As a kid, calling someone a “rotten egg” was a great way to insult them! It is no wonder that this term became such a popular “bad word”. Rotten eggs are horrid; the smell is awful and often nauseating. The surprising part, though, is that the smell does not belong to the rotting egg itself but to the chemical gas it produces – Hydrogen Sulphide. This gas is usually produced when sulfates that are present in organic matter are broken down by bacteria in the absence of oxygen. It can even occur in wells and other places where water remains stored and can be quite difficult to get rid of. To handle the rotten egg smell issue, you must combine a scientific as well as pragmatic approach. Identify the source which is causing the problem and then handle the situation accordingly.
Eggs are a staple part of diet for some among us. Yet sometimes, we manage to have an “accident” with eggs and we manage to break a few in the kitchen. It is much easier to get rid of the “egg” smell from hardtop surfaces like refrigerators, tabletops, kitchen counter or even the floor than it is from fabrics. In case the egg has broken on your rug or your upholstery; it is slightly tougher to get rid of the smell.
Let the room air out. Fresh air takes care of many ugly smells and if you open all the windows, there is a strong possibility that after a few hours the smell would be gone. The source of the smell as we should remember is the egg itself and the bacteria dwelling upon it so it is a must to remove the egg remains. Use a good quality detergent and scrub away at the remains of the broken egg. You may use elbow grease and a small brush if you are dealing with tiles or grout.
Rinse with cold water. Scrub the stained area with a paste made from baking soda and water. This should help with the smell as well as the stain. Follow up with a thorough wash. In case, you cannot wash the area at all, for example you dropped egg on your sofa upholstery, dampen the area and apply a thick layer of dry baking powder. Add a few drops of water on the soda and leave it overnight. The next morning, vacuum clean the area and scrub again with some water. This should take care of the smell as well as the stain if you cannot wash it completely.
Another very helpful household ingredient is white vinegar. This potent material helps in getting rid of any unwanted smells. Just add a dab of vinegar on the area and then rinse it off. Another technique is soaking a fabric, like your dress, in club soda before washing it. This will also remove any rotten egg smells in case you dripped some egg fluid on your dress. For fabrics, another simple trick is rubbing fresh coffee grounds on the affected area to remove the smell and then washing using a good detergent.
Today, the market is flooded with odour eliminators which can do wonders. There are various products available that can get rid of a rotten egg smell. Another common home remedy is to use bleach, where ever possible. However, bleach cannot be used on tiles, wood, most stones, and fabrics so careful when using this. Plug in air fresheners also take care of the rotten egg smell. Their fragrance gradually permeates the air, covering up any stink or bad odor in the house, including rotten eggs.
It may be quite frustrating to get rid of rotten egg smell as it stinks up the whole house and takes a little while to get rid of. Be patient and attack the problem persistently. If you use the right methods, it is just a matter of time before the smell goes away.
