While a night of drinking with friends can be very fun, the mess and smells that hang around the following day aren’t. Strong alcohol smells in your room can be embarrassing and definitely won’t help with a hangover.
The first step to getting rid of the alcohol smell in a room is to remove the sources such as bottles, cans, spills, your potential body odor, and stale air in the room. Next, you can mask smells with candles, sprays, boiled aromatics, and by cooking or baking. Finally, for stubborn smells thoroughly clean all textiles and air out the space well.
Table of Contents
First Steps to Take when Removing Alcohol Smell
The very first thing you will want to do to lessen the smell of alcohol in any room is to get rid of the sources of the smell. There are a few possible sources to think about when doing this.
Remove All Empty Cans, Bottles, and Cups
Get rid of all of the empty or opened cans and bottles of alcohol that could be contributing to the smell. Don’t leave them in your indoor trash cans or the smell will continue to linger. Remove them to an outdoor dumpster or trash can if possible. Make sure to also get rid of or wash any cups that were used for the alcohol.
Clean Yourself
Another possible source of alcohol scent in your room can actually be you! Smells can be carried in fabrics easily so the first step will be to wash the clothes you were wearing when you consumed the alcohol.
Especially after drinking beer, your body can smell quite a bit too. Take a nice long shower and don’t forget to brush those teeth. Mouthwash can also help get rid of stubborn beer breath.
Deal with Any Alcohol Spills
Next, you will want to clean up any spills. If you have a spill on a hard surface, soak it up with paper towels and dispose of them with the empty bottles and cans. Follow up with some cleaning spray or Lysol wipes to thoroughly clean up the spot.
If the spills are on the fabric, it will take a little more elbow grease to clean them up. If possible, throw the fabric in the washing machine with a little vinegar and baking soda to quickly eliminate the odor.
However, if it isn’t possible to use a washing machine use the following method to get rid of the smell by hand. Mix equal parts of water and vinegar then spray the solution lightly on the spill. Dab the spot with a towel until dry and then sprinkle baking soda evenly over the area and leave to sit for a few hours or until the spot is completely dry.
You can add a couple of drops of essential oil to the baking soda to help hide the smell even more.
Get the Air Moving
Still air in a room will keep unpleasant smells around much longer than moving air. Get some fresh air by opening up your windows and turning on a fan if possible.
How to Quickly Mask the Smell:
The fastest and easiest way of hiding the smell of alcohol is to cover it up with other, more pleasant smells. Though this solution may not be enough in the long run, it is great for quickly freshening up a room.
Candles
Scented candles are a pretty quick solution to covering up any unpleasant odors. A few minutes after lighting the candle your room will smell much better.
If you’re worried about having an open flame in your home because of children or pets, you can instead opt for a wax warmer. These do the same thing as a candle using only electricity instead of a flame. This will also spare you the unpleasant smoke smell from when you blow out a candle.
Room Sprays
Room sprays like Febreeze are the quickest solution for bad smells. These will mask the smell immediately. You can even purchase a fabric spray that will go a step further and actually neutralize the odor on surfaces and fabrics rather than just masking it in the air.
First, spray areas that are more likely to smell such as tabletops where there was alcohol, trash bins, and textiles like drapes and cushions. Then add some extra spray through the air of the entire room to finish.
Boil Aromatics
If you would rather stick to natural methods, boiling some aromatics can quickly make your entire home smell wonderful. With this method, you can also get creative with the scent by combining different ingredients.
Some great-smelling ingredient options include apples, any type of citrus peels, vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, cloves, mint leaves, coffee beans, and many other fruits and herbs.
Add whatever you choose to a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat slightly to simmer uncovered. Let the pot simmer for hours, or as long as you are home to watch it, and add water as needed to make sure the ingredients stay covered.
Get Cooking or Baking!
If the problem room is near your kitchen, hiding the smell can be as easy as cooking or baking! Make sure to leave the doors to your rooms open so that the amazing smells from your cooking can travel.
If you like sweeter smells, try baking! Something with cinnamon such as cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, or apple pie creates an amazing scent. Baking your own fresh bread is also a great way to get your whole home smelling delicious like a bakery!
If you would rather cook something savory, or you just don’t have an oven for baking, try cooking a meal with a strong scent that you love. Consider meals like curries, french onion soup, or a super garlicky sauce.
How to Get Rid of Stubborn Smells like Beer
While the solutions above can help to temporarily mask some smells, they don’t usually get rid of them for good. Some smells, especially that of stale beer, can linger in a room much longer. If you’re in this situation, you will need to tackle the root causes of the smells to neutralize or eliminate the odor.
Clean All Textiles Thoroughly
Fabrics in your home can absorb and hold onto scents for a long time. This includes bedding, pillows, curtains and drapes, carpets, blankets, and sofa cushions.
Throw any blankets, small pillows, or cushion covers into the washer with some added vinegar and baking soda to help get rid of lingering smells. Don’t worry, the vinegar smell won’t stick around but it will work wonders for neutralizing other odors.
To clean bulkier items like rugs or cushions easily and quickly by hand, try using a dry cleaning powder solution that will quickly absorb odor and stains. All you need to do is spray the area beforehand, dust the powder over the surface, and then vacuum to finish.
Keep the Area Well-ventilated for a Few Hours
To get rid of a smell it is very helpful to increase the airflow in your home. This will get rid of any air carrying the odor and replace it with fresh air. By opening your windows wide you can nearly double the air exchange rate in your home.
If you don’t have any windows in the room or the weather isn’t ideal for this, you can instead increase the airflow with a fan or an air-purifying filter.
Final Thoughts
After getting rid of the sources of alcohol smells and cleaning up thoroughly, you can get your room smelling wonderful again!
