How to Remove Deep Fryer Rancid Oil Smell
Maintaining the cleanliness of your kitchen at all times is essential, especially if you love to cook. This is the reason why you need to clean all your kitchen appliances. If you already cleaned everything, but you still caught that rancid smell, then it is likely that it came from your deep fryer. The fact that the rancid smell is there is a clear indication you still need to clean it again.
Cause of Rancid Oil Smell
Like any organic products, the cooking oil is also susceptible to spoilage. The process of decomposition is faster in used oil because the bacteria thrives in the oily environment, and they also fed off from the food debris in the fryer. If you did not discard the used oil inside your fryer, it will surely undergo the process of decay. Needless to say, this will cause the rancid smell that will surely stick to the fryer even if you already wash it thoroughly.
What You Need to Have
The most important supply that you need to have is Borax. With this cleaning agent, you will be able to eliminate the smell in your fryer effectively. Other cleaning equipment should be ready such as paper towels, cloth scouring pads, and a small bowl. It is also important that you have a very god supply of clean water because you need it for rinsing.
Is It Safe to Use Borax?
Some might feel skeptical about the use of Borax on a cooking appliance because it is a detergent. However, you should that this is a safe cleaning agent. In fact, you can use it to clean other cookware and even in many household surfaces. Aside from working as a cleansing agent, it can also help neutralize the odor effectively.
Steps in Removing the Rancid Oil Smell
Executing the steps is easy, although it might take a while before you complete the whole process. Nonetheless, you can guarantee your efforts will not go to waste.
- Mix Borax with water and blend until you get a paste. Apply the paste around the insides of the fryer, and be sure to include the frying basket. In order to get the best result, it is best that you apply a generous amount of paste on your fryer especially if the smell is quite strong. Leave the paste on your fryer for five minutes, but make sure it does not go dry.
- After five minutes, get your cloth scouring pad and start scrubbing your deep fryer. Start in the bottom, then scrub the sides and move upward. Rinse with water every now and then in order to remove the paste that you scrubbed off easier. After you scrubbed all the paste, rinse thoroughly with a large amount of water. Dry your fryer using paper towels.
- In case the rancid smell did not go away, you can repeat the steps above. The other thing you can do is to pour dry borax powder directly into the fryer. Let it sit for 24 to 48 hours in order to give the Borax enough time to absorb the rancid smell of spoiled used oil.
Borax Alternatives
If you feel wary about using Borax, there are other milder products you can use as alternatives. One of which is baking soda because this can also neutralize odor. Just like the Borax, you mix the baking soda with water to make a paste and use it the same manner. The other alternative to borax is white vinegar mixed with equal parts water.
Reasons Why Odor Persists
The rancid odor should disappear after trying the steps above. If the odor remains, then it is likely that it came from the other parts of the fryer. Check if there are dirty spots in other areas like the vents and filter because that might be the source of the odor. Do not use baking soda or Borax paste because they are difficult to remove in hard-to-reach areas. Use vinegar instead, and scrub using a small brush.
Conclusion
Removing the rancid oil smell will ensure that everything in your kitchen looks, feel, and smell clean. If you want to enjoy delicious fried foods without having to deal with problems caused by cooking with oil, then consider using an air fryer. It uses 80 percent less oil, so problems like rancid oil smell is minimized. Read air fryer review to learn how it differs from a traditional deep fryer.
