My mother-in-law keeps it in the cupboard under the sink. This is how she said goodbye to a troublesome problem

The moisture created under the sink is a natural incubator of odors. Water vapor rising after cooking and washing settles on the colder elements of the installation and then soaks into materials with a porous structure – furniture boards, sponges, cloths, detergent packaging. A microclimate with increased relative humidity is created in the closed space of the cabinet, which favors the persistence of odors, even if the surfaces look clean.

Condensation phenomenon, i.e. condensation of water vapor on cooler surfaceslocks moisture in materials, which then slowly release it – together with the aromas that have managed to settle in them. Even regular cleaning only removes the top layer, not what has penetrated deeper.

Scientific confirmation of this phenomenon is found in the report World Health Organization – WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould (2009). The document describes that a humid indoor environment leads to the intensive development of microorganisms that produce volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) responsible for the musty smell. Even a short-term increase in humidity in the kitchen may lead to an increase in MVOC concentration in the air.

Some time ago, my mother-in-law shared with me a trick to get rid of moisture from the kitchen cabinet. So I decided to test it and it turned out that her methods actually reduce unpleasant odors. Just put it in the cabinet a bowl of rice. Dry rice grains are a natural moisture absorber, because they have a porous structure and a large surface area. They begin to bind moisture, stabilize the microclimate and limit processes that contribute to the formation of unpleasant odors.

In closed kitchen cabinets humidity can increase dramatically by even several dozen percentage points after one washing or cooking cycle. If the rice absorbs excess water vapor, the air in the cabinet will be more stable, microorganisms will lose the conditions for their development, and the smell will simply disappear, along with the production of volatile compounds responsible for the musty smell.

Rice works from the first minute, and the whole process is simple, fast and does not require any special accessories.

1. Add 1-2 cups of dry rice into a bowl or cotton bag.
2. Place it at the back of the cabinetas close to the pipes as possible, because this is where most moisture accumulates.
3. Add a teaspoon of baking sodaif you want to strengthen odor neutralization – soda filters aromas, and rice captures moisture.
4. Wait 2-7 daysso that the microclimate in the cabinet stabilizes and begins to limit the growth of microorganisms.

For the full effect it’s a good idea to replace the rice every few weeksbecause over time it loses its ability to absorb moisture. A good complement to this simple trick is to air the cabinet briefly after intensive cooking or washing – just open the door for a few minutes to allow excess water vapor to escape.