How To Get Rid Of Garlic Breath: 14 Amazing Tips

Bad breath can be a major turnoff, especially for close encounters like kissing. Unfortunately, garlic breath¹ is one of the most common kinds of bad breath.

Garlic and onions are used in almost every dish but bad breath is no reason to avoid them because their health benefits are worth it, and it’s possible to get rid of their smelly effect easily! Here’s how to get rid of garlic breath, while still taking pleasure in the meals you love.

14 Tips On How To Get Rid Of Garlic Breath

Garlic bread fans know that garlic breath can last for up to a day after eating it! But trying the following tips will help you to get rid of bad breath instantly.

1. Drink Water

If you’ve just eaten a garlicky meal, the best thing you can do to get rid of bad breath is to drink some water and wait a few minutes. The water will help to flush away the odorous food particles from your mouth and tongue.

Water also promotes saliva production, which helps to remove some of the odour-producing bacteria² from the mouth.

2. Chew Gum

Chewing gum with a minty flavor freshens your breath quickly. Plus, it is a quick and easy way to get rid of the garlicky odor!

3. Use A Tongue Scraper

A person will often ignore brushing the tongue and the roof of the mouth, and the back of the tongue is an ideal place for bacteria to build up. A white tongue suggests dead cells and bacteria.

Using a tongue scraper or brush daily will help you remove dead skin cells, microbes, and small food particles. Keep on scraping until there is no residue left on the scraper. This will help you to get rid of the garlic and onion breath.

4. Rinse With Chlorine Dioxide Mouthwash

Research suggests that mouthwashes with chlorine dioxide³ are effective against bad breath. Chlorine dioxide is also effective in removing plaque, tongue-coating bacteria, and tiny particles of food.

The mouthwash works nicely after brushing and flossing. A strong-smelling mouthwash, which includes peppermint, can reduce garlic breath. It is also necessary to follow the instructions on the bottle to avoid overuse and mouth irritation.

5. Eat Fresh Fruits And Vegetables

Eating Fresh fruits for dessert after having a garlic-rich meal may cover up the bad odor of garlic. In one analysis, researchers noted that consuming a raw apple or raw lettuce reduced the smell of garlic on the breath.

6. Drink Lemon Juice

After having a garlic-heavy meal, you can try mixing 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with 1 cup of water and drinking it throughout the day. The citrusy lemon juice will help to freshen your breath while also keeping you hydrated.

7. Brush And Floss After Eating Garlic

The bacteria that cause bad breath are usually found below the gum line and in plaque buildup on teeth. Brushing and flossing after eating onions or garlic will help you to get rid of odor-causing bacteria and food residue.

Toothpaste that contains chlorhexidine ⁴or zinc is effective at combating bad breath. If you’re unsure which product to choose, ask your dentist for recommendations.

8. Try Essential Oils

Essential oils have antibacterial properties which remove garlic breath and provide a freshening breath. You can even make your own mouthwash with essential oils and carrier oil(coconut, sweet almond, or olive).

Peppermint, rosemary, and myrrh are some of those essential oils that have been shown to help eliminate bad breath.

9. Sip A Glass Of Milk

Drinking milk after a meal to get rid of sulfur compounds in the mouth that causes a bad smell is an easy home remedy. Research has shown that full-fat milk works way better than fat-free milk for reducing odor.

10. Drink Green Tea

Drinking a hot cup of green tea after having a meal will temporarily reduce odor. Green tea also prevents the growth of bacteria.

In a 2014 study, 15 participants used a mouthwash containing green tea catechin and found it to be equivalent to an antiseptic mouthwash in terms of effectiveness against plaque.

11. Try Herb Leaves

Chewing herb leaves after eating is an easy home remedy for garlic or onion breath. You can try parsley or mint. Mint leaves have been in use for mouth odor problems for ages and are a part of mouthwashes too. These herbs will help to freshen your breath naturally.

12. Gargle With Baking Soda

Mix equal parts baking soda and water and gargle with it. This mixture helps to neutralize the odor-causing compounds in garlic.

13. Try Apple Cider Vinegar

Some people noticed that drinking one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with water before or after meals gets rid of bad odor from the mouth.

However, this method does not have any medical evidence, so it’s better to take advice from your dentist before trying this remedy.

14. Remove The Garlic’s Core

You can reduce the smelly effect of your garlic by cutting each garlic from the middle and removing the stem from the center of the bulb before adding it to the meal.

Why Do Garlic And Onions Cause Bad Breath?

Onions and garlic contain some compounds which are responsible for bad breath. They can also affect the odor of your body.

• Allicin: When the inner part of the garlic bulb is exposed to air, a substance called alliin ⁵turns into allicin, which then transforms into multiple sulfur-containing compounds responsible for garlic’s smell.
• Allyl methyl sulfide: This compound is released from both garlic and onions when they are chopped. When you eat, the substance is absorbed into the bloodstream and discharged through sweat and skin pores.
• Cysteine sulfoxide: Garlic and onions both contain this compound. This sulfuric ⁶compound causes an unpleasant smell on the breath instantly.

Final Note

Whether you’re trying to impress a date or simply don’t want to repel your colleagues, getting rid of garlic breath can be tricky. The easiest way to do it is to avoid eating garlic in the first place.

Sulfur-containing chemicals cause bad breath in garlic and onions. The smell can linger on someone’s breath for hours and even overnight. But if you’ve already eaten a garlic-heavy dish, these few tips will definitely help you to get rid of the pungent smell.

FAQs:

1. Mengers, Hendrik G., et al. “Seeing the smell of garlic: Detection of gas phase volatiles from crushed garlic (Allium sativum), onion (Allium cepa), ramsons (Allium ursinum) and human garlic breath using SESI-Orbitrap MS.” Food Chemistry 397 (2022): 133804. ↩︎
2. Rudden, Michelle, et al. “The molecular basis of thioalcohol production in human body odour.” Scientific Reports 10.1 (2020): 12500. ↩︎
3. Monteiro, Mayra Kerolly Sales, et al. “A review on the electrochemical production of chlorine dioxide from chlorates and hydrogen peroxide.” Current Opinion in Electrochemistry 27 (2021): 100685. ↩︎
4. Brookes, Zoe LS, et al. “Current uses of chlorhexidine for management of oral disease: a narrative review.” Journal of dentistry 103 (2020): 103497. ↩︎
5. Feil, Katharina, et al. “A systematic review examining the relationship between habit and physical activity behavior in longitudinal studies.” Frontiers in psychology 12 (2021): 626750. ↩︎
6. Rioyo, Javier, Sergio Tuset, and Ramón Grau. “Lithium extraction from spodumene by the traditional sulfuric acid process: A review.” Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review 43.1 (2022): 97-106. ↩︎

Last Updated on February 2, 2024 by Suchi