of onion breath.

  12. Now I understand why people use mint to make chewing gum. This herb is so effective in treating onion breath!! Thanks for good tips

  13. I was always like why on earth I feel garlic taste in mouth all the time. Thank god i thank you i found these!!!

  14. Have any one tried parley to treat onion breath? I have a large bunch of parsley right now and I do not know how to use it. Help!

    1. In fact, this is one of the best ways that help you on how to get rid of bad breath permanently if you could make full use of it. You can either consume its drinks or get the paste from this herb to chew within your mouth to get its benefits. Good Luck!

  15. At first place, I doubt the benefits of apple cider vinegar as I have seen it in so many articles here, but one day I decided to use it and got so surprised. Apple cider vinegar is really a good treatment for onion breath.

  16. I don’t even know lemons and baking soda are what gets rid of garlic breath until i find this post.
    They are always readily available in my house so i guess I’ll find onion breath in no time.

  17. Onion breath is an awful experience, I barely want to come close to any one. But thanks to parley to make the treatment for onion breath, now I feel so confident when taking with others.

  18. Green tea is my mother’s favourite beverage. I have no idea that it can help get rid of onion breath. Now I will drink it too and ask my father to join

    1. Been there as my mother could drink green tea all year round and guess what, she would never complaint about how to remove bad breath. I suppose you should ask her to share some tips on some guidlines of how to kill bad breath with green tea. Thanks

  19. Well, at first I’m quite embarassed with bad breathe from onion and don’t know how to eliminate bad breath at home. My thought at that time was only how to get fresh breath as I figure getting fresh breathe is the most ultimate way on how to get rid of bad breath quickly. Then I tried Vodka and my life is way different now.

  20. F*ckin’ tremendous issues here. I am very happy to peer your article. Thanks a lot and i’m looking ahead to contact you. Will you kindly drop me a e-mail?

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